Tag Archives: Memories

Reflection, Rwanda

GLP RWANDA 2015 FILM

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I can watch this film over and over again and never get tired of it.

It brings smiles, tears and memories that will never be forgotten.  The trip to Rwanda began with an insatiable curiosity about the country and the people. I am still asking myself what surprised me about Rwanda. After long hours on the plane from Aberdeen (UK) to Kigali (Rwanda) I could sense greater calm. The country has some incredibly landscape with thousand of mountains.  I cannot forget to mention lakes, volcanos, the local market and the greatest opportunity I had to live and feel Rwandan everyday life. I walked the  wide  dust street of Ruhuha and the clean street of Kigali. I saw lots of motorcycle  and bicycle taxi drivers. There was so much that I had to digest emotionally,  such as the genocide museums and memorials.

I also had my days of a tourist as most travellers have. I was fortunate to go gorilla mountain trekking at Volcanos National Park, explore Akagera National Park and Lake Kivu.  We all had time to be on the road at the weekends and take time to relax and talk about our experiences.

Curiosity: the Rwandan people take very serious the approach which bans plastic bags since 2006. For several times I went shopping and the store provided paper bags. It works and it is really inspiring.

I was amazed with what Rwandan people can carry on their heads. The women walk  with an incredible elegant posture, strength and beauty with a perfect erect neck with baskets, food and bags on their heads.

However I admit that I did not have the patience to wait for several hours to be served in the restaurants. I have no idea of what goes on in the kitchen and why it takes hours to prepare a simple salad with fries. Most of the time, I preferred to get some snack from the market such as fresh fruit, baked corn, baked potato, popcorn, yogurt and samosa.

Communication is not a problem at all. In Rwanda you can speak French, English, Kinyarwanda and a mix of the three languages. The culture, the dance and rhythm of the drums speak for themselves. I felt part of the culture.

Reflection, Rwanda

SCOTLAND IN RUHUHA

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It was a sunny day as all the other days since I arrived in Rwanda. The school was always a busy place and I used to spend time with students and teachers. That day was not different. After many hours in the library listening the students’ reading, I heard my name out loud from outside. It was a mix of anxiety, happiness and emotion when I saw my colleague from Angus, Scotland, and his family. I was delighted with the visit and the lovely experience to see familiar faces being so far from home.

What a great opportunity to take them around the school to introduce GS Rango, the staff and the students.

Literary it was Scotland in Ruhuha.

Rwanda

UMUTUARE

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It is a lonely elephant that has a real bad temper.

At the war time, the genocide, most animals were very scared, so they ran away to the neighbouring countries for safety. The elephants went to Tanzania, the nearest country to the side of Akagera Park in Rwanda, but one elephant refused to go. UMUTUARE did not leave the country. Consequently, it survived the war, but became a very isolated elephant. At the military area in the park, a family started to feed him with beer, kasava and banana. After the war, the herd of elephants returned from Tanzania and UMUTUARE found very difficult to join them. He is now an old, unfriendly, very grumpy and angry elephant. It is so angry that it can overturn a car with ease. It is lonely and does not know how to act. (This story was told by Anaclet, our safari guide).

So, suddenly we heard a furiously loud elephant noise coming toward us. I was on the top of the Jeep. I could see it. How exciting! A Rwandan shouted in Kinyarwanda, ‘drive away’, ‘no’, ‘stop’, ‘ahead’, ‘back’… poor  chouffer! That was desperation, fear and anxiety. He stopped the Jeep in front of the bushes. I had half of my body hanging out of the Jeep and my camera ready for a shot.  No words could explain that moment full of excitement, happiness, surprise and fear. It is not because you live in Africa that you can see the wild life easily. For most Rwandan I met, they never had a chance to see an elephant.

UMUTUARE is known all over the world and many visitors want to see it. I was very lucky! I saw UMUTUARE (HERO in Kinyarwanda).

Rwanda

AKAGERA NATIONAL PARK

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10/07/2015

Friday – I went to school in the morning and in the afternoon I left Ruhuha to Kigali. The journey took me about 2 hours and at the bus station I met my  colleagues to go to Rwamagana. We were all very excited to be together, to share our experiences and difficulties faced in our placements. We talked about our accommodation , water, food, health, schools, teachers, students and life in Rwanda. The house in Rwamagana was lovely, with big rooms, bathroom, kitchen and a backyard. In fact, a luxury!

It was not very late when 2 big safari Jeeps drove us to a ‘pousada’ nearby Akagera. How excited it was to have my own room with a hot shower. My own bathroom was translated to ‘happiness.’ I got emotional!

It was 5:30am when we got up for breakfast. As usual, it took ages to be prepared. We were supposed to leave at 6am, but that never happened. Anyway, we had a very strong African tea which they mix with milk and ginger. I little spicy for me! We also had ham, cheese, boiled eggs, bread and butter.

Then, an early morning of our so expected weekend. When we left the hotel the road was quiet and the air fresh. The bicycle riders were on their way to work.

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I was extremely thankful for that moment. I was feeling the peace and looking forward to seeing the animals in their wild habitat. Akagera National Park presents the most scenic African’s Savannah reserve.

image Here my adventure starts at ‘Akagera National Park’ in Rwanda and Anaclet is our oficial safari guide. (9am -11/07/2015).

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Look at the size of that elephant head! It’s amazing! Well, you never know what wildlife encounter might present next minute! Giraffes, elephants, zebras, baboos, antelopes, buffalos, crocodiles, hippos, thousands of hippos…

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The first animals I saw: a family of baboons, 4 giraffes in a distance, which made them look so small and something that looked like zebras. It took hours to see the animals closer. The giraffes were so magnificent! So elegant! So magestic! But the time I heard the elephants I got so so excited. And I loved all the stories about the animals.

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Learning, Reflection, Rwanda

The Iceberg Concept of Culture

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Imagine that the culture of a society is like an iceberg with some aspects that are visible above the water and  that there is a larger portion of the internal aspect that is hidden below the surface.

What does it mean?

It means that some external aspects of the culture you can easily see such as, music, cooking, dancing, dress, art and literature. Underneath the surface is the internal culture where you are going to find a variety of notions and concepts that are implicit, unconscious and subjective of knowledge.

What does Hall suggest?

That if we want to understand the internal culture of a society we have to actively participate and  live in it.

What did I find out?

When I first entered in the Rwandan culture I started to discover the underlying behaviour, beliefs, values and thought of patterns of who they are. I wanted to interact and spend time with them.

 

Reflection, Rwanda

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

At the start I was not sure what expect from my trip to Rwanda, having heard a little about the country and their history. But being at GS Rango, Groupe Scolaire Rango, was inspirational and emotional. Staff and students taught me a very important lesson. How it is to live in Rango community. It is a combination of respect, friendship and happiness.

It is easy for them to share a plate of food. It does not matter what it is on the table for eating. It can be only beans or with maize, banana, rice, goat and chips. There was always someone with a big heart thinking of me. When I was late for lunch, surprisely my plate was made and reserved. That was very thoughtful!

My mum used to say “where eats six, eats seven.” She was always right!

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Learning, Reflection, Rwanda

EATING OUT

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When in Rwanda I did have quite a few opportunities to go to restaurants. However I realised that I did not have the patience to face the long waiting time to get the meal on the table. It was always easier to grab a couple of samosas in the closest shop. For this reason, many times I avoided being out for a meal. But I tried a self-service restaurant in Ruhuha. It was a quiet place to meet my colleagues and have a refreshing Fanta Citron.

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Business, Learning, Reflection, Rwanda

INDIGENOUS WAY OF BUILDING

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The rustic methods of construction with free, local materials is engineered to create simple architecture that is indigenous to the area, and which is deeply engrained in olden times.
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When I saw the local people preparing the muddy for this construction, I thought about my dad who was a builder in Brazil. Many times I saw him making the same type of muddy cake to set the bricks. And I am thinking where my dad’s knowledge came from.

This is my dad

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Learning

SWEEPING TIME

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If you happen to be an early bird like me, your eyes and ears can catch the beauty of the first hours every morning. While the birds are singing in the trees that surround GS Rango, Ruhuha, this lady is sweeping the sparkingly clean walkway with a traditional short broom. It seems that the short-stocked broom has been part of the nation and the culture for a long time.

Well,  I thought I had also to try it myself. Why not?

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