I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Up at 6am ready for an 8am departure saw us ready if a little bleary eyed. Last night’s challenge of no bathroom light was not a problem once the sun came up, and we were delighted to find we had hot water.  Not so cheering was the discovery that we had mixed up our days and we were not leaving until 9am, we could have had another much needed hour of sleep. Oh well, just one of those things!!!

Our first visit today was to Mwali Parish where 100 goats had been gifted last year. On the way Leonard pointed out the electricity pylons which the diocese had brought from the main road into the parish to serve the church and local community.

We received the usual warm welcome by representatives from the church. Sam, a choir member requested he be allowed to sing for us, we were delighted as we have yet to meet a Rwandan who cannot sing.

After the formalities we visited 5 homes where we were delighted to see well cared for goats and several sets of twin kids.

We were invited into homes, bare bar the benches we were to sit on, with mud walls and floors, and given gifts of oranges (which are green here but still called oranges!!) and ground nuts, all given sacrificially, it is so humbling to receive such gifts from those who have so little.

We learned how the manure was improving crop production and school fees are being paid. Sixty kids have already been passed on to other members of the community; the diocesan aim is to reach three hundred families in three years.

As lives improve, the community are beginning to address some of the government requirements for reopening the church.  We were impressed to see waste bins, toilets, even a fire assembly point. The car parking area was impressive, although we were well massaged and did a great deal of dancing, on the road to reach the church. Thankfully Emmanuel, our driver for the day, is very skilled and careful.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c710bc_42380b4dfd18405fb4d4e98feefca27a/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Mwali Parish is fairly remote and nursery and primary children, up to primary 6 get up at 6am and walk approx. 1½ hours each way to the far side of the neighbouring hill to attend school, the parents would understandably like to build a primary school in the parish.

There are two chapels in Mwali Parish and we visited them both. Initially driven, with the entire church congregation in the back of the truck, then on foot.

Walking through the hills is a real treat and an opportunity to see the real rural Rwanda.

Although at times the tracks are a little precarious, to say nothing of the steps into some of the homes, we are so cared for at all times a steadying hand is always available.

Holding hands is a very natural thing between friends of both sexes here and we guess losing a muzungu down the hillside is probably not on the agenda, so we were held very securely at all times!!  

Chapels visited we arrived at the home of Jean Marie, the parish project development officer, whose wife had prepared a lovely meal, 26 people squeezed into the moderately sized room to enjoy a time of food and fellowship. There is definitely a pecking order to being served, but as always we are invited up first, generally the ladies are last in the queue, but everyone had a good helping.

All too soon it was time to leave for our next stop in the neighbouring Kabambati Parish, first to visit another coffee plant nursery and then on to the church where we met with the church representatives, many of them we had seen at Mwali Parish but as they are currently using the same church that is probably not surprising. We heard about the vocational training centre they are running in the three classrooms next to the church.

Started in 2008, the buildings have been constructed by the community and courses in Masonry and Tailoring are being run, the students are building the boundary wall now required by the government to be constructed around the church land. They showed us the four treadle Singer sewing machines and explained the challenges of providing the materials required to maintain the lessons. The cost per year for a place at the TVET is approx. £70, a little less if it is a student from the church congregation but they are struggling to increase the number of students for the centre to remain viable.

It has been a long day of handshakes, hugs and laughter interspersed with prayer. How privileged are we to have the opportunity to visit these communities and be so warmly welcomed.

Returning to the guest house we were greeted by the bishop for a debrief. As we returned to our room and started this blog the lights went out again. We are becoming masters at typing in the dark.

It appears this room is not exclusively ours, there was much laughter, and a little panic, after the lights came back on, as we evicted a very large green flying grasshopper type creature, which measured around 3 inches, and as we prepare for bed the small lizard crawling around the inside of Carmen’s mosquito net shows no signs of leaving, I guess the net will be redundant tonight!!

Tomorrow, we move on to Karongi.