Two weeks in Rwanda
I have now been in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, for exactly two weeks. My luggage been here for a slightly shorter period of time. Apparently I was lucky. My bag took only a day longer to get here than I did. The baggage attendent at the airport told me it often takes a week or more for bags to show up.
My first few nights here I stayed at the Grace Hotel, a relatively upscale place that cost me a little less than $20 per night. I had a bed, a balcony, a bathroom and a mosquito net. Most nights I had electricity, but not always. Most nights I had running water, but not always. I did not have hot water. Rwanda is equatorial, but its altitude makes for a surprisingly cool climate, which is great except at shower time.
After a few days at the Grace I moved to my current lodgings at the Auberge de Nyamirambo, where I have the same amenities minus the balcony. However, the one boy who seems to do all the work at the hotel brings me a buket of water he heats on the stove every morning at 8:30. I "shower" by pouring water on my head using a water bottle that I cut the top off of. My bathing problems are solved.
Around the time I moved into the Auberge de Nyamirambo I started teaching photography to a small group of students at the Gisimba Memorial Center (see photos below). All of them are out of secondary school (high school) and are waiting for the funding they need to either go to university or take job training courses.
Gisimba is an orphanage housing about 185 kids. They also support a number of people living outside the center. Most of the older residents were orphaned during the genocide of 1994. The younger kids are mostly AIDS orphans, and 15 of them are HIV positive.
After two weeks I'm beginning to learn my way around. I'm meeting people who are interested in working with us. And I can say "How are you?" (Amakulu?) and "thank you" (Murakoze) in Rwandan. Baby steps.
My first few nights here I stayed at the Grace Hotel, a relatively upscale place that cost me a little less than $20 per night. I had a bed, a balcony, a bathroom and a mosquito net. Most nights I had electricity, but not always. Most nights I had running water, but not always. I did not have hot water. Rwanda is equatorial, but its altitude makes for a surprisingly cool climate, which is great except at shower time.
After a few days at the Grace I moved to my current lodgings at the Auberge de Nyamirambo, where I have the same amenities minus the balcony. However, the one boy who seems to do all the work at the hotel brings me a buket of water he heats on the stove every morning at 8:30. I "shower" by pouring water on my head using a water bottle that I cut the top off of. My bathing problems are solved.
Around the time I moved into the Auberge de Nyamirambo I started teaching photography to a small group of students at the Gisimba Memorial Center (see photos below). All of them are out of secondary school (high school) and are waiting for the funding they need to either go to university or take job training courses.
Gisimba is an orphanage housing about 185 kids. They also support a number of people living outside the center. Most of the older residents were orphaned during the genocide of 1994. The younger kids are mostly AIDS orphans, and 15 of them are HIV positive.
After two weeks I'm beginning to learn my way around. I'm meeting people who are interested in working with us. And I can say "How are you?" (Amakulu?) and "thank you" (Murakoze) in Rwandan. Baby steps.
posted by TRippe at 9:45 AM
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