Arriving at Kigali airport, the customs process was very straight forward and the agents actually "welcomed" us to Rwanda. The airport has been recently upgraded and the architecture quite impressive. As the city unfolded before our eyes I was totally impressed. Clean beyond your imagination, not a scrap of paper, garbage or debris could be found on the roads and the countryside.
First a quick stop at the One Acre Fund (Tubura) guest house in Kigali to pick up an interview candidate that needed a ride to the Country Directors home. A quaint home with a great view overlooking the valley and city of Kigali.
The trip from Kigali to Rubengera was about a 3 hour drive through gorgeous countryside. We quickly understood why Rwanda is known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills", as we drove through the twists and turns of the curvy mountain roads. Looking out across the valleys the hills are tiered to prevent crop and soil erosion creating a truly artistic view of the landscape.
Today was Sunday and the side of the road was filled with Rwandans walking to and from the small towns along the way. I of course made the assumption that they were heading to or from church. At one point our driver stopped to let us take pictures. We were immediately meet by several young boys eager to tell us the history of the area and valley. The boys ranged from about 8 to 14 years of age. One of the older boys proceeded to tell me the legend of the valley while a younger boy recited the same rendition to Randy. It was as if the younger boy was following the lead of his older friend to help learn and memorize the presentation. After finishing the story the boys broke into song, with one young fellow playing a hand made musical instrument. Although I knew they were performing in hope of receiving a tip, the whole experience made my heart sing, even if I had no idea what they were telling us. Something about big rocks is all I got out of the translation. Of course we happily gave the group a reward for their efforts. I only hope the entire group was able to share the cash we handed to the oldest boy (?). For the rest of the trip we simply sat back and enjoyed the scenery.
Once we arrived at Ruebengera, there seemed to be a bit of confusion on where the driver should take us. The main compound, the office, or the Kibirii House (which would be where we sleep each night). So first we dropped our bags off at the Kibirii House and then headed over to the main compound.
Getting to the Kibirii House is an adventure in itself. Let me try and explain. You turn into town off the main highway and follow a dirt road, crossing over wooden bridges until you come to a fork in the road past the blue gate. Then you turn right and follow the road until you find an open field on the left side of the road. At the open field which looks like a farmers field with a set of tire tracks running across it you follow the tracks until you see the tracks turn right. Continue following the tracks past a few adobe huts and then after a few hundred yards you come to a cement house with a bamboo fence around it. Stopping at the gate the guard welcomed us to Kibirii House. The house is fairly new, with all the basic amenities of home and a maid that comes in twice a week. We were impressed and knew we would be comfortable during our stay in Ruebengera. We are a 25 minute walk to the main compound although a taxi is available at 7:30am each morning to drive us if we choose. So far we have walked 3 mornings and driven 2. We do take the cab home every night. I am still not sure about walking home in total darkness and there are no street lights.
In Rwanda there are 21 expats working for the organization. Lunch is provided each day by the kitchen staff and every night different members of the team prepare dinner for the entire group. While I don't believe it is actually deemed as a competition it definitely appears that everyone takes a lot of pride in producing a well balanced delicious meal. Lots of home grown vegetables, salads, meat and cakes made from scratch almost every evening. One night they were slicing a smoked ham hock imported from Spain as an appetizer. It currently is hanging over the kitchen table and individuals can be found slicing off a small piece for breakfast, lunch or snack.
Monday afternoon we decided to go for a short run. The first half was quite easy as we ran along the trails going downhill. A kilometre in a young man joined in and ran with us until we hit the entrance to his home at which point he said " my home, good bye". Then we started to attract a following of children. Even though it was late afternoon, they all said "good morning, how are you, I am fine" and laughed and giggled as we tried to communicate with them. In Rwanda they speak Kinyarwanda or French, followed by a few words of English. The children thought we were quite entertaining as they ran in front, beside and behind us. Coming back the children stayed with us until we reached the place they first joined us. Probably at the entrances to their adobe homes. Now we were going uphill and my paced slowed down considerably, often to a walk. I am sure the Rwandans we had past on the way down were laughing at me as I huffed and buffed my way back up to the compound. One great thing about not knowing the language is you can pretending everyone is laughing with you and not at you.
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