Beginning to realise
on Tricia Atherton (Rwanda), 08/Feb/2011 18:34, 34 days ago
Hi everyone, I’m beginning to realise that I am living in Africa! It may seem obvious to you, but to me it has seemed unreal for most of the time.I am getting into some sort of routine so I’m sure that is helping to makes things more solid. I wake with the sun at 6am, wash, dress, breakfast and leave for work.  By 6 .45 I am walking down to work along the main road, along with many other people– one of the really nice things about living here is that so few people have cars which means that you get to meet and greet people on the street – it is a social highlight!Last week I spent most of my time inputting data and teaching myself how to use Excel Spreadsheets– a boring job but it has to be done. My reward for all those hours (and more to come , not finished yet) was being able to provide my boss with information that he required at two minutes notice. This week I am visiting four schools with another volunteer who has been here a long time and is going home in April, so I need to make the most of his knowledge and experience.As I walk home, exhausted, I meet friendly faces and smiles all the time. Usually,  the children who live close by come to welcome me home, with arms outstretched for a hug. It is a delightful welcome mixed with sadness for the poverty in which they live. Their ingenuity in providing toys for themselves is boundless! Old bicycle tyres and a stick, paper helicopters, amazingly intricate wire cars with plastic lid wheels and footballs!!!???? Footballs made out of anything they can get their hands on– bits of netting stuffed with banana leaves, plastic bags filled with rubbish and wrapped around with cloth – the strips of cloth unfurling as the ball is kicked through the air and along the ground. Oh the excitement and joy of playing bare footed football !I am including this photo in the blog this week for those who work in schools in the UK and may have seen a Peace Pole in the school garden. This is an international movement involving children and schools all over the world. I was thrilled to see this one in the garden of the Catholic school I visited today. It is a wonderful school founded by Pope John Paul to educate children from poorer families - the facilities are excellent and the staff team are wonderful. there is a Primary section and a Secondary section. Many of the children live in the 'Family Dormitories' and each has a House Mother. Children from the local area also attend the school, so that there is a good mixture and so that the school can serve the local community as well.