The pleasures of being a volunteer
on Melissa Hipkins (Rwanda), 17/Oct/2011 06:42, 34 days ago
The end of our placement in Rwanda is now in sight. There remains a little over 3 weeks if you don’t count the 2 weeks we are going to spend in Ethiopia. Inevitably when trying to sum up our feelings on leaving the question arises of what we will miss and what we are looking forward to.The simplicity.Life for us in Nyanza is stripped down to the essentials. We can now appreciate the difference between a society which expects things to be technically perfect and one that is surprised if things work at all. Our society has always believed it had the means to sustain the level of education, health and social service we expect and demand; this one is still searching for those resources that we take for granted. This simplicity is something we shall miss but we have to qualify that sentiment with the fact that simplicity for us equals drudgery for the population. There is no rush hour, no congestion and frustration of a lot of people trying to get somewhere in a hurry. The beginning of the day is signalled by increasing numbers of people walking past often deep in conversation; children on their way to school or people going to the fields, hoes in hand, leading goats on strings. Buses going up and down our road trawling for early passengers interspersed by motos and cycles. Despite this burst of activity there is none of the frenzy associated with commuting.The climate.When you think of Africa the immediate image is of an unmerciful sun, fields of desiccated crops, desertification, starving peoples in despair. You don’t think of rolling hills covered with groves of eucalyptus and bananas, handkerchief fields clinging to the slopes, valleys with slow clear streams, lily-covered irrigation channels between the plots of rich deep earth, knots of people preparing the soil in anticipation of the next planting and yet in the neighbouring field farmers harvesting the vegetables or maize. Summer days in England can be more oppressive than the usual heat experienced here. It’s been a cold night when I have had to sleep with more than just a sheet over me. The only time I wear a jersey is if it is overcast and raining for more than half a day. The altitude helps to even out the extremes; the heat can be more unpleasant in Kigali which is 400 metres lower. Only if heavy rain is on the way do we get significant winds; for the great part, the days are tranquil and balmy from dawn to dusk. We shall have to getused to a dawn and dusk that varies by more than 30 minutes throughout the year. At the moment the onset of dawn is as good as an alarm clock.The variety of the wildlife,most notably the profusion of birds. It’s not unusual to see a column of perhaps 30 -40 kites slowly ascending in the afternoon thermals. Cultivation is no bar to hawks and eagles nesting in trees round fields, you only have to trek off into the wilds if you want to see mammals. Even our garden of 80% concrete harbours frogs, toads, lizards and the odd snake while inside the house are crickets geckos and a few fearsomely large spiders. I will not miss the fleas and mosquitoes.The friendliness of the people. I am still amazed at the number of times we are greeted while just walking along our road or waiting for a bus. Often when I’m with Melissa and someone comes up and shakes her hand I assume it’s an acquaintance from one of the many schools she has visited. But on my enquiry as to who that was she has no idea; she’s never met them before. She has built up a retinue of families with kids with whom she exchanges greetings on her way to work. I on the other hand limit my trips into town to the days we need more beer or when I catch a bus so I don’t have so much regular intercourse. It’s still a bit unnerving when walking on the road to be held with a steady gaze by everyone coming from the opposite direction.It’s difficult to fathom the intention behind this stare; it is children who are the most persistent. If the stare is returned, which I find difficult to sustain, they do not look away but it may elicit a greeting or even a handshake. I don’t think the citizens of Bristol will be similarly inclined to give a hello.The luxury of having a domestique.At a push and especially as I spend most of my time at home we could manage the cleaning and I could eventually get used to going to the market but I draw the line at doing the washing. I can perfectly understand why despite some volunteers eschewing the need for help during the day, most succumb once they are faced with the chores in the evening or at weekends. Shops do stay open until way past dusk so it is possible to buy stuff late but then you have to cook it and it all can get a bit too much, especially if there’s no electricity and charcoal or kerosene have to be lighted. The main problem is the time everything takes. Floors to be swept and washed, clothes hand washed and hung out. Then there’s the perpetual threat of rain while you’re out buying at the market. At the moment the market constitutes around trip of about 4 kilometres on foot so there’s not much that can be done if the clouds darken; the washing stays wet. I think we will truly appreciate the meaning of “labour saving devices” when we get back.The same fresh fruit and vegetables being available throughout the year. We have never had a problem with something being“out of season”. It seems to me that wherever you go in Rwanda the markets have the same range of fruit and vegetables on display. There are a few variations; the north around Musanze is better supplied with potatoes and cauliflowers and pineapples are more plentiful and of better quality in theeast. However, the overall range is limited to things that can be easily grown locally and is dictated by demand. Rwandans are pretty conservative and without any programmes about cooking on the telly or many restaurants serving exotic cuisine that is unlikely to change. But what there is is guaranteed fresh and plentiful and cheap. The cabbages are particularly good and I’ve had an avocado everyday for breakfast. Yes, we’ll miss the fresh food.On the other hand, we won’t miss the meat. It is probably fit to stew if cooked long enough but anything pretending to be a steak is bound to disappoint. Poor quality animals combined with a policy of slaughter and consumption on the same day makes for toughness. We have found it best avoided any meat except when minced and even then it’s not great. Fish is much better but tends to be overcooked. Our bodies may miss the healthier diet when we return but our palates wont.The need to find things to do in the evening has stimulated us to be more creative and in a way I’m not looking forward to having 24 hour cable and Freeview. I have read more books in the 2 years out here than I have done in the last 20 years. The VSO library has inspired me to take books I wouldn’t have given a second glance in the UK. I must investigate the public library in Bristol. Thanks to external hard-drives of astonishing capacity we have seen television series missed or ignored and watched films never previously contemplated. Browsing and copying other volunteers’ collections gives an even wider scope for viewing the unknown. It’s an education to decide to watch something just going on its title and an exercise in co-operative criticism to decide when to abandon an exceptionally tiresome offering.It has been good to be part of a small but exclusive family of volunteers. It gives us a network of contacts with whom to socialise and to gain from their experiences. Melissa’s relations with her colleagues in the district office are harmonious but getting to know them outside of work has been restricted mostly by the language. Proper socialising implies relaxation and being at ease in one another’s company. This cannot be easily achieved when limits are put on conversation. Consequently any bonds we have built up with Rwandans are not likely to survive a prolonged stay in the UK.We will miss the transport systems here. The buses are efficient and cheap and even leave on time. If you don’t count the speed at which some buses are driven and the total disregard of any nominal limits in built-up areas they appear reasonably safe. The only time they come down to a crawl is if they have been warned of a police check ahead. The police only have to judge by eye that the limit has been broken to issue a ticket. The drivers tend not to argue or even less to contest the decision for fear of more trouble. Travelling on the back of a motorcycle taxi has been a new and mostly enjoyable experience for us both. They are very widespread; you only have to alight from a bus to be importunedby half a dozen moto drivers eager to help complete your journey. They are efficient and provided you bargain hard before agreeing to mount up they are generally good value. I’m surprised that they aren’t more popular in other countries; I can see them being very efficient in cities in the UK.One thing that has surprised me is the pleasure of having an open air kitchen. I have said to many fresh volunteers that living in Rwanda is almost akin to camping. When we first moved to Nyanza we were taken aback to find there was no kitchen in the house, that is to say no room with a sink and taps. But having seen kitchens in other houses with very little space and very poor light from tiny windows I think we are far better off cooking on the back veranda. The only time it doesn’t work so well is if we have a storm; an electric stove and driving rain is not a good combination.Things we shall be looking forward to back in England are: a reunion with all the family and a proper family Christmas. If it hadn’t been for the good communications available I think we should have had to go back to the UK at least once. Edward and Lucy being unencumbered were able to meet us in Zanzibar last Christmas but we have missed two years of great changes during the development of Megan and Eli. It is perhaps poorcompensation that those changes will be all the more obvious to us because of our absence.Discovering new walks and pubs around Bristol. Walking here for pleasure is an alien concept; people have to walk to go anywhere and if they had the option of getting a lift they would take it under any circumstances. It’s a great way to explore the countryside and go to areas where white people rarely venture. You can tell when you’re really off the beaten track when the children shy away rather than follow you down the road. Getting around outside the town is difficult if only due to the lack of maps and signage. Sticking to the major tracks is a surer way of not getting lost. However, if you knew the general direction you needed to travel I’m sure you could just branch out across country; there are no fences or hedges and so many paths to choose from. The only problem might be crossing the waterways.As for pubs, bars here are plentiful and range from a back room in a tiny house to somewhere that could comfortably host a wedding. Single women in bars are frowned on which makes life difficult for female volunteers in a placement on their own. The beer is OK if a bit formulaic; we shall both enjoy our first pint in an English pub if there are any left still open.Reliable water and electricity and to have hot showers.Once you get used to the fact that water is available only for 12 hours out of every 48 then you can plan ahead and manage to husband the resource, despite most of those hours being overnight. With buckets and jerry cans we have the capacity to store 160 litres. If we manage to catch rainwater in the tub there’s an extra 70 litres to play with. The return of water pressure has so far not let us down. We have had to wait sometimes for an extra 48 hours if we are staying away from home on the night the pressure comes back.The electricity is more capricious.Only once have we been without power for more than 48 hours when a pole near us was blown down by a storm. Usually if the power goes off it’s back within the hour. At night when we have a cut we look across the valley to see if lights are showing over there. If they do not then that’s a good sign. It means there’s a widespread problem and someone will get on and do something straight away to restore the power. If we are dark butthe houses over the road are lit, it indicates a more localised fault that may be overlooked and it is likely to take longer to resolve.I will welcome the opportunity to be able to overhear conversations and understand what is being said. In buses and in bars the background talk is barred to us. I think even if we knew more kinyarwanda we would still be at a loss. It’s a pity as we have very little idea of what public opinion is on any subject. What sort of things are openly discussed and what is not appropriate. The sort of humour that appeals and what people find to talk about during their endless mobile phone calls.I for one am looking forward to getting back into a glider. It has been very frustrating here having so many days of good gliding weather and yet knowing there is absolutely no means of taking advantage of them. It would have been an ideal way of looking at the country but with all these hills there are few airstrips. It’s a rare event to any sort of aircraft over Nyanza; the only exception being helicopters checking security for a presidential visit.We shall both be thankful to be in reach of a dependable health service. VSO has health insurance for all its volunteers and for the moment accompanying partners are covered as well. Insurance is one thing but free treatment is no substitute for a reliable diagnosis. We are fortunate not to have needed any medical consultations; we have heard tales from those no so lucky.From the veterinary point of view, I shall be glad to get back to a culture were people are more sympathetic to the needs of animals. Even in a country where the cow is a symbol of wealth and status and cattle raised in the bosom of families are valued and cherished there are stark examples of disregard and ignorance. Cattle and goats transported by road seem to have no protection against overcrowding in unsuitable lorries. Cows are regularly branded with hot machetes in an attempt to treat diseases where tradition has stifled logical remedy. There is a hope that the future generations of vets may have an impact but as yet I have had very little influence on their thinking.We undertook to volunteer with VSO as a response to our perceived need to avoid stagnation after an active life. It was an opportunity to feel useful in a country that needed our skills. It has brought us closer together as a couple and it will have changed our outlook on life in ways that have yet to show themselves. We are sorry to leave and we would look to come out again after a suitable interval back with our family; whether we go back to Rwanda or whether we challenge ourselves further in another country remains to be seen.