In Memory of Florence
on Blog From Beyond (Rwanda), 01/Apr/2010 14:52, 34 days ago
This post is in memory of Florence Mahoro, a fellow volunteer from the disability Programme in Rwanda. A message from Ruairi today:As some of you may have heard - but some of you may not have - we recently had some tragic news. Our friend and colleague, Florence Mahoro, who worked for two years with UPHLS as a Disability volunteer, died suddenly last week. She had just finished her placement in February, two years of dedicated and hard work carried out with enthusiasm, diligence and good humour with UPHLS, the umbrella organisation for people with disabilities living with HIV/AIDS.Members of the VSO Program Office attended her funeral on Tuesday 30th in Kisoro, Uganda, but it was not possible for the many volunteers who loved and admired her to do the same.Really sad news. Florence was a wonderfully warm person. The first memory that came back when I heard the news from Martine, was the time we were walking back from our new Country Director's house warming party in Remera, and she took my hand and held it whilst we walked up the hill back to Kisimenti.Florence was also responsible for teaching me to say 'I love you' in Luganda. It was back when I set up IT training for the Deaf volunteers in June/July 2008, shortly after she'd arrived. I was totally nuts over D. back then and wanted to know how to say something cute in his language. Florence, being Ugandan, was able to assist during our monthly disability meeting and I left to go to the IT course and sit at the back trying to memorise it the whole two hours ;)Florence was always so well dressed, every disability meeting I remember comments on the clothes she wore. And nobody could quite believe the hours she put in at CNLS/UPHLS - 'dedicated' is most certainly the right word.Another memory was the trip down toButare Deaf Theatre:Left Kigali at around 11am in the VSO truck - Bosco driving, Amanda, Emilliane, Florence, Martine, Mel, Chris and myself. Chris, Mel and I had to squeeze in the boot seats - was such good fun and we spent the two hour trip to Butare chatting, catching up, Martine teaching Florence French and mostly singing show tunes. We stopped in Gitarama to pick up Karen who, it transpires, knows all the words to every song every written!I am extremely saddened by the news that Florence has passed away. Although we weren't in contact since I left, she will always be in my memories of that chapter of my life.Sula bulungi mukwano gwange, ndi munakuwavu.