Back in Rwanda with my crew
on Annemiek Miller (Rwanda), 13/Jan/2006 09:16, 34 days ago
Back in Rwanda with my crew!Have been a bit lax with no entries for almost 2 months. I did sneak to Holland for 3 weeks and there indulged myself like a mad woman in food and drink and spent a ton of money on myself and on things to take back here. A pleasant surprise in Holland was the fact that the clothes I had left there in July were miles too big. I had to find a friendly Moroccan in Bussum to have them taken in. This did mean I was allowed to shop some to get decked out for the few festivities I attended– my own Birthday party arranged by friend Ineke and the 25 th wedding party of my cousin Willem and his wife Pien. Those two really know how to party! Then I mustn’t forget the Christmas and New Year’s at Elise and Jan Willem’s. Mother and I also went for many a lunch and a dinner or two and of course mammie’s 94th birthday on Des 27. Anyway, I was looking forward to going back with some trepidation mostly due to the fact I had gotten quite lazy. And being back almost a week it still feels OK.Jacqueline, who comes for food frequently, was glad to see me but gestured to her ragged and filthy skirt asking if I had brought her a new one. I had not, but am now resolved to buy her a new one even though I have decided Jacqueline is not very likeable. She always asks for more and does not help herself very well. Quite pathetic, but not likeable.Claudine, my help, looked after Jacqueline three times a week while I was away. That is to say she came to my house three times a week and cooked for Jacqueline and watered the garden. The latter was necessary as it only rained once during my absence. Since I have been back it has rained practically every day. Claudine was happy to see me and excited about the clothes I brought back for her. She is also pleased I now have 3 working radios. She has one on all day and I have to ask her to turn it off during lunch because I just cannot bear the music and chatter. The garden is looking good. My sister Myra’s carrots were duds unfortunately so we will now try the carrot seeds I got from Richard and Deb Holdsworth. The zucchinis are growing as is the corn. There are some cucumbers and beans and swiss chard coming and I am going to seed some more flowers and try the tomatoes. The latter are so cheap and quite tasty at the markets, that it is hardly worth the trouble. As far as my plot is concerned, the climate is great but the soil is very poor. We have applied a second bit of compost – from my garden waste after the first compost came from the local cows. Speaking of we, I come to Valens, thestudent whom I helped stay in school at the end of the school year by paying the remaining $35 of his school fees. In exchange - we established this in November - he was to help me in the garden. Before Christmas, which was just after the school year ended, we decided I would support him this coming year also. School feels are about $300 plus supplies and toiletries. Before I left, Valens told me he wanted to start taking photos and was looking for an old camera. There is a lot of interest to have your picture taken here. Also people want their weddings and parties photographed and they arewilling to pay. Valens figures he can get some extra money by doing this and hopes to help pay for his brother’s school expenses, not to speak of his younger sister who also wants to start secondary school but is still waiting for the results of the national exam she wrote in November at the endof grade 6. Anyway I did find a neglected camera in Holland and put a roll of twelve in which he shot today and will take to town tomorrow to see how they worked. My aunt and uncle in Bussum handed me 25 euros before leaving and I bought film for him so he can get started and make some profit rightaway instead of having to purchase the film too. Valens is a tiny 20 year old. A bit of a country bumpkin, but eager to learn. As he says, he is too frail to be cutting down trees or doing other physical labour (which by the way is hard to find as is any kind of paying work), so he might as well take pictures and leave himself enough energy to work on his studies. He is 20 entering the 9th year of schooling with three more to go if he gets this year ( a national exam) . The school tells me he is one of the best students in his year. Yet when he was leafing through a MacLean’s magazine lyingon my coffee table, he did not know anything about advertising. He had never heard of Microsoft, or IBM and did not understand the difference between the pages with articles and the ads! This just captures how isolated the youth in this part of the country are from the rest of the world. Evenif they wanted, it is hard to find books, magazines and newspapers to read. Public computers are more than an hour by bus away and that costs $2! There is a lot I can help this kid with and he really is keen to learn. He is aware of his very African accent in French and wants me to help him improve. Belowyou see Valens at 5.30 am leaving my place (this was in December) on his way home – a 6 hour walk. I will keep you posted.