Rwanda
Wednesday morning was off to the airport by taxi in the rush-hour traffic. A couple of hours later the most suspense-filled part of the trip... will my case (originally booked on the evening flight) arrive? Out into the sunshine at Kigali airport and no, there's no-one to meet me. Taxi to the episcopal church then on to Signpost's house on a Kigali hillside (a bit too like a street from Hotel Rwanda... a huge area of the city is red murram roads along the hillsides with houses to one side). The Signpost house has its office downstairs (where I am now) and rooms upstairs (where the t.v. is).
The Signpost Team is headed by Nathan who's always running about, Caren runs the show; she's lived in USA and is great fun, and Doreen from Uganda who just started a few weeks ago. A couple of boys stay here during term time and Caren's cousin Sylvia is visiting. She's a journalism student, 22 years old and knows more about world affairs than I do (OK so that's not hard!). They have a land-rover called Miss Daisy but that's in the body shop because a mechanic tested it a bit too enthusiastically when it was in for service. They're a fun crowd to work with.
Child Headed Households
This morning we visited the Child Headed Household villages that the church is building. Janjagiro is right on top of a hill. Beautiful view with Lake Mchazi in the distance... and that's the nearest water source. So we need to work out some temporary water arrangement to collect from the pastor's roof, then plan tanks for each house.
Next we went to Ruhanga where there are 31 houses built by Signpost. www.signpost-international.org Nicely finished houses with beautifully kept gardens. Not many people about as most of them are at boarding school or local school. It currently takes 3 hours to get water in a jerrycan; of the few people we met, one was ill and one had AIDS, so they could really use a local water source here... they could also use some help improving pit latrines etc. though that's not in CED's project proposal... yet.
Final stop was Kabuga where there are 18 houses; more will be built when finances allow. This settlement is funded by Christian Hope International. www.christianhope.org.uk
This afternoon met the archbishop; at present the church is in the middle of '100 Days of Hope' following the '100 Days of Mourning'. It's now 12 years after the genocide. They've had Joyce Mayer over and the Hillsongs people are coming in July. He's keen to get CED more involved with the church.
So far, the plan is for me to go down to Bugesera for Monday - Wednesday... don't think the internet's reached there... I'll have 3 days to teach Timothy, the water technician who runs the programme, all I know about wells (possibly only need 3 minutes, but I'm sure we'll find other things to do too). Emmanuel who's responsible for the project department will come with me, but probably return here after the first day as his wife is due her first baby any time now.
Next weekend I'll travel with James of RHEPI to visit the school at Kagitumba, his girl's hostel site, then go with him to visit the Kayonza orphans. The last bit I'll really appreciate prayer for. There are 3 or 4 groups of orphans cared for by poor families and we helped them a little last year. Now the leader of the help organisation is in prison and the teachers have given up having not been paid. James is keen that we see whether we can give them a bit more support; if they can be integrated into the general school system (government is keen for orphans to integrate) then they will have free education, but in the past Emmanuel has resisted that idea. I'm hoping to visit him with James to discuss all this, but will take guidance as to whether it would be appropriate.
Wednesday morning was off to the airport by taxi in the rush-hour traffic. A couple of hours later the most suspense-filled part of the trip... will my case (originally booked on the evening flight) arrive? Out into the sunshine at Kigali airport and no, there's no-one to meet me. Taxi to the episcopal church then on to Signpost's house on a Kigali hillside (a bit too like a street from Hotel Rwanda... a huge area of the city is red murram roads along the hillsides with houses to one side). The Signpost house has its office downstairs (where I am now) and rooms upstairs (where the t.v. is).
The Signpost Team is headed by Nathan who's always running about, Caren runs the show; she's lived in USA and is great fun, and Doreen from Uganda who just started a few weeks ago. A couple of boys stay here during term time and Caren's cousin Sylvia is visiting. She's a journalism student, 22 years old and knows more about world affairs than I do (OK so that's not hard!). They have a land-rover called Miss Daisy but that's in the body shop because a mechanic tested it a bit too enthusiastically when it was in for service. They're a fun crowd to work with.
Child Headed Households
This morning we visited the Child Headed Household villages that the church is building. Janjagiro is right on top of a hill. Beautiful view with Lake Mchazi in the distance... and that's the nearest water source. So we need to work out some temporary water arrangement to collect from the pastor's roof, then plan tanks for each house.
Next we went to Ruhanga where there are 31 houses built by Signpost. www.signpost-international.org Nicely finished houses with beautifully kept gardens. Not many people about as most of them are at boarding school or local school. It currently takes 3 hours to get water in a jerrycan; of the few people we met, one was ill and one had AIDS, so they could really use a local water source here... they could also use some help improving pit latrines etc. though that's not in CED's project proposal... yet.
Final stop was Kabuga where there are 18 houses; more will be built when finances allow. This settlement is funded by Christian Hope International. www.christianhope.org.uk
This afternoon met the archbishop; at present the church is in the middle of '100 Days of Hope' following the '100 Days of Mourning'. It's now 12 years after the genocide. They've had Joyce Mayer over and the Hillsongs people are coming in July. He's keen to get CED more involved with the church.
So far, the plan is for me to go down to Bugesera for Monday - Wednesday... don't think the internet's reached there... I'll have 3 days to teach Timothy, the water technician who runs the programme, all I know about wells (possibly only need 3 minutes, but I'm sure we'll find other things to do too). Emmanuel who's responsible for the project department will come with me, but probably return here after the first day as his wife is due her first baby any time now.
Next weekend I'll travel with James of RHEPI to visit the school at Kagitumba, his girl's hostel site, then go with him to visit the Kayonza orphans. The last bit I'll really appreciate prayer for. There are 3 or 4 groups of orphans cared for by poor families and we helped them a little last year. Now the leader of the help organisation is in prison and the teachers have given up having not been paid. James is keen that we see whether we can give them a bit more support; if they can be integrated into the general school system (government is keen for orphans to integrate) then they will have free education, but in the past Emmanuel has resisted that idea. I'm hoping to visit him with James to discuss all this, but will take guidance as to whether it would be appropriate.
posted by Ian at 11:50 AM
1 Comments:
Ian, just to let you know that we're reading this - we've linked it from the church website.
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