Over the past week we went back to Byimana in Ruhango to help this family finish building their house. We were meant to go help a different person but at their meeting the self help group had decided that this families needs were greater than the other and so an umuganda was organised for them which is what we were a part off. This umuganda meant that the family were able to save money on labour and use it to buy slates for the roof and a mental door which would otherwise have been impossible. As usual byimana was welcoming and it felt like the team were returning home. Unlike some of the field days we have had we were all optimistic that this would be a lovely day and indeed it was. We made some new friends, one of whom even invited us to her house and fed us avocado and cassava croquets which the boys loved and anyone who knows me knows my love for avocados. Yummmmmie.
 |
| How beautiful is Byimana! |
Lol. this is so much a part of african culture and you are bound to see it happening whatever part you are in, be it South Africa, East Africa , West and North Africa. Carrying a child on you back is a beautiful thing except in this instance when the child is terrified of white people since she has never seen them before in her life and i am there asking Lauren.. My very white african sister to take a picture for me. As soon as Lauren would walk away or i would turn the poor baby away from the muzungu's she would be happy and smiling again. She is such a beautiful little girl even though she did wet herself whilst i was carrying her thus peeing on me in the process.
The majority of the building on the house had been done the first time we had gone there and so that day we had to level out the house and ensure that they would have a flat surface. This was harder that it sounds since some of the rooms had a steep gradient.
Not to be left out Lauren also made friends with this cow and to hear her say it, "it is the most beautiful cow ever". She was so in love with it that the owner and our friend offered to sell it to her to take back home to Scotland with her or maybe it could become her sponsor cow and she could makes several trips a year to visit it! Seeing and meeting all the animals both wild and domestic has been one of my highlights of being here in Rwanda. #veggieforlife #yogilifestyle
Our friend showed us the avocado trees, rabbits and pigs that help her earn a living since ever husband unfortunately passed away a few years ago leaving her to raise her four kids alone. She was so happy and welcoming and even fed us avocado and cassava balls. I dont know whether it was the love behind them but they were some of the best avocados i have had. Seeing as how i have one a day that is saying something !
 |
| All the community member that helped us make the umunganda for the improvised family. |
On the way back home we also stopped off to see the Kitchen Garden that we had constructed in the first few weeks here for one of the ladies of the community. Though they had not started using it yet its was looking fantastic and lovely and ready for when planting season started.
How have you guess been? I hope you have enjoyed catching up with what i have been up to here in Muhanga. I only have a short time left and though i have had some ups and downs, i have enjoyed my time here and i will be a bit sad to leave. I am busy trying to finish up all the projects that we started and also saying some tearful goodbye to my new friends.
I will talk to y'all soon and love y'all
Issie xox
No comments:
Post a Comment