So as usual it’s an attempt to catch up with what I’ve been up to…
Last week was interesting. On Thursday, Ruairi and I were due to interview 120 teachers, 30 from each district, who’d done well in the written exam to see if they would be suitable candidates for the next stage of training where they would be delivering training their colleagues. What I wasn’t aware of was that each district actually needs 30 trainers so I had to wonder how much our ‘assessment’ would matter. To be fair most had an ok grasp of English but others were definitely elementary. Also, considering they had only been informed the day before, I was impressed at least by the turn out.
By the end of the day, after asking the same probing questions and receiving pretty much the same learned answers then smiling and nodding enthusiastically, I was ready for a beer. Myself and Ruairi together with Bonaventure (Bonnie) headed to the Golden Monkey for lunch. Later, we were joined by Amy and decided to have a couple more drinks at La Fraicheur. Bonnie is currently studying for an MA sponsored by his work but occasionally does projects for MINEDUC. Born in Uganda but now living here, it was really interesting to get his perspective on Rwanda and its people and then to get his perspective on many other things which we didn’t quite expect…For more on this, I’d urge you to take a look on Ruairi’s blog (Tues 17th Nov). He’s yet to write the account but it promises to be interesting. Needless to say it was a fun night, always good to talk.
We finished fairly early on Friday and it was a bonus that Bonnie would be going back to Kigali so gave myself and Ruairi a lift. Ruairi was off to Gitarama and I was out in Kigali for some pizza and sadly to say goodbye to Moira who’s going back earlier than she thought. She’ll be coming back in January but was very sad to say goodbye.
The next day, Kerry was back to Gitarama for a wedding and as Moira couldn’t make it –it was Gilbert’s from their college- I’d be going in her place. Morris (Moira’s boyfriend) was a star, ferrying myself and Kerry from Kigali and then to and from the wedding. The ceremony itself was long but not as bad as I’d been warned (Amy had advised me to take a book and peanuts). Not only can they go on for hours but unlike in the UK, there’s not always food…(!) Anyway, it was a very different affair. Apparently this was part 2. Last week, Kerry had attended the introduction of another wedding where the family’s take part in a sort of barter where cows and fanta are negotiated for the bride and then there is a humorous exchange where little girls or an elderly lady is offered instead of the bride. Anyway, this was the religious ceremony but this being Rwanda, fanta still made a big appearance. On stage the two families, surrounded by it made speech after speech while guzzling the stuff before a cake was cut and we too were invited to join in the fanta fest.
Rumour had it that there would be food at the bride’s house but in the end the three of us sloped off and went for some brochettes and beer at Orion but later on joined the rest of the party at the house before heading to April’s. It was her birthday so lots of VSOers were there and dressed abysmally! It was a ‘bad taste’ party so after having raided the very best ‘worst’ outfits from the legendary Gitarama market, everyone was pretty merry by the time we arrived... We’d managed to convince Morris to come and after experiencing the Halloween party a couple of weeks ago he wasn’t the least bit fazed by it although he did wonder why so many of the boys were in dresses, ummm me too :0)
Ruairi and Martine had stayed in Moira’s house so Kerry and I shared brekkie with them before I headed back home nursing a little bit of a hangover…After a quick chat with home it was early to bed.
This week was the last of my trainings, boo. Instead of me wibbling on, I’ll just post some pics:
Jean de dieu finishing his map
Bus-stop activity
Participants at Kiraro P school
Gallery walk
Reading pairs
The teachers with their finished rice sacks
Creating didactic materials...
Epiphanie & Marie-Rose design a multiplication grid...
The headmaster gave a really lovely speech-tears in the eyes kind of one- and I really felt like I’d achieved something with these being the culmination of the model schools project. As I’ve no doubt given the impression. life here can be so frustrating but sometimes some things make you feel it’s all been worth it…
Meeting Amy, Libby and April tomorrow for a well-deserved sauna since we’ve all been training. They’re staying at mine and then I’m off to Kigali. Charlotte leaves on Thursday so it’s yet another goodbye but not before another good party…
Meeting Amy, Libby and April tomorrow for a well-deserved sauna since we’ve all been training. They’re staying at mine and then I’m off to Kigali. Charlotte leaves on Thursday so it’s yet another goodbye but not before another good party…
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