Advertisement
Published: July 26th 2010
Edit Blog Post
A young male dancer.
He was trying to teach me how to dance. Mission Impossible. They love having their photo taken. Rwanda - The People.
The Rwandan population is somewhere between 8 to 10 million depending on where you look up your information. It is made up of approximately 70% Hutus, 29% Tutsi and 1% are Batwa also known as Twa (what we know as the pygmy tribes). Historically Rwanda was the only African country where the different tribes spoke the same language throughout the country- Kinyarwanda. Tutsi and Hutu lived side by side for centuries in harmony until the country became colonised by Europeans. But this entry is about the people not the turmoil of Rwanda, I will cover that in another blog. There are physical difference that distinguish each from the other though with intermarriage between the Hutus and the Tutsis it is getting harder and harder to tell these two groups apart. Historically the Tutsis were a taller race with slim delicate features. They were mainly dairy farmers whereas the Hutus were of a swarthier build. They were generally shorter, had thicker ankles and wrists with flatter and broader noses. They were mainly concerned with farming. When you see the stereotype Hutu or Tutsi you can tell the difference. However as I said before due to intermarriage it
The Principal (Director)
The one on the left is the Pricipal of the schoiol. He is also the Anglican Minister for the area. is very hard to tell them apart these days (which is probably a good thing). Apparently that if one goes around claiming they are a Hutu or a Tutsi to publicly you could find yourself being a guest of the Government for a good period of time (I can’t verify the validity of this claim at the time of writing this). Here you are no longer Tutsi or Hutu you are Rwandan.
The first thing that strikes you when you enter Rwanda is the open and friendly nature of the people, they seem to want to go out of there way to help you. They have an engaging manner that makes you feel that they want to be your friends. For people who have gone through such tragedy and suffering, the way they accept everybody and ensure that you feel welcome is truly amazing. A simple example of this when walking through Kigali one feels entirely safe, many of the female volunteers have commented upon the fact that they would have no compulsion going into Kigali at night and going to a restaurant or night club (or Rwanda’s equivalent). They say they feel safer here than at home. An
End of Term Celebration
Just like anywhere the teachers are happy to see the end of another term. example of this are the hawkers selling you or trying to sell you anything from maps of Rwanda to flags, from shoes to trousers or things that look like they have fallen off the back of a truck. They are all over the city and they are persistent, but the strange thing is that they are never offensive or rude. Once you say no they continue to try and you can see a little smile creep onto their faces and becomes like a game. When they finally realise that your not interested in buying anything they ask where are you from, what do you do, how old are you and do you need any help. If you are lost or looking for something they will show you where it is or actually take you there and wish you a great day. To these people to help someone is just a part of their nature, they help you because they want too not because they will get something out of it.
Here in our accommodation we have two lovely people who work for the Volunteer organisation and they just can’t do enough for us. They obviously get paid for their
A young female teacher
I have never seen this person without a smile on her face. She is so happy it is contagious. work (only minimal, they get a lot less than Jesse gets at Hungry Jacks) but they go well beyond what they should be expected to do, and they always have a smile on their face. Each morning I hear the male helper start the day singing as he is in the kitchen preparing our breakfast. Singing, I never hear anyone singing when preparing breakfast. My only concern is that he starts his day at 5:30am and my bedroom window is right next to where he prepares the breakfast. Sometimes I feel a little less than generous, but it lovely just the same.
Another aspect of Rwandan society is how they wish to include you in everything they do. I have been only at Gahanga for 4 weeks and one of the teachers said he would be honoured if I would attend his wedding. I felt a little embarrassed when he said he would be honoured if I came, it should be I who feels honoured being given the opportunity to be part of his special day. Hopefully he will agree to let me post some of his wedding pictures on my blog. People have invited me to parties, to
Teachers
Emmanuel and friend who encouraged me to attend the election rally. church and more, my social calendar is filling up very quickly. It is amazing the way they just include you into their lives as though you are part of their family. Emmanuel, the teacher who has taken me under his wing has already adopted me as his father and introduces me to everyone as his MUZUNGO (foreign/ white) father. He is desperate for me to meet his girlfriend. He is such a dag but a really lovely guy. I will miss him when I leave.
The pictures in this blog are to show you the different activities I have been included in and invited to. Some of the pictures were taken at a Paul Kagame election rally. The people were so encouraging of my involvement there even when they saw I has the rhythm and grace of a stick. I couldn’t include any wedding photos as this is to be held on the 14th of August so pictures of this will be posted later (if allowed).
Advertisement
Tot: 0.131s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 9; qc: 50; dbt: 0.0766s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb