Most of our time in Rwanda was spent in Cyakabiri, near Gitarama, about one hour from Kigali. RDIS (the partner organisation we were working with) are based in Cyakabiri, but also work in 3 other diocese, which we spent a month visiting. The first place we went to was Butare, Rwanda's second largest city and home of the National University of Rwanda, the National Museum of Rwanda and an amazing ice cream shop. It was here that I took advantage of the lack of running water to not wash my hair for a week, had an invasion of tiny spiders in my room and ate some incredible chapatis at the Bishop's house (whose wife went to QMU in Edinburgh for her masters...small world). We also helped build a house, got to know some of the students and went to a wedding.
On a hunt for monkeys around the uni campus
It was so amazing to see these monkeys just roaming around, being ignored by the Rwandan students. We, of course, did the classic foreigner/ tourist thing and took loads of photos of them!
Imagine having this as your uni campus!
A wedding in the local church, where we were asked to come and sit behind the choir... after the service had started!
Enjoying some ice cream at Inzozi Nziza (Sweet Dreams).
The house we helped to build for a woman and her 4 children, who had been homeless
and living in the local church for the past 7 months after their home was destroyed.
A definite reality check for me.
Washing our clothes in a basin with a jerry can and soap. Trying to prove
that we didn't totally rely on machines at home!
(Last 3 photos by Sarah Pickup)
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