On Sunday I bussed two hours to Butare, the so-called intellectual capital of Rwanda, for the National University of Rwanda’s 6th Annual Scientific Research Conference on Poverty Reduction and Development. I like Butare. I think it’s my favourite town in Rwanda. The town’s one main street of shops has almost everything you want, and a few restaurants and bars to meet friends. Otherwise, it is a quiet town with fresh air and bright stars and green gardens.
I’m staying in the beautiful house of a kind and generous friend. It’s been good for my spirits to be in a house where I don't have to depend on someone else for food, water, etc. I have a kitchen with gas stove and fridge, where I am welcome to raid the cupboards and cook what and when I like, and there's running water. I’ve taken up my host’s habit of drinking a morning coffee (of freshly ground whole Rwandan beans) while soaking up the early morning sun on the front veranda. After getting lost running on the dusty red streets of the neighbourhood, or doing yoga in the garden. Having someone near my own age and culture around has also given me a sounding board to work through my research problems and a friend with whom to share thoughts and reflections on life in Rwanda and home.
I’ve met some interesting expatriates during my few days in Butare. A New York musician here to be inspired and write songs. An American hair dresser here to use her background to support trades and entrepreneurship training of youth. (I also have a hair appointment with her tomorrow afternoon!) An Irish professor of climate change issues on sabbatical at the National University of Rwanda. An American PhD student who married a Rwandan and has made Rwanda her permanent home. One of the fabulous things about traveling abroad is that it provides an opportunity to meet and get to know people you may not normally meet, both people in the local population and other expatriates.
The conference itself is probably like any other conference, with extremely boring talks and relatively interesting ones. I have found the keynote speakers who read their speech off a paper while the Word document of it is projected onto an overhead screen particularly painful. I have read the entire page before the first sentence has been read in halting English. As always, there has been a lot of reading off overly wordy powerpoint presentations, and people who are unable to alter the length of their presentation even when they have gone way overtime. But, complaints aside, attending an academic conference in Rwanda has been a unique opportunity for me to learn about local research efforts and projects, as well as to understand better a different perspective, a developing country perspective, an African perspective, a Rwandan perspective, an urban, educated Rwandan perspective of priorities and approaches for poverty reduction and development. It has been a valuable experience therefore, in addition to being my first chance to present my own research at a conference.
Speaking of my own research.. I have hired a professional interpreter to assist me for 2 weeks to conduct open-ended interviews with coffee growers in a number of different coffee cooperatives, both fair trade certified and not, across Rwanda. The interpreter has experience asking sensitive questions in Rwanda of the rural population, and also drives a 4x4 truck to get us where we need to go. I’m looking forward to seriously starting the interviews, and am happy with my choice to splurge on a professional to help me ask questions appropriately and effectively. Tomorrow we meet to go over the questions, and Friday I am amongst the coffee growers if all goes as planned!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
One Month In
I knew that my first month here would be a wash in terms of research, but it still comes as a shock that I’ve been in Rwanda a month already and have barely begun! The first month is comprised of adaptation to a different place, a different approach to work, feelings of homesickness brought about and/or compounded by stress, making contacts, and figuring out logistics. I also had scholarship applications due and an internship to arrange.
All that said.. I have gone through it all and survived the first month! The scholarships are applied to, the internship has been formalised, I’m making my plans last-minute, I’m speaking Kinyarwanda and making Rwandan sound effects. I’m staring at people without being rude, waking up to the call of our rooster and running in the mornings, seeing people I knew in 2005-06, eating pizza and drinking wine with other bazungu on the weekends, and buying bananas and passion fruit from women at the bus station. I know what’s happening on Big Brother Africa, and wear dress shoes more often than my hiking sandals. I ‘shower’ with cold water, from the waist high tap when it’s running and basin when it’s not. I say goodnight by touching the hand of each family member, and I tuck my mosquito net around my bed every night before I get in and roll into the human-size indentation in the foam mattress. I greet everyone the same way as I say goodnight, with a hand non-shake. I eat a starch-laden diet and the occasional piece of meat. I don’t walk on grass to avoid fines (it’s like walking across flowers at home, and if the police see you they fine you), and I can walk on a dirt road in the dark without tripping. Maybe I have accomplished something in the past month...
This afternoon I’m traveling to Gisenyi, on Lac Kivu, to visit a fair trade certified coffee cooperative. I’ll spend the night and then participate in their ceremony to celebrate receiving the highest price for coffee in Rwanda on Saturday. The cooperative is on an island, so will have to take a small boat to get there. I imagine it’s beautiful. And I know my remaining two months here will fly by.
All that said.. I have gone through it all and survived the first month! The scholarships are applied to, the internship has been formalised, I’m making my plans last-minute, I’m speaking Kinyarwanda and making Rwandan sound effects. I’m staring at people without being rude, waking up to the call of our rooster and running in the mornings, seeing people I knew in 2005-06, eating pizza and drinking wine with other bazungu on the weekends, and buying bananas and passion fruit from women at the bus station. I know what’s happening on Big Brother Africa, and wear dress shoes more often than my hiking sandals. I ‘shower’ with cold water, from the waist high tap when it’s running and basin when it’s not. I say goodnight by touching the hand of each family member, and I tuck my mosquito net around my bed every night before I get in and roll into the human-size indentation in the foam mattress. I greet everyone the same way as I say goodnight, with a hand non-shake. I eat a starch-laden diet and the occasional piece of meat. I don’t walk on grass to avoid fines (it’s like walking across flowers at home, and if the police see you they fine you), and I can walk on a dirt road in the dark without tripping. Maybe I have accomplished something in the past month...
This afternoon I’m traveling to Gisenyi, on Lac Kivu, to visit a fair trade certified coffee cooperative. I’ll spend the night and then participate in their ceremony to celebrate receiving the highest price for coffee in Rwanda on Saturday. The cooperative is on an island, so will have to take a small boat to get there. I imagine it’s beautiful. And I know my remaining two months here will fly by.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Work and Wedding
Yes, I am still alive and kicking in Kigali. Guess it’s about time for another blog post. I’ve been fairly busy, but not so much to justify the lack of posts. That I attribute to my adjustment to the slow pace of life here. A useful excuse for when I need it, although the rest of the time it frustrates me. Things happen much slower here in Rwanda than we’re used to in Canada. It’s not uncommon for people to change their program, or cancel a meeting with you last minute. I had probably 5 or so meetings changed at the last minute last week alone. On one occasion, I even showed up to find the person I was looking for, who had confirmed he would be there, was not. As I type, I am waiting for a potential interpreter to meet me at my office. It’s 2:24PM and she was supposed to be here at 2:00PM. I am not surprised, but I was still hopeful, since she cancelled our meeting on Friday.
Speaking of my office.. I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and get credit for an internship (required by my Bridge Fellowship) at the same time as I conduct my fieldwork for my thesis. I was originally hoping to intern at a UN agency in Rwanda, but they are not very involved with coffee cooperatives at the field level. In the meantime I learned about SPREAD, a Texas A&M University-led and USAID-funded project promoting agribusiness in Rwanda. SPREAD is assisting me with desk space, wireless Internet, and transport to the field for my research. In return, I will write a report based on my research findings to inform their coffee projects. It’s nice to have a home base from which to conduct my research, and to be around friendly colleagues whose brains I can pick from time to time.
I was excited to discover that SPREAD has a small lunch room with a water cooler (exciting because it means drinking water is available easily!), kettle for tea and coffee, and a bar fridge and microwave. So my first day at the office I went out and bought yoghurt, muesli, and fruit for my lunches, excited to eat something other than beans and bananas, etc. Also on my first day, a colleague who brings her lunch to work offered to share with me. I didn’t try to explain that I really just wanted to eat my yoghurt, since it would have been rude to refuse her offer, and few Rwandans would consider a cold lunch of yoghurt and fruit a meal at all. Those who don’t bring dinner leftovers to heat in the microwave, eat in restaurants, or at the least drink sugared milky tea with chapatti or bread.
[Interpreter update: 2:42PM and she just called to say she is coming. It started raining about 15 minutes ago, so she explained that she was on a moto taxi and had to stop somewhere to wait it out. Hard to imagine for us Vancouverites, but when it rains here everything comes to a standstill. True, the rain comes down so hard that it splashes the dusty red dirt all over you, especially obvious on my white legs, so most people stay inside where they are or take cover at the nearest shelter until the rain passes and they can continue with their day.]
So, from my first day at the SPREAD office until now, my colleague brings enough food for both of us to eat lunch. She heats a heaped plate of the usual Rwandan fare in the microwave, then puts it on the table with two forks and we dig in. So goodbye dreams of cheese and tomato sandwiches and yoghurt and fruit and muesli. But thank you to the generosity and kindness of my colleague.
Once I find an interpreter I like I will be able to start my fieldwork. It will be a relief to get to the field and feel like I am accomplishing what I came here to do. Laying the groundwork is time consuming and stressful, since I have so much to do in little time, and by myself.
This weekend I was able to take in a lot of Rwandan culture. I was invited to attend my coworker’s cousin’s wedding reception on Saturday, which was surprisingly like it would be in Canada. We didn’t attend the church wedding, but went straight to the hall where the reception was being held around 5PM. I had time to gaze around the room and take in the decorations while we waited for the bride and groom to arrive after getting their photos taken. There were round tables with white table clothes and white slip covered chairs with orange bows, and a matching head table at the front of the room. There were two tables on either side of the head table for the heads of the bride and groom’s families. The tables had flower centrepieces and candies in hand-tied sachets as guest gifts. When the bride and groom finally entered there were speeches, and then a traditional dance performance by a hired dance troop accompanied by traditional drumming and singing. We each received a fanta during the performance. Then the 4 or 5 tiered cake was cut and the bride and groom presented cake to the other’s family as a sign of thanks. The rest of the cake was cut up and served to the 400 or so guests. Everyone who brought a gift to the wedding presented it (wrapped) to the couple at the front of the room, some giving speeches as they did so. Not everyone brings a gift, since all the guests are expected to contribute prior to the wedding in cash to contribute to the costs of the ceremony. Only those who want to bring gifts. After the presentation of gifts there was another song and dance by the dance troop, and then it was over. The party moved on to the couple’s new home, where the bride’s family arrives with all her things for the house. The husband is supposed to build/buy a home and furnish it, and the bride’s family brings her personal belongings as well as dishes, cooking supplies, oil, etc. for the home. We didn’t attend the ceremony, since we didn’t have a car to get to it. Instead we went back to my colleague’s home and watched TV (I’m telling, you, I’ve watched more TV during the past 3 weeks in Africa than during than during the entire year at home) and had dinner and then she and her husband dropped me off at home.
On Sunday I went with the girl I live with, and her friend, to the salon to have her hair relaxed and styled. Thank you to the Mom I live with for advising me to take my novel. We were at the salon for 4 hours I think.
Sunday evening I bussed into town to the Serena Hotel, the fanciest hotel in Rwanda, to watch the country’s top traditional dancers perform. It was beautiful to see the many traditional Rwandan dances, for both men and women. The dancers wear bells around their ankles and stomp to the beat of the drums, but at the same time move their arms so gracefully. I was happy my friend invited me, since I have never seen that calibre of Rwandan dancing before, although it is always beautiful.
I will leave you with that, as I see this post has started to become a novel. My meeting finally just occurred, and I have to work out what interpreter to hire.
Speaking of my office.. I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and get credit for an internship (required by my Bridge Fellowship) at the same time as I conduct my fieldwork for my thesis. I was originally hoping to intern at a UN agency in Rwanda, but they are not very involved with coffee cooperatives at the field level. In the meantime I learned about SPREAD, a Texas A&M University-led and USAID-funded project promoting agribusiness in Rwanda. SPREAD is assisting me with desk space, wireless Internet, and transport to the field for my research. In return, I will write a report based on my research findings to inform their coffee projects. It’s nice to have a home base from which to conduct my research, and to be around friendly colleagues whose brains I can pick from time to time.
I was excited to discover that SPREAD has a small lunch room with a water cooler (exciting because it means drinking water is available easily!), kettle for tea and coffee, and a bar fridge and microwave. So my first day at the office I went out and bought yoghurt, muesli, and fruit for my lunches, excited to eat something other than beans and bananas, etc. Also on my first day, a colleague who brings her lunch to work offered to share with me. I didn’t try to explain that I really just wanted to eat my yoghurt, since it would have been rude to refuse her offer, and few Rwandans would consider a cold lunch of yoghurt and fruit a meal at all. Those who don’t bring dinner leftovers to heat in the microwave, eat in restaurants, or at the least drink sugared milky tea with chapatti or bread.
[Interpreter update: 2:42PM and she just called to say she is coming. It started raining about 15 minutes ago, so she explained that she was on a moto taxi and had to stop somewhere to wait it out. Hard to imagine for us Vancouverites, but when it rains here everything comes to a standstill. True, the rain comes down so hard that it splashes the dusty red dirt all over you, especially obvious on my white legs, so most people stay inside where they are or take cover at the nearest shelter until the rain passes and they can continue with their day.]
So, from my first day at the SPREAD office until now, my colleague brings enough food for both of us to eat lunch. She heats a heaped plate of the usual Rwandan fare in the microwave, then puts it on the table with two forks and we dig in. So goodbye dreams of cheese and tomato sandwiches and yoghurt and fruit and muesli. But thank you to the generosity and kindness of my colleague.
Once I find an interpreter I like I will be able to start my fieldwork. It will be a relief to get to the field and feel like I am accomplishing what I came here to do. Laying the groundwork is time consuming and stressful, since I have so much to do in little time, and by myself.
This weekend I was able to take in a lot of Rwandan culture. I was invited to attend my coworker’s cousin’s wedding reception on Saturday, which was surprisingly like it would be in Canada. We didn’t attend the church wedding, but went straight to the hall where the reception was being held around 5PM. I had time to gaze around the room and take in the decorations while we waited for the bride and groom to arrive after getting their photos taken. There were round tables with white table clothes and white slip covered chairs with orange bows, and a matching head table at the front of the room. There were two tables on either side of the head table for the heads of the bride and groom’s families. The tables had flower centrepieces and candies in hand-tied sachets as guest gifts. When the bride and groom finally entered there were speeches, and then a traditional dance performance by a hired dance troop accompanied by traditional drumming and singing. We each received a fanta during the performance. Then the 4 or 5 tiered cake was cut and the bride and groom presented cake to the other’s family as a sign of thanks. The rest of the cake was cut up and served to the 400 or so guests. Everyone who brought a gift to the wedding presented it (wrapped) to the couple at the front of the room, some giving speeches as they did so. Not everyone brings a gift, since all the guests are expected to contribute prior to the wedding in cash to contribute to the costs of the ceremony. Only those who want to bring gifts. After the presentation of gifts there was another song and dance by the dance troop, and then it was over. The party moved on to the couple’s new home, where the bride’s family arrives with all her things for the house. The husband is supposed to build/buy a home and furnish it, and the bride’s family brings her personal belongings as well as dishes, cooking supplies, oil, etc. for the home. We didn’t attend the ceremony, since we didn’t have a car to get to it. Instead we went back to my colleague’s home and watched TV (I’m telling, you, I’ve watched more TV during the past 3 weeks in Africa than during than during the entire year at home) and had dinner and then she and her husband dropped me off at home.
On Sunday I went with the girl I live with, and her friend, to the salon to have her hair relaxed and styled. Thank you to the Mom I live with for advising me to take my novel. We were at the salon for 4 hours I think.
Sunday evening I bussed into town to the Serena Hotel, the fanciest hotel in Rwanda, to watch the country’s top traditional dancers perform. It was beautiful to see the many traditional Rwandan dances, for both men and women. The dancers wear bells around their ankles and stomp to the beat of the drums, but at the same time move their arms so gracefully. I was happy my friend invited me, since I have never seen that calibre of Rwandan dancing before, although it is always beautiful.
I will leave you with that, as I see this post has started to become a novel. My meeting finally just occurred, and I have to work out what interpreter to hire.
Friday, September 25, 2009
PhD?
The applications are in! Hopefully all the time I spent in Kigali working on my computer pays off and I am offered a scholarship to do a PhD. Today is the first day I've been able to focus on my field research. I always feel a bit shy contacting people to meet, but I know if I don't take initiative my research will never get done! So, today I meet with the Deputy Director of SPREAD (Sustaining Partnerships to Enhance Rural Enterprise and Agribusiness Development), a USAID-funded organisation that works with coffee cooperatives on fair trade and organic production and health. I am also meeting with the Rwandan representative of Transfair USA. Hopefully the meetings will help to get the ball rolling!
Once I get going on my research, I think the homesick feeling will diminish. When I'm back home going on and on about how much I like Rwanda, I always conveniently forget the period of time it takes to adapt, and that there are always lows in addition to highs that come and go. I'm grateful to have a Rwandan home that welcomes me with open arms. It's also exciting to see the changes that have occured in Rwanda since I was last here in 2007. There are now street lights in Kigali, and crosswalks, and these are obeyed by drivers. There is a campaign against drinking and driving, and police roadchecks enforcing this with breathalizers. You can also be fined for talking on your mobile phone while driving. So things are quite orderly on the road, although I am still nervous on moto taxis and prefer to take taxi buses.
The food is the same as when I was last here. I was happy to buy fruit at the market for the house the other day, as I am already tired of eating meals centered around white rice, cooked green bananas, and potatoes with a tomato or peanut sauce and beef all the time. We sometimes have green beans and carrots mixed in the sauce, which I like, but more often we have little green eggplants or 'legume vert', which I think is amaranth. I love vegetables, but I find the green eggplants inedible and pick them out like the kids I live with. The amaranth greens I eat only because I know they're good for me and I can disguise them by mixing them with the potatoes/rice/bananas and sauce. So, I keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be able to buy and eat 2kg passionfruit, 1kg Japonese plums, 1 papaya and 1 pineapple for only $5.
That's all I can think of with regards to updates for now. Miss you all!
Once I get going on my research, I think the homesick feeling will diminish. When I'm back home going on and on about how much I like Rwanda, I always conveniently forget the period of time it takes to adapt, and that there are always lows in addition to highs that come and go. I'm grateful to have a Rwandan home that welcomes me with open arms. It's also exciting to see the changes that have occured in Rwanda since I was last here in 2007. There are now street lights in Kigali, and crosswalks, and these are obeyed by drivers. There is a campaign against drinking and driving, and police roadchecks enforcing this with breathalizers. You can also be fined for talking on your mobile phone while driving. So things are quite orderly on the road, although I am still nervous on moto taxis and prefer to take taxi buses.
The food is the same as when I was last here. I was happy to buy fruit at the market for the house the other day, as I am already tired of eating meals centered around white rice, cooked green bananas, and potatoes with a tomato or peanut sauce and beef all the time. We sometimes have green beans and carrots mixed in the sauce, which I like, but more often we have little green eggplants or 'legume vert', which I think is amaranth. I love vegetables, but I find the green eggplants inedible and pick them out like the kids I live with. The amaranth greens I eat only because I know they're good for me and I can disguise them by mixing them with the potatoes/rice/bananas and sauce. So, I keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be able to buy and eat 2kg passionfruit, 1kg Japonese plums, 1 papaya and 1 pineapple for only $5.
That's all I can think of with regards to updates for now. Miss you all!
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