Several of us woke up before sunrise so we could watch the sun lift over Lake Ihema.  Unfortunately, the fog and cloud cover did not allow for a glorious sunrise, but it was beautiful as the sky brightened and we began to look around.  While we were looking at the lake, we realized there were several baboons around the lodge area.  This was cool as we tracked them and took pictures of them throughout the morning. 

At one point several of us were up by the rooms (2^nd level) when we realized the baboons were about to run up the stairs toward us.  We started backing up (some running) and they went right up the steps and up the side to the roof with the exception of one baboon that was looking at me and started taking a few steps toward me.  I backed up enough until he went up on the roof and away.  It was a bit disconcerting but thought it was kind of fun.

As we were at the table waiting for breakfast, we realized that a few of our team wasn’t there yet.  Soon Eric and Nicole arrived with the message that “a baboon stole Gina’s bag.”  I ran over to find out what was going on and the story can only truly be told by Gina.  The summary is that Gina got mugged by baboon!  She had just left her room with her bag which included bananas and Clif bars.  A baboon jumped out from behind a wall and grabbed her bag and started going through it; Gina was apparently screaming.  Having taken what he wanted (bananas and two boxes of Clif bars), the baboon was off to the edge of the woods where he proceeded to unwrap and eat the Clif bars.  It is an amazing story which can only be told best by Gina.  Needless to say, after that point, we traveled in groups and carried a baboon pole with us wherever we went during the day.

After the events of the morning, we took off with our drivers in search of some African wildlife and we were not disappointed.  During the three game drives which started at 7am and ended about 6pm (with lunch in between) we saw many unique birds, giraffes, zebras, antelope (5 different kinds), warthogs, and hippos (which really were amazing).  It was a great time of laughing and just hanging out after what had been an intense and emotional week.  After the game drives, we had supper and made our plans for our final day in Rwanda.

This was our last day in Kivuruga.  After breakfast we drove to the local market in Kivuruga where we really experienced what the market is like.  There were a few purchases made including myself who bought 5 cassava roots for about 450 RWV (under $1).  I’m going to try to bring them home.  We looked at a number of different items for sale and saw some cool things like Mark’s sponsored child (Immanuel) finding him at the market, some bulls nearly goring people, a child we had given a soccer ball at the school seeing us and telling his friends “futbol” meaning we were the ones to give him the ball, and the opportunity to hand out yet another soccer ball to kids in the street.

After the market, we traveled on to Kigali where we spend a little time in sort of a souvenir strip mall where we bought items for ourselves as well as for Our Response.  Following this we were driven to the restaurant for lunch and to switch from our World Vision drives to the drivers who would take us to Akagera National Park.  It was very difficult to say goodbye to our drivers from the past few days, but we exchanged hugs, gave them gifts, and wished them well.

Shortly after lunch we were on our way to Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda for a couple days of rest, relaxation, and sharing our experiences and the road ahead.  The drive took about 3 hours from Kigali to Akagera with the final hour or so being quite rough. We arrived, took out all our bags, signed in, and were then asked if we wanted a tour of the cottages.  We thought that would be a good idea, so we were led by flashlight through some long paths to our cottages.  The cottages themselves were beautiful, but so were the several lizards and spiders inside.  After conferring with the group, we asked if we could have rooms in the lodge instead which were available so we went that route instead.  After some dreaming about lizards and spiders, we all fell asleep, excited to see what Akagera National Park looks like in the morning.

HIV Caregivers with Miss Clarisse

After breakfast and morning devotions/sharing we headed out from our hotel to Kivuruga once again this time to begin our day at the home of 24 year old Clarisse who is HIV positive.  We were initially met by Florence who is the volunteer in charge of the 126 Kivuruga ADP volunteer caregivers (56 men, 70 women).  Two other caregivers were there to help us understand the process.  There were other neighbors and family there as well as a number of neighborhood children (as always).

The Caregiver program started in May 2008 to encourage HIV positive people to accept themselves, keep hope, and follow the instructions given by caregivers and doctors including taking their anti-retro virus (ARV) medications.  Before the World Vision program they lived in isolation with deep stigma and now have a sense of belonging and hope.  Part of the program is to discourage pregnancy because of how it weakens the body and hurts the immune system when the woman is HIV positive.  The caregivers bring food to families and encourage them to eat a well-balanced diet; WV also does the same for those left orphaned as a result of AIDS.  Currently 307 people in Kivuruga have come out with an acknowledgement that they have HIV or AIDS.  Once World Vision is aware, they encourage them to join associations.  

Clarisse shared that before she acknowledged her status, joined the association, and listened to the caregivers that her hair was turning bad and her feet were swollen, but after these things she was filled with joy to have people help her.   The ARVs she takes required a balanced diet; the animals given by World Vision provide milk and also produce manure which is used to grow crops; both of which lead to a more balanced diet.

The WV caregiver training includes sanitation and hygiene; prior to their involvement, the house was much dirtier.  WV also provides pigs for those suffering with HIV both for money when they sell them, but also for the manure to improve their plants.  The caregivers then went through the different things that are in the kit and thanked us so much for providing these so they can do their ministry.  WV also has given them umbrellas as boots.  WV support leads other people to come forward with their status which leads to more people impacted.  Another element WV provides are bead necklaces used to understand the fertility cycle and family planning for those that will be engaging in sexual activity.  We asked if this ministry would exist at all without the presence of World Vision and the answer was a resounding ‘no’; World Vision through the sponsorship dollars and unbelievably committed volunteers is literally saving lives in Kivuruga, Rwanda…. So thank you to all you sponsors.

The main challenges the caregivers are facing include the vulnerability of families without food as their immune system is even further threatened; they also struggle with transportation and would like to have bikes to travel; also, they would like to have rain coats as they are easier to continue to do work rather than umbrellas.  Hearing this, Pastor Joel grabbed his rain jacket and gave it to the lead caregiver.  Others followed suit and they were given about 8 raincoats or ponchos in total.  After walking to the jeeps, we were able to give them many other things that we had including medical supplies and about a dozen Norwex anti-bacterial towels (these will be much more comfortable and effective for washing these patients before they begin treatments).  These Norwex towels were donated toward the trip and we could not think of a better use.

The volunteers (Florence, Innocent, and Daryl) visit patience depending on the level of their illness.  It may range from every day to once per week.  In addition, twice per week they travel the villages trying to raise awareness of the help they can give and encourage people to open a conversation with them.  The caregivers are trying to start an association to grow crops & livestock and they want us at the launch!!! They were so excited to think about us helping to launch this transformational work.

Nutrition Center & Medical Facility

Our journey continued with perhaps the most impacting element of the entire trip for many of our team.  We traveled to the Bushoka Nutrition Center and Medical Facility led by Edith and her nutritionist Solan.  World Vision assisted in building a new kitchen at the facility that is now about 2 months old (through sponsorship dollars) as well as training the cooks on how to prepare a well-balanced meal for those who would be receiving it.  When we were there, they were cooking cassava leaves with oil & ground peanuts to provide protein, vegetables & nuts.  They were also cooking rice with carrots and preparing a fruit cocktail with a number of local fruits.  They were also preparing a juice made from passion fruit and carrots.  Although the initial cost of the kitchen were borne primarily by World Vision, most of the food supply comes from parents bringing food when they are able (they wish to start an association also) otherwise money comes from World Vision and the Center staff purchase the necessary food.  Some of the other elements are donated by WV including pans, buckets, plates, cups, tables, and chairs.

We found out that every day, volunteers travel throughout Kivuruga looking for malnourished children under the age of 5.  When they are found, they are first weighed and measured to determined their status.  If they are Green, they stay in their homes in the community.  If they are Yellow, they stay with their families but are eligible to receive one meal per week at the Nutrition Center and the mothers are taught nutrition.  If they are red, they receive one meal per week for about 1-2 months and if their situation does not change, they are transported to the hospital.  Children under 6 months old that are found to be malnourished are transferred to the hospital right away.  The meals are typically served on Thursday, but a special Tuesday meal was prepared because of our visit.

The Nutrition Center also has a cow that gives milk used as part of the meal and also given out daily to eligible children.  The cow cost about $600,000 RWF (about $1,200 USD). There is a field near the cows that the mothers of the children work together to ensure the food are available; this includes carrots, mushrooms, green peppers, cabbages, and tomato trees.  The Nutrition Center teaches about how to grow seedlings; the women bring the seedlings home or just take their learning and go plant at their home.  The meals and milk that are provided are completely free.  The funding for the ongoing costs comes from the government, food from the community & parents (when crops are good), and World Vision as needed to supplement the other sources.

There are 28 villages in Kiuvurga ADP and the goal is to have a full Nutrition Center in each one.  Bushoka is the first one to be launched in the Kivuruga ADP.

We then toured the medical facility which has a nurse with no medical training (although she has been a nurse for 10 years), no electricity, and no running water.  We visited the maternity room where babies are delivered; the room is about 10’ by 10’ and has two deliver beds but does not have electricity, a sink, a drain in the floor, or a place for the baby after birth.  Prior to birth, mothers wait in the regular waiting room with the rest of the people (including people suffering from all sorts of ailments) and immediately after delivery they are moved to that waiting room.  The maternity room covers all of Kivuurga and has about 50 deliveries per month. No surgeries can be completed here so if there are any complications at birth, an ambulance is called.  The nearest hospital is about 25 miles away and road for the last few miles to get there was the worst one we traveled in all of Kivuruga; in fact, often the road is flooded and they need to walk the woman to meet the ambulance.  The 50 mile trip will take a minimum of 90 minutes.  This was very moving to me as, given my personal family situation, if we lived in Kivuruga there is a high likelihood that my son Ryan and my wife would have died during his birth.  What an injustice of geography.  The cost to get the maternity room improved is about $120,000 USD and a proposal was submitted in October to World Vision and is currently under review.

One of the issues facing Kivurugans with health care is that the lowest cost of insurance has doubled.  Previously they would pay about $2.50 per year for limited access coverage and the cost has increased to about $5 per year for a more comprehensive plan.  This difference in cost is too much for many who live in Kivuruga and they therefore do not have health insurance.  The uninsured can get coverage, but only in an emergency situation. 

The health clinic also performs immunizations for children birth to 9 months.  On the premises is a medical laboratory that was built by the Rwandan government through the U.S. Global Fund.

After the very difficult tour of the maternity area and the rest of the clinic, we walked back to the Nutrition Center where we participated in feeding the children.  This was very moving for all of us as well as these children were all severely under or mal-nourished.  We heaped up their plates very high; these were full size plates that we packed with food.  We then delivered them to the children and their mothers helped feed the children. This food was more than I could eat and the kids were gobbling it up.  It is clear that they have not eaten well (if at all) since at least the week before.  Knowing the mothers do not eat well either was difficult because they were watching their child eat this huge meal without getting any for themselves. It was a moving picture of a mother’s sacrificial love.

Once we were done serving meals, we couldn’t stay much longer and it was time to say goodbye.  As we left, we were met by the Nutrition Center staff who presented us with two beautiful gifts that we will treasure for ever as evidence of the impact Our Response is having.

Life…. Kivuruga Style

After lunch, we went to the home of a family that lives near the Kivuruga ADP and helped them with their daily chores.  Some of the group took their empty water jugs, went to the water source, filled them, and brought them back.  The ladies who didn’t do water tried their hand at weaving a rug while the guys that didn’t go (Eric & I) helped the old man of the house work on weaving a winnowing fan. After our time weaving, I chatted with the old man about the differences of life in Kivuruga vs. life in America.  He said that it sounds like we (Americans) work hard and therefore have much more money that those in Kivuruga.  I wanted to scream that we (me) work about 1/10 as hard as they do and somehow get paid many multiples more (the average annual income in Rwanda is $240 USD).  It was a difficult, but wonderful conversation as we navigated the pros & cons of our two different countries and lifestyles.  Part of our conclusion was that the difficulty of Rwanda also led to one of its advantages that the family and community are always together, dependent on each other, and therefore build wonderfully tight relationships with each other (something that we in the U.S. desperately need).

After this time, we traveled back to our hotel in Musanze.

After breakfast and morning devotions/sharing we headed out from our hotel to Kivuruga once again along the winding majestic roads arriving at a primary school.  Once again we were greeted by singing & dancing from the school children which was piercing with its volume and passion.  We all had a chance to dance with the kids who continued pressing in against us as the staff and volunteers tried to give us a little room; it was awesome. 

We gave the school a number of soccer balls donated by Immanuel Church and Pastor Mark and I each traded a new ball for one of their homemade soccer balls that you see throughout Rwanda.  We will be bringing these soccer balls home to show you all.

This primary school has 695 students between ages 7-14 that attend in two different shifts (morning & afternoon) with a total of 10 teachers; some classes have well over 50 students in them.  The school is run by a lady named Adeline who is actually the mother of one of Trent & Karry Pepper’s sponsored children.  In Kivuruga, there are primary schools (such as this) the last for 6 years and then secondary schools which are split up into O-Level (Ordinary Level for the first 3 years) and the A-Level (Advanced Level for the following 3 years, but students must pass a test to get into the A-Level).  The government is introducing a 9-year program that includes, at the end of it, some technical training for those who do not pass into the A-Level but are capable of continuing education and skill-building.  After secondary school, some students are able to attend the University in Kigali (the capital of Rwanda).

The staff was proud to show off the new water tank and faucet that was provided through World Vision through dollars coming in from the sponsorship program; there was some money for the foundation raised through parent donations to help build ownership in the project.  There is a gutter system that collects rain water and puts into the tank which holds a total of 10,000 liters which would last an estimated 2 weeks once full.This is considered a miracle in this area which allows children to bring water home from school instead of having to take another, longer trip to get water.  Please note again that this is a project that has just been completed as a result of financial resources brought in through child sponsorships (way to go Our Response!). 

Also, the current classrooms are in rough shape and have no glass windows; only wooden shutters.  This means that when it rains, the wooden shutters are closed and the room falls dark so no teaching can continue.  There is a project underway to build four new classrooms which will have windows and provide a much better learning opportunity.  This will also create a space for an office for the head mistress who currently offices in an old classroom currently holding all of the building supplies.  All of the supplies for the new classrooms (bricks, concrete, sand, lumber, etc) has been purchased by World Vision through sponsorship dollars (again, thanks Our Response!!!).  This is a total of about $60,000 in US dollars.  The labor will be paid for by donations from parents that will total about $8,000 US dollars once fully raised. They have a ways to go on this, but it is critical that they are invested in the project to ensure the right level of ownership going forward.

We also went and pet the rabbits that were provided by World Vision to the school.  The rabbit program will give two new-born rabbits to the poorest children in the school who will raise them, giving the first born back to the school to enter the program while using remaining rabbits for the needs of the family (again, sponsorship dollars here also!).

These are all new projects that have been started since the 2009 visit; so if you are wondering about the impact of the sponsorship dollars on the community, you can know that the educational component of World Vision’s community transformation model has been greatly impacted.

HIV-positive mushroom co-operative

For many of us, perhaps the most inspiring work of World Vision that we have been introduced too is their involvement in an agricultural co-op started and inclusive of only HIV+ participants. 

After a drive and walk, we found ourselves again greeted by a few dozen men & women (of course children were tracking us everywhere too) who were clothed in beautiful garments and singing & dancing for us outside a small house at the end of a dirt path.  After hearing them sing and greeting them, we were given some background by the leader of this co-op and introduced to the other co-op officers.

After starting in 2007 with an investment of $20 USD from each of 49 members, the co-op was launched.  But lacking management skills and knowledge of operating a co-op, it quickly began struggling.  A couple of years ago, they approached World Vision to help.  Using sponsorship dollars (do you notice a theme here?), World Vision helped them re-structure the cooperative, secure a couple of houses, and begin working toward a productive co-op.  One house WV helped them secure was purchased for about $40 USD and is now worth about $160.  The success has been insane.

In addition to helping with other crops (potatoes, corn, bananas) and livestock (cows, pigs, goats), World Vision just recently introduced a mushroom project (which we were able to walk through).  This has been greatly impacting in a couple of areas.  First, living with HIV is made much more difficult when there is poor nutrition; mushrooms provide a wonderful nutrient sources that has radically impacted the lives of many in this co-op of about 65 people.  In fact, two women were asked to come forward as representatives of people who were very sick and couldn’t stand before the mushrooms were brought in; they are now active participants in the co-op and feeling quite healthy.  The second impact is that the mushrooms not used by the co-op participants are sold with the money being shared among co-op participants and reinvested into the co-op.  Because the price that can be received for mushrooms is significantly higher in Kigali than in Kivuruga, World Vision is currently working with multiple potential buyers to negotiate bulk sale of mushrooms and a significantly higher price.  This is something these co-op members would not have been able to do without World Vision.  I asked the co-op leader if she thought the co-op would even exist if it were not for World Vision; instead of only she answering the question, as soon as the interpreter posed the question, the entire group gave a resounding “no”; if it were not for World Vision (and the sponsorship dollars), this mushroom project would not have been possible, the co-op would have disbanded, and several of the members would have continued to have been sick if not have died.

They asked us many questions including how HIV-positive people are treated in the United States and what sort of care they are given.  We were very excited to see this level of interest and engagement and we were able to encourage them about how their unity, collaboration, and love for each other inspired us.

As you know, through child sponsorship, you not only have the opportunity to build a relationship with a child in Kivuruga, but your dollars are pooled with the dollars of other sponsors to transform and entire community including thousands of children.  In about 3 hours, we say amazing examples of the power of World Vision’s efforts in Kivuruga and the impact from the sponsorship dollars that many of you are providing.  Thank you – it was unbelievable to see such tangible results.

Cultural Event

After returning for lunch at the hotel, we headed back north to the intersection of Rwanda, Uganda, and Congo to experience a traditional Rwandan cultural event.  The experience was centered around traditional Rwanda including how the King & Queen would live and rule and advise; it also included a medicine man, a blacksmith, grinding sorghum, archery, and traditional singing & dancing.  I think we all had a great time and laughed so much; it was so good for all of our souls.  All of this was happening with the volcanoes as the backdrop; incredibly gorgeous.  Please trust me that this was fun and do not ask to see any pictures.

Phwew; another great day.  We are sad that tomorrow is our last full day in Kivuruga, but excited to travel to Akegera National Park and ultimately home to see our family & friends. This trip has absolutely blown me away. I thought since I had been here before, it might not be as impactful… but it may have been even more impactful than that first trip.  I’m moved to even new levels of respect for World Vision and commitment to building unity throughout East Central MN.  If you are a church or civic organization in East Central MN not involved with Our Response, look out because I will soon have you in my sites!!!!  Seriously, if you are involved in this effort, I can tell you that lives are being saved (literally) and a generation of children is being raised in an environment where they can be healthy, be educated, be productive, and prepare their children for even greater opportunities.  

Thank you.

After breakfast we drove to the Anglican Church in Kivuruga where we were received like royalty as we walked through a beautifully dressed choir and dancing children.  The entire service was amazing filled with singing, dancing, and even some of our sponsored children joining us where we were sitting. Both Mark & Joel had a chance to preach through a translator even though they were not told about this until we were leaving after breakfast.  They did a wonderful job and were very well received.  

After the service we were hanging out around the church with hundreds upon hundreds of children clamoring to meet us and shake our hands.  Many of them would just grab our hands and hang on.  Two of our sponsored children, Jean de la Croix and Gerome walked out of the church with me and didn’t leave my side the entire time we were greeting the other children.  It was an unbelievable experience. 

We then headed back to our hotel where we had lunch followed by a meeting with the representatives of the Inter-Church Committee which is comprised of all 7 churches within Kivuruga.  The ICC is dedicated to working together to promote child welfare.  The representatives in attendance were from the Muslim church as well as Christian churches including the Gospel Church, 7^th Day Baptist Church, Anglican Church, and the Catholic Church.  Two other churches were unable to send representatives, but serve on the ICC; they are the Pentecostal Church and the 7^th Day Adventist Church.  The main goal of the ICC is to take care of children by understanding their life, health, and spiritual growth and helping them improve on each.  How this happens is based on the religious organization, but helping children is the common goal.  I have much more notes on the comments of the individual gentlemen, but for the sake of time, cannot type them here.  Suffice it to say, they all love World Vision and have seen fantastic things happen through World Vision and their generosity.

After our meeting, we had a couple of hours free and decided to drive north about 30 minutes to the border of Rwanda with Uganda near the volcanoes (in fact, I found some volcanic rock I will be bringing home for Ryan).  The drive was breath-taking including amazing views of the volcanoes and volcanic lakes.  We hung out at the border for a while.  Trent and I thought we were very brave by waiting for the guards to turn away and then touching our toes over the line of dirt that we thought was the official border into Uganda… turns out it was the start of a garden (we are so brave). As the sun started to set, we made our way back to the hotel and concluded the night with dinner (including Rwandan pizza; nothing to write home about!).

As another night fades away, we look forward to tomorrow when we will get to visit the schools to get an update on the Education project, visit a mushroom project as part of the multi-sector Transformational Program, and visit the base of the volcanoes on an educational and leisure activity to see how the government has transformed former poachers into entertainers for the tourism industry.

I know y’all want to see pictures, but I just don’t have many to upload.  First, because we have so many fantastic photographers on the trip, I have very little to add in that way.  Secondly, because internet is so sporadic and weak, uploading photos will be tough. Trust me, there will be a billion photos for everyone… but you’ll have to be patient!  They don’t do the experience justice anyway. 

Thanks again to all of you who have made this trip possible as well as all of you who have captured this vision and are sponsoring children or otherwise supporting the effort.  Nicole talked about yesterday meeting their sponsored child as “the day a picture became a boy.”  Also, sometimes we face doubts that these kids are actually real; it was interested that in our ICC meeting today, one of the pastors said that meeting us will help dispel the myth that some of his parishoners have that these white people who are sending money don’t really exist.  What Our Response is doing in partnership with World Vision is seen to many Rwandans as “too good to be true.”  Although we see the trip on such a personal level, our visit is encouraging the WV staff, pastors, community leaders, and residents even more than they will ever be able to tell us.  

Thanks to all of you!

The morning started as we left about 8:30am and arrived at the ADP around 9:00 (after enjoying again the amazing drive).  We arrived to singing children, parents, and pastors who sang while we clapped along.  Once they were finished, the children were introduced and began meeting with their sponsor.  We spent about 3.5 hours of one-on-time with our sponsored children and parents with an interpreter available throughout. 

In my case, both Jean de la Croix (sponsored by Chris) and Gerome (sponsored by Ryan) were part of the singing and could meet with me right away; I recognized them from their pictures and my last visit. There mothers were also there and we were able to connect immediately and start talking about how things are going with school and at home.  About 30 minutes later, Claudine (sponsored by Annie) arrived with her mother (actually, Claudine ran ahead of her mother because she was so excited to see us, and was at least 10 minutes earlier than her mother in arriving!).  We had a fantastic visit about many things.  I asked each of them about the soccer balls I had given them two years ago and they said they were all either completely worn out or very damaged; when I said I would try to get each of them a new soccer ball they all jumped to their feet (kids & parents) to hug me.  Thanks to the people of Immanuel Church in Forest Lake (who donated about 25 soccer balls), I was able to make this happen and bring great joy to them. I had a picture of the family to show them and in each gift included a picture of our kid who sponsors them.  Claudine said she really wants to meet Annie one day, but is happy to recognize her in the pictures.  In addition to visiting with them, I went outside and played soccer/volleyball with them for hours in the space that we had.  Initially they were all a little bit nervous, but as the time went on they really opened up and we had a great time.  Through our conversation, I was asking if Jean & Gerome knew each other because I found out they attend the same school.  They said they knew each other and their mothers then told me that Jean’s Sister is married to Gerome’s brother; they are actually related!  That was so crazy to find out.

About 12:30pm or so, a buffet lunch was brought in where we all just feasted on many great items.  I helped my sponsored kids dish up and they all three ended up with loaded plates and a bottle of soda.  The amount of food each of my kids took was much more than what I took and became full on; they all completely finished their food and their soda pop.  What a blessing for them to have a feast like this.  Claudine mentioned that they get meat about every 10 days when they go to the market.  Without electricity or refrigeration, the meat is sold on the day it is butchered and then the families eat it within 1-2 days.  The meat is quite expensive, so they don’t get a lot, but the family understands the importance of the protein it brings to their children.

After lunch, we had more time to play with our children (which we did!) before we started winding down.  On this trip we brought over 400 dresses from three different sewing groups and we laid many of them out on the tables and invited the families to come and choose dresses for the other girls in their families; almost every family had another girl and most of them multiple. They were very blessed to receive these dresses.  We also had given money for the World Vision staff to pick up supplies for each family such as soap, food, etc, and after they had done their dress “shopping” we gave each of them one of these bags which were about 60-70 pounds of supplies.  Of course, they were quite heavy for us to lift, but these women just grabbed the bags, threw them on their heads, and off they went.

At the end of our gathering, the sponsored children blessed us with gifts which I found quite emotional.  Jean de la Croix, Gerome, and Claudine came out from the back room of the ADP singing a song and carrying two gifts for me which were a wooden raised map of Rwanda and a set of small hand-woven baskets.  It was so humbling to receive gifts from them; they already have no idea of how much they have given us.

Once we had ended our time at the ADP, we were so blessed to be able to visit two of the children’s homes including the family of Jean de la Croix.  These were incredibly beneficial opportunities to understand the day-to-day life of those who live in Kivuruga.  In both cases, they are subsistent farmers growing things such as bananas, beans, and sugar cane. Each family had a cow and Jean de la Croix’s family also had two pigs.  At our lunch, I found out that both Jean de la Croix and Claudine’s family has a cow they take care of up it belongs to another family.  Their agreement is that they take care of the cow in exchange for getting the cow manure (for fertilizer); also, the first born calf would be given to the owner but the 2^nd calf would belong to them.  At that point, the deal is over but they may decide to start another arrangement.

After a drive back to the hotel, we had a couple of hours to relax before dinner.  The reason I bring up dinner is because not only was it a great chance to share stories and catch Shannon up on the days events, but a few of us had the chance to hear Eric spin a fabulous yarn.  We heard of his first trip to Nicole parent’s house in Nebraska… I can’t do the story justice, but let’s just say it involved a horse, a speech, a costume party, karaoke, and ramen noodles; fabulous. 

We wrapped up about 9pm and headed off for bed; it was yet another amazing day in Kivuruga.  Tomorrow we will attend the Anglican Church service followed by lunch and meeting with the 7 pastors whose churches make up a local church association which accounts for 99% of Kivuruga church attendance.  I am hoping that these pastors will include Jean Baptiste (Pentecostal Church) and Samuel (7^th Day Adventist Church) that I met last time I was here.  We shall see!

Friday, October 21, 2011

The morning started with a fabulous breakfast and included Trent getting a chance to catch up with a friend of his who teaches in Kigali.  After breakfast and time together, we set off about 7:45 to meet with the World Vision Rwanda National Staff.  We were picked up in our three vehicles by our drivers for the trip: Alex, Ephraim, and Bosco. 

National Staff

We arrived at the WV Rwanda headquarters to a warm greeting.  I had the opportunity to catch up with Jean Paul, who was one of our interpreters for the 2009 trip.  It was great to see a familiar face and we shared some great memories and briefly caught up on each others lives.  Jean Paul is now working in the Operations group within WV Rwanda and is busy preparing reports for the Annual Meeting of African WV Groups coming up in Uganda.

Before our meeting time, we had a chance to participate in morning gathering and devotions led by Charles, who is the WV Rwanda staff helping to lead us through the trip.  In addition to the National Staff we also had the opportunity to meet other guests including a gentleman named Cameron who flew 40 hours from World Vision New Zealand and is participating in meetings in Rwanda and Uganda.

After devotions, we spent a great time with the World Vision National Staff led by new National Director named George.  He was joined by his senior staff which gave us a great opportunity to hear from them as well as ask questions.  His staff included Russell, Pascal (Quality Assurance), and the HR Director (whose name is failing me at the moment). Some of the things that came out of the meeting are included below:

WV Rwanda started in 1994 to serve those returning after the genocide.  In about 2000, this work transitioned toward community transformation.

The work of reconciliation and healing continues, but it now referred to as “Peace-Building” to reflect the more forward-looking approach.  The programs and approach have been so successful that the national center in Rwanda is home of the Peace Building Learning Center and is receiving national recognition outside of WV.

The WV National Staff was very encouraged by us being there and sharing the stories and prayers of the many churches represented by the Our Response movement.  Our visiting and sharing help them remember that all of the things they are doing are funded by individuals and churches; and hearing the encouraging reports really gave them a shot in the arm to the point of being an emotional moment.

There are 8 US-funded ADPs in Rwanda with 4 of them recently re-designed for the final phase of the project, which is really focusing on sustainability.  There are typically four phases which include a 2-year start-up phase followed by three 4-5 year development phases.

In Rwanda there are a total of 76,000 Registered Children (RC) with about 63,000 of them actually sponsored.  WV is introducing a “cow for every family” project; there is a significant visible difference between children who regularly have milk and those who do no; families would be healthier as well as have extra milk to potentially sell for additional income. WV is working to secure partners to help in building the milk distribution infrastructure. Other partnerships include the area of advocacy where WV is working with UNICEF, Save the Children, and the Rwandan government.  WV is also working on partnerships for milk procurement and cell phones.

The National Rwandan WV staff is asking for prayer for:

1)      People to become WV employees through a sense of deep calling as they cannot compete with for-profit opportunities

2)      Healing for those who are working toward the healing of others

3)      Leadership development for empowerment

One of the stated national goals puts limits on the maximum distance between schools; the ADPs are working toward this goal.  WV Rwanda is also working hard at uncovering and bringing justice in the areas of child protection, specifically sexual abuse.

Genocide Memorial

Following our meeting, we then drove to the Kigali Genocide Memorial which was a very powerful experience for everyone on the trip.  At this location, nearly 260,000 Rwandans are buried in mass graves.  The Center focuses on 1) giving the victims a respectful burial place, 2) educating the public as to the issues with the genocide, and 3) helping move people toward making sure this is not repeated.  We were excited to have over two hours to tour the memorial which includes both inside and outside elements.

Lunch near “Hotel Rwanda”

We then enjoyed a fabulous lunch at a restaurant in Kigali which is right across from the Hotel Des Milles (spelling?) which is the actual “Hotel Rwanda” from the famous film about the Rwandan genocide.  Mark Coughlin had the chance to catch up with a friend of his (Gary Bennett) who has been a missionary in Rwanda for about 25 years; we were also able to hear some of Gary’s story which includes an amazing story of living through the genocide in the middle of the fighting.

Exchanging Cash

OK, this shouldn’t normally be its own category, but since it took about 30 minutes (or more), I felt it was worthy.  To make a long story short, the exchange rate (603 Rwandan Francs per $1 US) was only available if we had the new 100 bills (with the purpose on them).  The rate of 575 applied for any other bills.  But, then as we started exchanging, they would only accept 100 bills if they were issued 2006 or after; so the 100 bills we had issued 2003 could not be exchanged.  Then, 20 bills had to be 2003 or newer and the 10 bill had to be at least 2000 or newer.  Their automatic bill counter counted a different amount of $1 bills a couple of times.  At the end of the day, we all got our bills, but since the biggest Rwandan Franc bill is $2,000, we have a lot of paper money!

Drive to Kivuruga & stop at the Market

After lunch and exchanging money, we embarked on a long drive (2-3 hours) to Kivuruga which, although crazy winding roads, is the most beautiful drive you can ever imagine.  Shannon has already taken well over 300 pictures!

Along the way we stopped at a local market (Gahenke district; near Kivuruga) for a chance to experience that part of the Rwandan culture and purchase about 120,000 Rwandan Francs ($200 US) worth of food for the families of the sponsored children.  At the market I found Geoff who was one of our interpreters in 2009; we also chatted about our families and what has happened in the past couple of years.  It was wonderful catching up on our stories and that he will be with us again on this trip to help with the interpretation.

Also at the market, I was able to start chatting with about 30 kids & adults (well, at least I could chat when I had help of an interpreter or a 19-year Rwandan man who is learning English quite well as he prepares to be a doctor). Through the interpreter I asked how many of the children and adults had heard of World Vision… it was a resounding, nearly unanimous show of hands; I then asked them if WV was good and there was great excitement and affirmation.  This, more than anything WV could have told us, was huge in understanding the impact WV is having in these communities.

We left the market and continued the beautiful drive to Kivuruga arriving at Hotel Gorillas just as the sun had set.  This beautiful hotel is about 30 minutes from Volcano National Park at the border of Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda and is home to the last remaining mountain gorillas; unbelievably gorgeous.  The hotel seems wonderful and again had some great food.  I was so excited to enjoy some passion fruit; on our last trip I drank passion fruit juice whenever I could and here they had the actual fruit which has a rind thicker than a tomato that you cut open with a knife and then pull out the fruit from inside… fabulous!

Closing off

After dinner we quickly met to debrief on the day and ask Charles any additional questions. We then went through all of the things we had brought (about 500 pounds worth) and separated them out to be prepared to give them out as we have opportunity going forward. Tomorrow is almost exclusively going to be spent with our sponsored children; about 5 hours of time with them and some of their families.  Should be amazing.

As I write this I am overwhelmed with the day we had!  It’s about 11pm local time and I’m exhausted, but so excited.  Everyone seems to be having the experience of their life and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Our trip is off to a perfect start with everyone meeting at Eric & Nicoles (except Carol who met as at the airport on her way from another trip!).  We packed, ate, and starting talking about Our Response and the trip (what a fabulous team).  We arrived at the airport with perfect timing (actually ran into Bob Jonsson at the airport who is one of the Our Response board members and original travellers in 2009).  The flights & layovers all went perfect from Minneapolis to Chicago to Brussels, Belgium and finally arriving in Kigali, Rwanda the evening of October 20. 

We met Charles who is World Vision Rwanda’s Donor Liaison to U.S. Donors; he will be with us on the entire trip and is just fabulous.  Several of us also enjoyed some Rwandan cuisine while sitting on the outside porch of our Kigali hotel.  All of us are working on our gizmos to keep you updated and to say hi to the ones we love.  I was able to video skype Chris, Ryan & Annie and call Tracy.  Even when I am in Rwanda, I have a rad family!

Will get to be soon as we are getting up to have breakfast, meet with National World Vision Rwanda staff, go to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, and drive to the hotel near Kigali where we will be staying.  There are a couple pictures to show a bit of our trip, but certainly many more will be coming!  Thanks for your prayers and encouragement on our journey.

We have been so encouraged by the prayers, support, and encouragement of all of you as we have prepared. There is no possible way we could go on a trip like this without the community-wide effort we have seen. Not only have we raised funds for the trip, but we have about a dozen churches that we consider partners of Our Response. We are bringing with over 400 dresses for girls, a duffle bag full of soccer balls, donated tshirts, gifts for sponsored children, and a number of other things that have been donated by many of you.

Please mark this link and check in from time to time. We will do our best with the technology available to keep everyone posted on our journey. Thanks,

Steve Fredlund — Director, Our Response