Muraho, friends! Aria here, with some updates for a wonderful few days in Rwanda (Internet access has been a tad unpredictable, so to our (20??) loyal viewers, my apologies for the delay on this post!)
By Wednesday, we found ourselves feeling a bit more adjusted to life here in Rwanda (that jet lag was no joke). We visited the site on Wednesday morning, and even had the opportunity to work with the masons on the plumbing system - it was great to learn some new skills from the masons, and see the system really start to come together! After visiting the site, the team had the chance to visit INES and University of Rwanda, where we got to meet many of Jean’s colleagues, and even got to take tours of the engineering testing laboratories at INES and plant nursery at University of Rwanda (my goodness - I’ve never seen so many avocado trees, and as an avocado enthusiast I gotta say this was a highlight of the day). Some advice to future teams… be prepared to be spontaneously summoned to speak in front of a class of university students (I was definitely not ready for this one😂). While a bit nerve wracking, it was a great opportunity to engage with the university students (many of whom are pursuing studies related to agriculture), and we had some very eye-opening discussions about the future of water and food security, both in Rwanda and around the world.
After a busy Wednesday, it was nice to relax a bit on Thursday morning. After breakfast, we took a stroll into the city of Musaze, where we enjoyed some delicious coffee at Crema (one of the best lattes I’ve ever had - the food and coffee here has been nothing short of spectacular). We spent some time exploring the lively streets of Musanze, brimming with speeding motos and vibrant markets. We ventured into one of the markets, where I found myself overwhelmed as we explored story upon story of shops filled with shoes, clothes, kitchen supplies, and toiletries… the list goes on and on. Jack scored a pretty good bargain with a pair of “super legitimate,” albeit pretty classy, Air Jordans.
After a morning in Musanze, we made our way back to Jean’s house to prepare for Community Day in Kadahenda! After a quick lunch, we packed into the car and drove to the the village. The event was held on the project site, and as we approached the village, we were greeted by lively dancing and music. We took our seats alongside government officials, village chiefs, and university students in front of hundreds of villagers from Kadahenda and the neighboring villages. What a festival! I continue to be touched and inspired by the kindness and sense of community that’s so prevalent in Kadahenda. Among the events of the day, young students were given books and school supplies, and members of the community donated lambs and food to fellow community members in need. At one point during the ceremony, Megan, Catherine, Jack, Travis, and I were presented with beautiful baskets of beans and fruit - an incredibly generous gift from the members of the community. If there’s one virtue I hope to manifest after this trip to Rwanda, it’s to strive to care for others in my community - to engage in gestures of kindness, and to do what I can to support those around me.
At the end of the ceremony, the secretary of the district invited us up to dance! I’ll admit, the notion of dancing in front of hundreds of villagers pushed the limits of my comfort zone (my dancing abilities are lacking), but with the villagers applauding and singing and dancing with us, I found myself smiling and laughing and enjoying every second of it. Almost as if it were queued, rain starting pouring down on us as we danced. This moment was truly one of the most special things I’ve experienced, and the incredible joy I felt from the smiles, the laughs, the dancing, and the music, is something I’ll always hold very close to my heart.
On Friday morning, we made our way back to the Kadahenda site, where we helped put some finishing touches on the tap stations. We put our construction skills to the test and tried our hands at applying mortar to the tap stations, but quickly realized that that such masonry is much harder than it looks. We had to ask the professionals for help, and now the tap stations are looking spectacular, as is the system as a whole! After a busy and exciting first week on the site, we are very excited about the progress that’s been made. The rains are supposed to start next week, and we can’t wait to see the system in action soon! Time for a weekend safari break, and then we’ll be back to work!
Aria
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