Falling in love and a possibility of returning to rwanda
I am totally in love with my children. Theres 48 of them , and there are much more boys than girls, of course I was in love with them from the moment I saw them but now I am totally and utterly smitten! I can't help to think how hard it will be to say goodbye, I am not the crying person but I think I will cry for several days when it is time to say goodbye. Today I cried my first tears in Rwanda.One volunteer who came from Australia and who is only staying for 5 days paid for all the children to have an aids test today , so the nurse came to the orphanage, there were 14 in all that hadn't been tested yet , so everyone is carted into a room and the first child is pricked, and what a scream! The next child cries as the nurse ties the arm which does not hurt I am sure! Some children were terrified in my arms scared for their turn , so when it came to my turn to hold the children while they were being pricked , the little girl kezia was quiet up until her sleeve was being rolled up and she screamed and it took all of my Rwanden muscles to hold her down! Then came Matony and she was the opposite she was terrified but didn't make a sound but clung to me for dear life quietely sobbing. Then the oldest girl Leah (who I want to take home with me) whose ten needed to be tested , she was the only one over 5 that would be tested,she was sitting on the couch crying and she wouldn't let me or anyone hug her , which is odd since shes usually a huggy person..so she sat down for her turn and I grabbed her hand and she started crying her eyes out, and I felt terrible making her go through that and started crying very hard too, so when it was all over there were two girls who had tears in their eyes!!
But another new volunteer mark who is staying for 2 weeks had brought chocolate so she cheered up fast!!
This artist called Emmanuel is coming to the orphange 3 times a week and is giving art classes to the children, and if the children develop there art in a good way, in a few months he will exhibit and sell there paintings!! But he is supposed to come at 3 every day but arrives at like 4 , Rwandese time which leads me to make comments that I hoped I had left behind in New Zealand like 'Nice to see you are on time' , I have discovered I have a gift for bargaining! Must be from my father, or maybe my dutch heritage)everyone at the guest house is very jealous of it! I am the youngest person by a long shot there and they all call me an old soul.
My weekend was very great, it involved showing around the volunteers going to the Hotel Mille Collines, which several books films and documentaries are based on , and had lunch there next to the pool , which was so relaxing! I also went with Claire and another volunteer to church, this church I like better than most other churches I have been to here , it was more conservative, and the singing was amazing, besides it was big , so we were invisible . On friday I wento to visit my aunt marijkes sponser child , Sara through world vision in a village quite near my house. I saw several world vision projects in various stages like , the health clinic, school and well. And then I met Sara and fell in love with her. She was very quiet and small for her age but the love and gratitude she showed towards me was just priceless! I also got a present from this dirt poor family , which was a basket which they told me symbolized virginity! I hung out with her family and they spoilt me with fanta and fruit which is a very special treat for most rwandse. Then I had to say goodbye and was very sad to do so. World vison took me out to lunch and I became fast friends with the driver and my interpretars (although I think that with their small english and my small kinyarwanda I could have managed without them) , and I mentioned that I really would love to work for rwanda world vision on a volunteer basis, and they were saying that this was difficult if you were not from rwanda but would take me to the boss to talk to him about it, so I went to the boss , put on my sweetest smile, practised as much kinyarwanda as possible and dum dum de dum I got myself a job, even though its unpaid (well aside from a small allowance) I am happy to say I can come back to rwanda next year if I want for a year and all I have to do is email world vision New Zealand who will then email world vision Rwanda and be assured that there is a place for me! There were 3 options for jobs which are English teacher, working in the office and doing translating and editing, or working with the sponser children , I really would love to do the last option
anyway while writing this blog my computer has crashed three times on me-TIA (this is Africa) so I think that I shall go before my frustration gets the better of me, dinner awaits!
Ijhoro geeza!
kimu
But another new volunteer mark who is staying for 2 weeks had brought chocolate so she cheered up fast!!
This artist called Emmanuel is coming to the orphange 3 times a week and is giving art classes to the children, and if the children develop there art in a good way, in a few months he will exhibit and sell there paintings!! But he is supposed to come at 3 every day but arrives at like 4 , Rwandese time which leads me to make comments that I hoped I had left behind in New Zealand like 'Nice to see you are on time' , I have discovered I have a gift for bargaining! Must be from my father, or maybe my dutch heritage)everyone at the guest house is very jealous of it! I am the youngest person by a long shot there and they all call me an old soul.
My weekend was very great, it involved showing around the volunteers going to the Hotel Mille Collines, which several books films and documentaries are based on , and had lunch there next to the pool , which was so relaxing! I also went with Claire and another volunteer to church, this church I like better than most other churches I have been to here , it was more conservative, and the singing was amazing, besides it was big , so we were invisible . On friday I wento to visit my aunt marijkes sponser child , Sara through world vision in a village quite near my house. I saw several world vision projects in various stages like , the health clinic, school and well. And then I met Sara and fell in love with her. She was very quiet and small for her age but the love and gratitude she showed towards me was just priceless! I also got a present from this dirt poor family , which was a basket which they told me symbolized virginity! I hung out with her family and they spoilt me with fanta and fruit which is a very special treat for most rwandse. Then I had to say goodbye and was very sad to do so. World vison took me out to lunch and I became fast friends with the driver and my interpretars (although I think that with their small english and my small kinyarwanda I could have managed without them) , and I mentioned that I really would love to work for rwanda world vision on a volunteer basis, and they were saying that this was difficult if you were not from rwanda but would take me to the boss to talk to him about it, so I went to the boss , put on my sweetest smile, practised as much kinyarwanda as possible and dum dum de dum I got myself a job, even though its unpaid (well aside from a small allowance) I am happy to say I can come back to rwanda next year if I want for a year and all I have to do is email world vision New Zealand who will then email world vision Rwanda and be assured that there is a place for me! There were 3 options for jobs which are English teacher, working in the office and doing translating and editing, or working with the sponser children , I really would love to do the last option
anyway while writing this blog my computer has crashed three times on me-TIA (this is Africa) so I think that I shall go before my frustration gets the better of me, dinner awaits!
Ijhoro geeza!
kimu
Kim!!! i just read your posts :) you are such an amazing girl. Reading your entries makes me miss Rwanda terribly and it really shows how your'e growing in your experience there. I pray God keeps you safe and to continue using you to bless others there. Gives HEAPS of hugs & kisses to the Gikondo kids, i love them so much.
ReplyDeletexo
-narda