Mine in the side of the mountain.
Tea Plantation!
Creepy storm clouds rolling in...
I guess it's okay to let your child ride the camel in the giant nativity as long as the Catholic Priest is the one who puts her on it?
Love these ladies!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Genocide Memorial Service in Gatagara
Thursday, April 7 marked the 17 year anniversary of the start of the Genocide here in Rwanda. There was an official week of mourning throughout the nation. Everyday services were held so that people could share their stories and remember the lost.
On Wednesday, Matt, Todd and Andria went down the road to attend the closing memorial service in Gatagara. We decided that it would be best for Emma and I to stay at the house since Emma tends to draw a crowd and we didn't want to cause a distraction.
It is estimated that there were about 2,000 people living in Gatagara before the genocide began. 415 were killed. That's about 1 in every 4 people!
During the service, several people shared their stories. One was a widow. She told of the day her husband and children were killed. The men came and led her husband and children away. It was a miracle that she was left behind. The children were told that they were going to be given food. Instead, they were killed. She said that she knows the people who did it. They are her neighbors to this day. They have never asked for forgiveness but she has forgiven them. She said, "I am free."
Maraba Coffee Co-Operative
Day 2!
We drove out towards Butare and visited the Cyarumbo Coffee Washing Station. Unfortunately, they will begin harvesting coffee beans in the next week or two so we missed the actual process. It was still cool to imagine all those yummy coffee beans floating through the process.
The beans grown in this part of the country and processed here were ranked 2nd in the world by a US study. They are sold throughout the UK and US...even at Starbucks! Yum!
Coffee Tree
Coffee Beans! They remove 2 layers of shell to get to the actual bean.
First the beans are sorted out on these tables to remove any bad beans.
After soaking in a huge tub for several hours, they come down through these machines that remove the shells.
Then the beans float down this "lazy river" the the soaking pools.
The beans soak in these tubs for 24-48 hours.
They are then placed in the sun on these tables to dry.
Gatagara Adventures Day 1
So I am just now blogging about our April Break adventures.
We went out to Gatagara and stayed with our friends, Todd and Andria. They are doing incredible things there. There vision is start a school. They have started out by offering sewing classes to the girls in the village. So each morning, about 30 ladies come to their house and start sewing. They are sewing school uniforms to give to the kids in the village who couldn't otherwise go to school. It is a win win for the community. Another great thing they are doing is buying goats, cows and rabbits for the people in the village. People in the States can buy a goat for about $30 and it provides both food and income for a family. So far they have distributed 115 goats in the village. It is so great to drive down the road and see all the goats! The great thing about the program too is that if you receive a goat you need to give your first born baby goat to another family. How awesome is that?!
The woman who lives right across the road from their house, Leia, is over 100 years old. The first time she shows up in the census is 1915 but it doesn't say how old she was at the time. Many people think she is over 110. Her son lives with her and he is in his 80s. They think! Their house was built in the 70's and is in terrible need of fixing up. So, we started working on it while we were there.
Me, Emma, the village leader, Leia's son, Leia, Matt, Andria and Todd
Emma and Leia.
Emma was drawing a crowd.
Emma was making gumbo and sharing it with all the locals. It was so funny!
Too much Princess and the Frog I guess!
Emma getting in on the action!
The plaster is a mixture of lime, sand, concrete and water.
Here is Todd and Andria's blog if you are interested in buying a goat, cow or rabbits!
Genocide Memorial Church in Kibuye
A couple of weekends ago I had the chance to go to Kibuye for a Women's Retreat our church put on. Kibuye is a small town located on the shores of Lake Kivu. We have visited a few times for various conferences and retreats but never had a chance to visit the Genocide Memorial Church. I was finally able to on this trip.
I was reading in my Bradt book about the church and I think it is best to just quote it to describe what happened here.
"During the genocide the prefecture of Kibuye experienced the most comprehensive slaughter of Tutsis anywhere in Rwanda. Previously there had been around 60,000 in the prefecture, an unusually high proportion of about 20%. When the French troops arrived afterwards they estimated that up to nine out of every ten had been killed."
Many churches were involved in the genocide. People came to the churches to seek refuge only to be killed. Over 11,400 people were killed in the church below. There is a mass grave and memorial. Here is what Lindsey Hilsum has to say in an article for Granta:
"The church stands among trees on a promontory above the calm blue of Lake Kivu. The Tutsis were sheltering inside when a mob, drunk on banana beer, threw grenades through the doors and windows and then ran in to club and stab to death the people who remainded alive. It took about three hours."
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Mommies are Coming! The Mommies are Coming!
In August 2009, Matt and I decided that we were going to adopt a baby boy from Rwanda. Being the planner and researcher that I am, I immediately started researching all of the options and meeting new people along the way. One of the first people I met was Allie. She has become so special to me over the last nearly 2 years.
We have spent the last 9 months dreaming about the day she and her husband would come to Kigali to pick up their daughter and we could finally meet. As time as gone by, we were beginning to worry that I might be in the States while she was here.
But, Rwanda finally came through...
she is coming in 2 weeks!!! There is a whole group of AWAA families coming and so far I know 3 of them. I am so thrilled! I can't wait to meet these wonderful ladies face to face. And, I am so honored that I have been asked to come and photograph Gotcha Day for them.
Oh Happy Day!
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