Day 5 - Gorillas in the Wild

This post was published on Opportunity-UK’s travel blog at opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com. 

As we have a lack of internet access today, we’ve only got one post for you, written by Dorthe and sent via text message. Today, we hiked into the mountain and had an encounter with a whole pack of gorillas. 

A knock on the door at 5:30—wakeup call! Today is the day.

We got organized and were given a trekker, a porter and assigned a gorilla family called Hirwa. There were 16 family members, mostly women and babies with only one silverback male. There were even baby twins—which are very rare, I can quite honestly say it was an incredible experience.

After an hour of walking through potato fields and half an hour into the muddy mountain, tight with bamboo and eucalyptus trees, we saw the sight of our first gorilla—up in a tree! As we approached them, we saw more of the family. Mums, babies, and young gorillas right next and playing all around us! It was magical!! The big silverback was having a rest but he soon became interested and led us all further down the mountain. There he munched on some bamboo and the family were all around him and us. This was an unforgettable experience and much closer and much less intimidating than I thought it would be.

Day 4 - The Genocide Museum

This post was published on Opportunity-UK’s travel blog at opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com. 

Today, we visited the Genocide Museum in Kigali before heading to the Virunga Mountains. We are miles away from an internet connection so have texted these entries to Mark at Opportunity-UK. We’ll post photos once we get reconnected.

Dorthe:

Today has been filled with all kinds of emotions. We started by visiting the Genocide Museum. A very moving, emotional and informative trip. Not without tears and much sadness. It left me totally stunned at the level of evil people are capable of. It is not possible for me to comprehend how man can be so cruel to his own brother. At the same time I’m amazed and reassured by the heart of forgiveness and reconciliation people are determined to have here. This is indeed a remarkable country.

As I write, we‘ve said so long to Veronique and Elizabeth who’ve left for London. We are now ensconced in the breathtakingly beautiful Virunga Mountains. Welcomed by traditional dancers, we even got to show off some of our own dance moves. Now, from my simple but very comfy room, I can hear a multitude of unfamiliar animal and bird sounds. A fire is burning in my room and a noticeable drop in temperature tells me this next part of the adventure will be entirely different. I miss my family in a good way and simply can’t wait to see the gorillas in the wild tomorrow.

Anne:

The emotions of the morning at the Genocide Museum left us deeply sad, silent and without appetite. It is beyond understanding… Still we keep meeting people from all strands of society who live for rebuilding Rwanda. Among the Opportunity ladies we met today, their strength is humbling.

There is a tailor with a great workshop with eight sewing machines, who beams happiness and I am glad to have captured her beautiful smile with my camera. She will definitely get her photo on our blog when we get back to an internet connection. Now in view of our trek in the misty Virungas tomorrow, I am retreating to our room with the many animal noises around. Can’t wait for the gorillas! I am grateful to my family to let me be here!

Elizabeth:

This morning we visited the Genocide Museum in Kigali. So much to take in—the brutality Rwandans have experienced denies belief. How any human beings can be so cruel to one another is impossible for me to understand. The work being done toward reconciliation and forgiveness by those wronged shows the opposite extremes of compassion and kindness. It will take me a very long time to digest some of the stories I have heard today. The “land of 1,000 hills” made more sense to me today when we drove into the mountains toward DRC to see another Trust Group in rural Rwanda.

Groves of banana trees—I have never seen as many bananas as in the last few days! Hope the rest of my group enjoys the gorilla trek—I am so sorry to be leaving them. It has been a privilege sharing this experience with such a lovely group of women and I have so enjoyed getting to know them all. God Bless.

Julie:

For me, the Genocide Museum affirmed the foolishness of man over the history of time. Our desire to box in everyone results in such division, as was evidenced when under Belgian rule the Tutsis and Hutus were classified and separation began. The museum room that touched me most was the children’s room where they detailed each child’s favorite food, best friends, favorite TV show, and then the last thing they said and how they died. It’s hard even to write about it now.

The day changed mood once we headed into the hills for our two-hour drive north. Every single inch of these thousand hills is terraced and under some crop or other. Rwandans are working hard. The Opportunity clients we met this afternoon are too, and very successfully. A good finish. Early to bed now. Silverback gorillas tomorrow!!

Day 3 - Trust Groups

This post was published on Opportunity-UK’s travel blog at opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com.

Today, we spent time with one of the Opportunity International Trust Groups. Here’s the first in a series of five posts by travelers…

Dorthe:

The thing donors look forward to most on insight trips is meeting the clients face to face, experiencing a “Trust Group” meeting and seeing what people are like in that particular country. Today was no exception—it’s what we look forward to most.

(Photo: Anne Grafe-Buckens)

Our day began by visiting a rural Trust Group. As always, it was fascinating to see the faces, the beautiful dresses and scarves, and not forgetting the many curious children—hanging onto you for the chance of a Polaroid photo of themselves. Knowing only a fraction of the backgrounds many of the clients had, with painful histories and broken lives, they sit shoulder to shoulder, guaranteeing each other’s loans and working their way to brighter futures.

My impressions are mixed and many. I’m taken with the order and cleanliness. The way people seem quite reserved and quiet, and they follow a culture where community service and following strict laws is the norm. But I miss the energy and vivacity of countries such as Malawi and Ghana. There’s a careful conservatism I’m used to seeing more in northern Europe than central Africa.

Factoid: plastic bags are illegal. As is walking on grass in public spaces. And every fourth Saturday of each month, everyone, including the president, cleans the streets of their local communities. An interesting day!!

(Day 3) Elizabeth:

Woke up to a wet and cloudy morning. We visited a longstanding Trust Group who were meeting to make their loan repayments outside a local cafe in a rural area outside Kigali. I was struck by the professionalism of the group and the meeting.

(The Trust Group president, treasurer and secretary. Photo: Anne Grafe-Buckens)

They have a president, treasurer and secretary, all of whom receive special training for their roles by the bank. As it was raining some of the Trust Group members had not yet arrived to make their repayment so one of us asked what happened if they missed the meeting. The answer was a very matter-of-fact “they receive a fine.” Somehow, I don’t think fines are needed often. I then had a very interesting experience of visiting one of the more basic Rwandan “facilities” before our second meeting—one I will remember for some time I’m afraid!

I also had the pleasure of sitting opposite Urwego Opportunity Bank’s CFO at dinner. A lovely Ugandan woman named Sheila who received her accountancy certification and degree from Oxford Brookes University by correspondence. Her husband is currently studying at Loughborough and they have two young children.  We spoke about the struggle of balancing career with family, nanny problems and trying to “juggle lots of crystal balls” desperately hoping not to drop any. I felt a real connection with her and realized that although we are worlds apart in some ways, we really are not that different in our personal ambitions and hopes for our families.

(Source: opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com)

(Day 3) Julie:

Today was another one of beautiful Rwanda and beautiful Rwandans. Two in particular struck me. The first was Francine, a lovely, softly spoken woman, wearing a stunning yellow head dress, in the “We Trust Each Other” Trust Group.

(Rwandan client Francine. Photo: Anne Grafe-Buckens)

She shared how her first loan had enabled her to buy more salt and sugar and increase her daily sales. From there she added soap to her inventory. Recently she’s purchased a goat, which is now ready to give birth to a kid. With her profits, Francine has put a concrete floor in her home, installed electricity and bought new furniture. She also mentioned her provision for her children and her new ability to buy clothes for herself. Her final comment, delivered with a shy smile, was that she is no longer a burden to her husband. I took that at face value, not assuming she had a domineering spouse who demanded no pressure to provide, but rather a woman who was happy to bless her family through her work.

I didn’t get the name of the other woman who greatly impressed me but she stood boldly at the end of the meeting and told us why she had joined an Opportunity Trust Group. “When I heard about a bank that wanted to work with people because of Jesus’s love for the poor I thought, that’s the type of bank I want to partner with.” She wanted to partner with us. Opportunity International loans and training are not a hand out, but a hand up as women, and some men, recognize the chance at improving their lives through business development. I was so encouraged to hear that directly from a client. Fantastic!

(Source: opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com)

Day 2: First Impressions

This post was published on Opportunity-UK’s travel blog at opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com.

Five of us have taken time to write today. As you’ll see, Rwanda has made a big first impression! Here’s the first in a series of posts from travelers, written by Dorthe.

Rwanda – indeed Africa’s pearl. The land of 1,000 hills has captured my heart. We started our day in Opportunity’s Kigali headquarters with the staff gathered for their morning devotions. What a perfect way to start the day and this trip. I was truly moved by the spirit that filled the room. The lesson & reading was from Genesis 47, where Joseph teaches the people to save, as there will be seven years of feast followed by seven years of famine. Joseph established the law in Egypt of putting 1/5 of their produce or income aside. The lesson to the staff was poignant and, throughout the day, the importance of every farmer and market client doing the same was made clear to us.

(Germaine, Opportunity Rwanda COO, giving a devotional talk)

We met rice farmers in cooperatives on their first loan cycle and merchants in the market on their 24th loan cycle. All were appreciative of the difference their loans, however small, were making. A 30-year-old woman, whose name I didn’t understand, was introduced to us. She was selling coal behind the public latrines and next to the rubbish dump. She was a true success story. Her loan enabled her to buy wood to make and sell coal. Her profits enabled her to buy a cow ($1,400 Frisian import) which produces 10 liters of milk per day, versus the cheaper domestic cow that could only yield one liter per day. Then she invested in a motorbike that was used as a taxi. She had two kids. A true business lady, but that was not my first thought as we were led to her rather sorry, dirty spot behind the main market. The day was filled with women like her.

Inspirational and impressive, this was a day full of great impressions! The landscape is captivating. There’s an order and cleanness unlike anywhere I’ve been in Africa. The people are smiling yet slightly reserved. I feel completely safe and at ease. Can’t wait ‘til tomorrow for more impressions. Factoid of the day: as we are at the equator the earth is moving at 1,000 m.p.h. rather than 600 m.p.h. in London. Should we be dizzy? Either way it seems that things even out as not much gets done faster apart from the drinks at the pool bar this p.m. Very impressive. The rest of the day much of the time was spent just waiting. Getting our balance, perhaps?

(Day 2) Julie:

When I first moved to the UK last year I was surprised by the number of times the media, and the people I met, would refer to the War. Nearly 70 years after the conclusion of World War II it still impacts the way people live. Here in Rwanda, with only 18 years to distance the pain of war, not many talk about what happened but you can see it affecting nearly everything they do—how they interact, and how they live. A woman named Anitalia shared her story with us today. We met her at her fabric stall in the market, she’s been with Opportunity since 1998. What brought her into the bank 14 years ago was the sudden loss of her husband during one of the many post-war insurgencies in her area. With his death, she not only lost her life-long companion but also her stability and security. Anitalia, her seven children and one more on the way, had to cope not only emotionally but financially with his death.

(Dorthe with client Anitalia)

Thankfully, Anitalia is a fighter and worked hard despite her grief, using her first loan of $50 to buy beans to sell on the side of the street. After several more loan cycles she was able to buy some land, and after a few more, a few cows. She then built a house for her family and continues to diversify, renting a stall in the market to sell waxed batik fabric which she buys in Kigali and sells in her village. That was where we met her—a smiling, happy, successful business woman who had managed to provide for herself and her children. There’s a photo here of her making a sale to one of our team, Dorthe. Anitalia’s laughing and I know she’s proud of where she is today.

(Source: opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com)

(Day 2) Elizabeth:

What an incredible day. Beginning with the most amazing coffee I have ever experienced at breakfast—working on a way to bring a supply of beans home with me! We arrived at the bank in time for the devotions, a lovely service which takes place every Monday and Friday to begin and end the week. The music and singing was so beautiful and the service created a great feeling of peace and community.

Then, we arrived at an agricultural cooperative who are working with their first Opportunity loan. Meeting with the Trust Group leaders and hearing their ambitions and plans really underlined for me the importance of empowering these clients to become self-sufficient. They not only work the land they lease from the local government, but to improve efficiency they employ people to help with weeding and even to scare birds away from the crops! The group has employed a agronomist who is testing 100 different varieties of rice on the land to determine which is best for their land conditions. It is this forward-thinking that is so powerful to me. Seeing these beautiful people who have so little materially but such ambitious plans for the future for themselves and their families, all made possible by the opportunity to borrow a relatively small amount, is very motivational.

(Veronique and I are talking to a farmer)

The fields were separated by a road, along which a group of children were walking home from school. There were cars, motorbikes and trucks speeding by with these little children walking along the shoulder of the road. The over-protective mother in me really had to take a deep breath. The children were stunning and so clever. I asked to see their schoolbooks and they were rightly proud to share them with me.  They all learn English and their lesson books were beautifully neat. As they skipped off I realized the future of this country is so bright and positive, even after the tragic recent past.

(Source: opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com)

(Day 2) Veronique:

Dorthe mentioned the coal lady; I believe her name is Valentina. The image of her posing for our photographs with the young bank staff member will stick in my mind. Her batik wax print, dirty from the coal, contrasting with his smart tailored suit; both under 30, seemingly a world apart; yet, I would like to think that they represent the future of Africa, or at least Rwanda. She is street-smart and a confident entrepreneur who needed the opportunity the university-educated banker provided. It’s great to see it succeeding; inspiring for me and, hopefully, for others.

(Meet the five bloggers from Day 2! Anne, Julie, Dorthe, Elizabeth and me)

Land of thousand hills it is! Green, lush, rich and orderly— hard to think of all the horror that went on here for 100 days 18 years ago. It is the anniversary at the moment and the local press is full of testimonies and acts of remembrance. Hard to grasp.

(Source: opportunityinrwanda.wordpress.com)