A Week in Review

Whatever good writing material I did have this week has escaped me just as, it seems, my time. The start of February came and went and it was only today that I flipped my calender. It's been a whirlwind of activity and just when I arrive at home for a rest, I find myself boiling water or something equally as enjoyable. Here are some highlights and, while I would like to expand, I may not find the energy or the time. Don't get me wrong. I love to be this involved. I finally feel like I'm getting my hands dirty and doing some meaningful work. 

Sunday January 31st

- Muzungu-fest hike at Rusumo Falls. The Kibungo 3 + the Kierhe VSO 2 + 2 Kierhe Partners in Health + 3 Rwamagana Muzungus we met on the bus = holy crap! How many Muzungus is that? We the southern 7 of us went for a bit of a hike and then met the 3 Rwamaganians that we just met on the bus for lunch. (Confused yet?) Basically, nice hike, hot day, muzungu fest. 

- Stayed with Christine that night and enjoyed a great, long coffee and breakfast in the morning. I was not kept awake by the bats at night and infact I think I watched them all fly out of her house that night

Monday February 1st 

- Holiday for Hero's Day. Home around lunch and tidied and cleaned and boiled water and washed some sheets....

Tuesday February 2nd

- Up to Kigali to meet with Sarah and Emmanual to work on the Senior 4-6 (basically Grades 10-12) General Paper Curriculum. Our goals: improve wording of curriculum so there were proper objectives and integrate principles of global education.

- Stopped at bank on my way to VSO but line ups where HUGE because of people paying school fees. It looked like chaos but a kindly gentleman gave me the "in" on how the system worked and once I was properly in the queue, I was out of there in just under and hour!

- At VSO, meeting went from 11am until just after 4:30!!! We did a lot of work but didn't finish. Our plan was begin proposal at meeting tomorrow and if they like it, finish on the same track.

- We decided we needed to stay an extra night to finish the work. 

- Dinner at Bourbon and then drinks at some local bar in Kigali.

Wednesday February 3rd

- Arrived at VSO only to find that the meeting with the National Development Curriculum had been postponed until tomorrow. So, Sarah and I commit a good three hours to finishing our proposal which she and Emmanual will present. I will head back to Kibungo on Thursday because I have  a million things to do...budgets, workshops, organizing meetings etc.

- Went to Bourbon where I worked on a presentation for a meeting for Friday

- Dinner at Sun and Moon with plans to drink but I was feeling queasy so to bed early

Thursday February 4th 

- Up early to get to Bourbon for breakfast and a Skype. Go to catch a 10am bus, but find out that it doesn't leave until 10:30

- Arrive in Kibungo just before 1pm. Eat a quick lunch and head to the office.

- No one is in the office

- INstead, in the large meeting hall, 500 teachers have been waiting to write exams to determine if they can change jobs or teach other subjects. Exams range from Maths to Administrative positions. Problem: exams were only created that morning by hand there is no photocopier!! So....(VSO and Ngoma problem solvers - but not me, because I was still on the bus) take photo of exam, put it on the computer and use the printer to print out enough exams. I had no time to work on my work, instead, we all pitched in and helped. The test began at about 2pm and finished two hours later. Shared a lovely meal with exam writers and Froduald outside on the grass

- Head to J and J's house for beer before coming home and collapsing into a deep sleep in my bed

Friday February 5th 

- Text received from Francis at 5:59am to say he cannot make my 9am meeting

- Phone call at 6:03am from Ang! Great to talk to her and I realized that, okay, I really should get out of bed

- Head to work in the rain. At 9am have a Focus Schools' Head Teacher meeting. Five teachers with good ideas. I will work with them a lot this year. Very, very successful meeting. 

- Worked on budgets etc. and introduced Jeremy to an omelette special

- Came home to work on Training materials for next week. Jeremy arrives, followed by Elie for Kinyarwanda lessons. Jason joins us later for dinner and drinks. I make (one of the three things I can make) sweet potato and curry stew

.....now I sit here and all I want to to do is go to bed but this blog has been weighing on me as I've been really slacking lately. Tomorrow we all head to Jambo Beach to say good by to Julie. She is the first one of our intake that is leaving! :(

Soon...pictures will be uploaded.....