Riders of the storm

I have learnt many things since arriving in Rwanda; never go out to a restaurant without eating first, always ask “how much?” before getting on a moto, never take the first price...but this week I have learnt a couple of new and very important things.  1) It is never a good idea to get on a moto when the sky is very black.  2) Or when you need a loo stop.  On Monday I was hit with a double whammy...I left school when the sky looked threatening for the 40min journey home.  10mins later, it began to rain very heavily.  I was covered in waterproof clothing, but my driver was not so we stopped for shelter in a shop in a tiny village along the way.  I had been in need of a loo stop for some time, but the toilets at schools are something I generally avoid, so I had not made use of the facilities before departing.  Big mistake!  The very bumpy road and the extra long journey due to the two rain stops we made, meant I was in a world of pain by the time I arrived home.

That aside, I had an interesting day.  I observed a great P6 lesson about how to write an informal letter.  I happened to ask the students if they had ever received a letter.  None of them had, but they are excited as they are going to write some letters to their partner school in the UK and are looking forward to some replies.  Next, I went to a P3 Social Studies lesson.  In this lesson, students were learning about development and what it means.  When they were shown a picture of a television they did not know what it was.  Most of them had never seen a tarmac road before either.  But they really loved their lesson and were very enthusiastic and happy throughout.  After lunch I saw a P2 English lesson.  These students were gorgeous.  As we approached the classroom block we could hear the students getting excited that the mazungu visitors were approaching, and when we walked in they squealed with delight and began clapping and greeting us “Good afternoon visitors.  How are you?”  They were jumping out of their seats and were begging the teacher to let them answer the questions “Me teacher! Me teacher!” – I was a bit over-whelmed by their excitement.  When the teacher did a bit of role play they were in hysterics – it seemed like one of the funniest things they had ever seen to watch their teacher pretend to be one of them.  And then they all had a go at role play and they loved it so much, even though the heavy rain meant they could not do the bit outside that had been planned.  The downpour was gushing in the windows as there was no glass or shutters. The roof was leaking, but rather than complain, the students quietly moved seats without fuss and squashed into the benches even more tightly than they had before.

A day later, and the weather was still doing its best to be a menace.  We managed to make the 45 min journey to school without rain, but there was an almighty downpour as soon as we arrived.  The 45mins back were equally dry, but this time it was my spine which was compromised.  After two years I will be a mess!  Sitting on a moto is already uncomfortable and I just can’t get my posture right – suggestions on a postcard please!  I have also found out why we apparently get so much lightening up here (thanks to the immigration staff member at the District Office who was telling me all about it as I was getting my Green Card).  Apparently the local hills are full of coltan and this attracts the lightening when it is looking for somewhere to earth.  This has meant that in the last year, the house has been struck twice – once it blew up a computer and the second time it scorched the fingertips of a volunteer.  It also knocked down a tree outside the house.  I shall be very careful every time there is a storm.