I have decided to move on from Ruhanga for a while, I need to renew my visa and I have got itchy feet to see some more of I feel I have done as much as I can here for now and the experience of volunteering has been rewarding and fascinating.
I have never been any good at fund raising, except for projects I know directly, and even then not that good. So it was one of my aims of this trip to see how these projects work on the ground.
As usual it is down to the committed and hard work of a few passionate individuals, who want to make a change for the better. And that is surely the case here, the school is up and running, the lodge is providing an excellent base for volunteers to experience the life and country; and a source of employment for the community. The first stage of the water project is well on the way to flowing in July.
However it is likely to become a victim of its own success in that the organisational skills and structure have not kept up with the pace of change. I have been working with the founders and community to help them develop this, hopefully they will be able to look at this and we can work on the next stage when I return. This will ensure that the good work so far is not undone by the unmanaged influx of muzungoes and their money and customs being superimposed onto the culture rather than subsumed into the community.
I look forward to my return as this is a most beautiful place and wonderful warm people.
I am looking forward to visiting Rwanda, particularly as I was privileged to interview a journalist who was working on both sides of the border during 1994, for one of the major Ugandan daily papers; on behalf of Ruth for her final year dissertation. I am interested to see how the reconstruction is progressing on both the physical and national character of the country.
Posts may be a bit more sporadic from now as I am leaving the computer behind and relying on internet cafes, please keep in touch but accept my apologies in advance of any delay in reply
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