The aim of this entry is to highlight Day 6, Saturday, at the Rafiki Rwanda village.
Before going to the museum, we stopped by the coolest little hide-away! It's called the African Bagel Company (ABC) and it was started "to give vulnerable women the opportunity to learn vocational skills. Our goal is to provide training so they can be employed in order to help themselves out of the cycle of poverty".
They teach African women to prepare products like salsa & tortilla chips, pizza kits, bagels, tortillas, peanut butter, bagel chips & hummus & chocolate chip cookies. But, they don't teach them on conventional ovens & tools we have in U.S., but rather, using the most common means of baking in their community. They also host field trips for local children, giving them abbreviated lessons on cooking.
It felt like being back in the U.S. when we walked into the courtyard, edged by a high privacy fence, surrounding the small bakery. Almost everyone appeared to be an American (they call them exPats- for ex-Patriots) and we spoke English without stumbling (or speaking louder... and, no... it really doesn't help the language barrier to speak louder).
Anyway, we bought some bagels, chips/salsa (yep, you guys who know me know which I voted to buy!) & frozen pizza.
Next, we went to the Genocide Museum... in my journal, I mistakenly called the "Holocaust" museum, but maybe it fits... I dont' know what the official difference is between genocide and holocaust, but it was intended to destroy an entire people, so it seems that they both fit.
The Kigali Genocide Museum is in the nation's capital city, Kigali. Horrific, sobering, devastating, EVIL. Really highlights man's depravity & our capacity for evil. Also a visual reminder that Satan is prowling around the earth seeking people to devour!
There was a casket being carried out of a vehicle when we arrived... more bones had been discovered and there would be a proper burial. The funeral service lasted 2 1/2 hours. I learned that the discovery and burial of newly exhumed bones was a common occurrence, especially each year in April, the anniversary month of the Genocide. I'll share more on this in the entry about the Genocide. (Also, GREAT book to read regarding Rwanda history until present, if you are so inclined, is "A Thousand Hills" by Stephen Kinzer).
The museum in Kigali is a wonderful memorial to the victims as well as a great educational tool. So.Much.Horror! Yet... So.Much.Forgiveness! The Rwandans are an amazing people & God is doing an incredible work of reconciliation in this land. We hold grudges for perceived snubs,bad calls in a baseball game, & someone making us "wait" too long for anything or saying "no" to us. These people live in the same community with the people that murdered their families, and try very hard NOT to hold a grudge. Humbling.
There were almost 30 "stations" to visit at the Kigali Genocide Museum and half of them are outside gardens created to aid in the grieving, remembering & reconciling process.
Symbolized the unmarked graves.
Below is a view of going down into the beginning of the museum with the city of Kigali in the background.
View of Kigali from the museum.
Our group, outside the Museum.
Pictured: me, Sherri Bush (my roomie), Vicky Koch, Will Fraser, Barb Freeman, Carolyn Koepke
After leaving the Museum, surprisingly, we still had an appetite and so we went to the original "Hotel Rwanda". Below is the pool view from the outdoor restaurant. Food prices are similar to the US, so it's obviously not a place average Rwandans dine (average annual income $250).
After lunch we went shopping and spent most of our time at one of the local favorites, Abraham's shop. There were some really nice hand-crafted African items & I checked off much of my intended purchase list for family/friends. Next, we went to a grocery store which had all the makings of a SuperCenter. Their assortment ranged from washing machines & dishwashers to groceries, to clothes etc.
The fresh produce aisles were non-existent... there was one small refrigerated section that had produce that wasn't in the best, freshest condition. BUMMER! Oh well, I'll eat plenty of salads in two weeks!
I think this would be the very hardest thing to get used to if I lived in Rwanda! ...well, that and the fact that the electricity goes out multiple times a day. The village has a generator which kept the dental clinic open during the blackouts, but it was a bit spooky when it went out just after stepping into the shower before bed in a dark cottage! We learned to keep flashlights handy.
This day spanned the gamut of human emotions and ended with some very silly laughter! After an emotionally draining day, we opted for some light, silly humor (the Koch's have a rich DVD library of classics), popcorn, lemonade and lots and lots of laughter with the ROS as we watched a movie projected on their wall!
Thank you Jesus for friends!
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