General Impression
Overall Rating: / 10
I have recently completed a three week placement in Rwanda on the Construction Program. I have no other African experiences to compare against but I can say honestly that it has been a bit of a culture shock to say the least, and has been an amazing experience.The local team in Rwanda is fantastic, local guys trying to do some good which is desperately needed. Their main focus is on educating extremely underprivileged children, but they also build houses for needy families and renovate others. They also have an amazing goat program where they have bought goats for family's who could not afford them, and in return the family gives back the first female kid (baby goat) to be donated to another family, thus continuing the cycle of helping people.
The project I was involved with progressed quite fast. It’s a small school house for local children and pretty standard apart from some of the techniques used to construct here which made me feel like I was watching the history channel! It was a real eye-opener!
The most impressive aspect I noticed while in Rwanda was the ripple effect the local team has had on the community, which was shown clearly through the Farming Co-Op program they have initiated. The mothers of the local children have been brought together to work under one co-operative program. I have visited this place during my stay and it was amazing what these women have succeeded in with help from the local team - growing seasonal vegetables and supplying local markets and restaurants in the capital, a venture that is proving to be very beneficial to the entire community. I had the pleasure of being a guest at their end of year celebration which was incredible especially seeing as I was under the impression I was just coming out to see the farm, not to be guest of honour! It was very humbling.
I also visited the capital and I can say that Kigali is a very modern city. You regularly see expensive 4x4's driving around the roads when 2 just hedgerows back you are dealing with extreme poverty. I could compare it to modern Dublin being capital to a 1920's Ireland! The Rwandan people are very friendly and polite (though I found English is limited in rural areas) considering the relatively recent and tragic history of this country. They do not talk about the past too much and every time it arises the subject is quickly changed to "looking forward not backward!” - I have witnessed first-hand the resilience of the Rwandan people.
The local facilities for volunteers were very good and the team made every effort to involve me in the daily activities, they even showed me some of the local tourist attractions like Akigera National Park. The only slight negative I might have is with them being a local organisation the mixing with other westerners is nil however I have found it quite inspiring to see these local guys (with very little themselves!!) take action for the betterment of the present and future generations. Overall it was a truly amazing experience and I recommend Rwanda to anybody looking for a unique and eye-opening volunteering experience!