Getting A Leetle Overinvolved

It's a gorgeous, bright, sunny morning in Kigali, which was preceded by a heaven-sent, beautiful and sunny week. The rainy season came early (CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, FOX NEWS) and we haven't been able to walk anywhere without being at the very least armed with an umbrella since about mid-February, so this has been a truly delightful change. Yesterday your RAs took a trip to the Mille Colline (yes, the Mille Colline, of Hotel Rwanda fame) and sat by the pool for the day. Laying out by the pool is a huge treat here, because it runs anywhere from $6 to the more expensive $10 required by the Mille, but we won ourselves a solid Best Teachers Ever award this week, and we decided to splurge. Even our 60 and 70 SPF couldn't quite stand up to the beast that is the ultraviolet light this close to the equator, and we're both spending the day nursing hard-won sunburns, but it was a glorious way to spend a Saturday. We had two laid-back, quiet hours and then another two full of screaming, splashing children, one of whom ran up to RA2 STARK NAKED and made a grab for her ipod while RA1 looked on, cackling, offering exactly zero help or emotional support.

Since neither of us even want to think about it, this will probably be the last mention of it in this blog, but we are 2/3 of the way through our time here, and staring down the one-month gun barrel. We have squeezed more action into 2 months than seems possible: giraffes, endless trips to the studio, dancing, karaoke, Primus, two trips to Gisinye, tye-dye, English classes, basket-weaving, Primus, a day by the pool, brochettes, Indian food, Chinese food, Primus, shopping, the bus system, and constant new adventures and discoveries, and we have every expectation that the last month here will hold the same.

As we've mentioned, being here for so long has enabled us to create amazing connections with the women and children we work with, and we've gotten particularly close with Claudine's family. Claudine recently gave birth to a baby girl, and both RAs were declared "muzungu Aunties" - we hope to put up pictures of our visit to her at the hospital soon. RA2 also decided to sponsor her first daughter, Sylvie, through school. Sylvie is in the rare and enviable position of having a mother who is very dedicated to and excited about her education, and a father without any inclination to interfere. The only thing she needed were school fees and money for all the incidentals Rwandan "free" public schooling requires: one or two uniforms, a notebook, a pencil, a backpack, a canteen, and a roll of toilet paper (we have no idea, we didn't ask). The cost is prohibitive for most Rwandan families, who largely rely on donors and foundations to scrape by each year, but comes out to just $80 a year for pre-school and about $200-$400 a year for primary and secondary school. University, if a student gets accepted, is only about $500 per semester, at two semesters a year.

Clockwise from top: Claudine, Sylvie's new principal, RA2 and Sylvie, registering for school.

Sylvie, her serious little face, and her new school equipment, which she refused to take off.

Sylvie and her beautiful mother, all set for school.

Happy National Women's Day!

My whole life I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing women. I’m also very lucky that I live in a country where women have amazing jobs, stunning careers, fabulous heels and killer apartments/houses/homes. However, today is different. Today, I am lucky enough to be in a country other than my own that celebrates women in a way that the US has yet to do. Today in Rwanda is National Women’s Day. Schools, banks and most offices are closed for the day in honor of the holiday and celebrations are taking place all over the city.

It’s truly eye-opening to be in a country where so many things lag behind my home –access to deodorant for example – but continues to be so progressive in a multitude of ways; particularly for women. This country dedicates a National Holiday to women; which probably has something to do with the fact that they have the most women legislators in any government in the world. It’s not a holiday Hallmark made up and there aren’t any greeting cards for it, but there is this recognition that Rwanda’s government and its people will give one day to honor women. Now, perhaps some of you are thinking – one day? One little day? America dedicates national holidays to Veteran’s, dead Presidents, etc – but nothing is dedicated to women. Nothing is even dedicated to one woman – MLK gets a day, but nothing for Rosa Parks?

Women of America (and the amazing men on this email list) we should be a little pissed off. I’ve never appreciated America more than I have after being in a foreign country – but come on, let’s do something for the women that make our country amazing. Start talking about it, blogging about it and bothering people about it. A bunch of old, dead guys (not belittling their value in any way) have National holidays so why not one for every woman? Considering the current state of things, perhaps the bankers and legislators need another day off anyway!

So – in the meantime – here’s a toast to you ladies. Even if America won't recognize us as the backbone to our country– I will do my own dedication. Here’s to the ladies that have mentored me. Here’s to the ladies that have held my hand through career moves, tough choices and vibrant triumphs. Here’s to Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton. Here’s to Margaret Thatcher. Here’s to my mom and here’s to all the moms. Here's to the women of my first job who taught me everything I know about being fabulous. Here’s to all the women that live somewhere other than Rwanda and don’t think their progress and lives are valued. The ladies of my volunteer program will be saluting you all today, by way of many Primus(es) and many laughs.


-nicole

Our First Care Package!!!!!

Much to our very great excitement, we got our first care package this week, from our dear friend Genevieve Wanucha, who writes The Blood Sugar. The contents of this package can only be described as phenomenal. We might've gotten JUST A TOUCH EXCITED upon opening it:


RA2 may possibly have used Glamour to bribe some of the older girls into doing their homework, BUT JUST TRY AND PROVE IT. There was a great article on a Harvard grad who started a business making sanitary pads out of banana tree fibers after she found out that women in many developing countries have to stay home from school and work when they get their period, and lose a lot of income that way. The business she founded is called SHE (Sustainable Health Enterprises), and the article explains that she opened the first factory here in Rwanda, largely because she knew she could count on the support of the many women in Parliament. RA1 then had the brilliant idea of emailing SHE to see if we could see their operations and bring some of our older girls to witness a revolutionary woman-centered start-up in the works. Fingers crossed that they get back to us!

One morning this week we found ourselves with 9 kids, mostly beginners but with enough shades of in-between that we couldn't simply do the ABCs, and there were too many levels to split between just the two of us. We really wanted to use the AMAZING new supplies we had received from Genevieve. All of a sudden RA1 looked up and said, "Color by number," to which RA2 replied something along the lines of, "You are made of GENIUS and WIN." Not only did the kids practice their colors, numbers, and, much to our surprise, their sharing, but they were absolutely the quietest and most well-behaved we have ever seen them. As an added bonus we actually hadn't considered, they were extremely excited to bring them home. Most houses here have very little by way of decorations, and for some of these kids this will be the only picture they have.




One of our older girls benefited very directly from Vive's thoughtfulness. Our Girl Friday Clemence had noticed that she didn't have a sweater, and she looks gorgeous in the one Vive sent.


Vive, we can't thank you enough!!!!!!

xoxoxo,
The Manolos

Kigali: Proving It's Not What You Wear, It's How You Wear It

The RAs have recently begun to work with a group of women who, mostly through the awesome power of micro-finance, have become fairly successful - even extremely successful by Rwandan standards. Yesterday we went to see Alice, who along with two other women owns a very nice restaurant. They were selling second-hand clothes, but decided to open their own business when they got a loan. They paid the first loan back in 6 months and are considering a second one so they can expand. Alice took us back to see the kitchen, which made RA2 a little nervous that they would never be able to bring themselves to eat in a restaurant again, but not only was it very clean, it was very cool. There were big open pits with pots and meat cooking over them and the biggest pile of meat and onions we have ever seen. Alice and the other women rent their restaurant space, and share the building with two other, complementary businesses: a bar ("We cannot sell beer because we are Christians") and a game room in the back. They're going to be taking English lessons with us once a week, and Alice was very excited to hear we would help her write out her menu in translation. "People come in and they are asking me for chips, and I think, oh God, what is this chips?!"

Today we met Jackie, an utterly fabulous woman who owns a small store that sells clothing and eggs. These may sound like incongruous business practices, and it was definitely funny to see all these sharp clothes behind the counter and piles and piles of eggs on the floor in front, but it was actually a great business strategy. Jackie gets both her clothes and eggs from Uganda, where they can be bought for much cheaper, even after paying for a taxi to transport them. She and the woman who runs the shop with her have a few big contracts with hotels, including our favorite chain, the Serena, here in Kigali. She also sells them and the clothes out of the shop. She has a loyal customer base because she only charges enough to make a very small profit, and people know her prices are always fair. She also has a great deal with the farms who supply her eggs; someone picks up the eggs for her, and she pays the farmers after she sells them.

This leads us to two points we've picked up about women and business here: women always pay their debts, and women in business bring their neighborhoods up with them. Even though they don't get paid upfront, the farmers always get their money from Jackie, and Alice and her friends paid back their loan in 6 short months. Jackie sells her eggs cheaper than anywhere else, allowing locals who normally couldn't afford them to better feed their children. Jackie, Alice and all the women they work with also employ local women who wouldn't otherwise have work, and Jackie sends two of her children to boarding school in Uganda, where they are getting much better grades than they were and learning English. We're so excited to have them meet the women we've been working with. They're an incredible inspiration, and they demonstrate how far women in the country can move up, and how quickly, with just the smallest amount of help.

The thing that is most striking about these woman is how different than they look from the women we work with. They look relaxed. Meeting them was a complete breath of fresh air; it really makes a difference when you don't have to wonder how you're going to feed your kids the next day. Women here literally wear their success. Everyone here takes care of themselves and their children, and try to keep their one or two shirts as clean as possible. The people we know who don't have much money usually own just a shirt or two and some cloths that they fold to make skirts and carry babies, and even the people we know here with a reasonable income only own a few outfits. But the successful women we know here make sure their few outfits are fabulous, and they wear them with great pride and confidence. Men wear suits to work, and I think the attitude with which they wear them could be described as "casual". There's more of a sense from men that their success is inevitable. But successful women wear it like they earned it, and it's very cool to see. Jackie was wearing a brown satin shirt with gem buttons, a brown and maroon patterned skirt with gold trim, and zebra print shoes with a cute pink manicure. It has made me re-think my approach to clothes, and consider what it means to wear the success you earned with pride.

A Day In Our Life

The Wimenz
So – it has been our lot in life to be surrounded by strong, independent and amazing women. That luck did not falter when we left the contiguous. Even though the language barrier is huge and daunting, the spirit of the women we get to see two to three times a week is phenomenal. Their laughs brighten our early mornings and turn around any mood we may have gotten ourselves worked in to.

Again, we always go back to the fact that coming here for three months (however burdensome on our personal lives, careers, futures, etcetera) is all coming full circle now. When we see the women in the morning they’re so excited to see us even though all we can give them in return for their excitement are basic English lessons and a standard Rwandan greeting. Never has it been more clear to us that in our overly talkative, highly analytical lifestyles we are missing a lot. Words are sometimes not the best tool of communication – sometimes a smile, a nod or a hand gesture goes further in bringing us closer to others.The Kiddiepoos
It’s no secret to anyone in the RAs’ lives that children weren’t EXACTLY the reason we came to Rwanda. We came to work with women, but have ended up –indirectly – working with them through their children. The walls of our small school house (read: outdoor patio under a tin roof that has a chalkboard in it) have seen us go from triumphant celebrations at the reciting of the ABCs to utter desperation at explaining the difference between 13 and 30 while simultaneously writing triple digit multiplication problems (and CHECKING THEM) for advanced students. However, as they say, we’ve started to hit a stride of sorts. Most of the children coming in our doors – even though we never know when or what day they will come – are familiar now and we’ve quickly devised ways to deduce their skill level.

Are we working with the bare minimum supplies and resources for these students? Yes. Absolutely. Are we ripping printer paper in half and making handwritten worksheets for students since they barely ever remember to bring their actual homework with them? You betcha. Are we helping? We think so. If keeping kids in our classroom for an hour keeps them out of an abusive situation for 60 minutes or gives their stressed out mothers an hour without them in the house. Sure – we get frustrated, we’re climbing up a huge wall of language difference and are often 8:1 teacher to student ratio with children WHO DON’T SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE AS US.

My favorite time of day is when I get to do math tutoring. Do you remember my grades in math mom? I do – they were not good enough to qualify me to teach – but I can say that my triple digit multiplication skills BY HAND are going to be phenomenal by the time I get home. Are those handmade worksheets those kids are working on you ask? Why yes, yes they are.

For example – Kaitlyn teaches ABCs to one student who has severe ADD and two children who have never been to school. Ever. Twenty minutes later she is explaining lab procedures to chemistry students.
Our lesson plans have also been known to include the following:

Reading: (aka: Fending off the page-ripping fingers of children for the ONE book we have):
Computer Class: (aka: googling whatever they want to learn in English):
Vocab: ("Turtle" vs "Tiger" Lesson, obviously!)Social Studies & Cultural Awareness: (aka: keeping the kids entertained for the last 15 minutes of class or finding a reason to read Marie Claire whilst teaching)
Shapes & Colors: (aka: Watching kids fight over pieces of paper, teaching them how to share the minimal supply of crayons and listening to constant shouts of "Big Puzzle! Big Puzzle!")
Body Parts: (aka: A reason to teach them how to do "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" and making them do it really fast)
Tired Teacher Time: (aka: I believe they call this study hall or 'prep' in America)
Colors & Numbers: (aka: Walking in in the morning, RA2 saying "What should we do today?" <...RA1 furiously Googling...> "Color by number." RA2: "GENIUS!"All in all, we were sent here to do one thing, are doing a few things that weren’t really in our plan, but are loving all the stories we have at the end of the day. The women, the kids; they give us some pretty unconditional love in the form of hugs, laughs and spirit.

Edu | ma | cation

The RAs have spent many evenings on the porch of our house discussing the various programs and policies in place here in Rwanda. We often come back to education since we have been tasked with the job of being an educational resource for the children in FVA’s program. For the children in school we are a tutoring/supplementary resource – which is quite enjoyable for us because these kids are in school and some of them so smart they are an inspiration to work with. On the other hand, there are some children that we are, literally, the first line of defense in their educational attainment. This is for various reasons such as 1) their parents cannot afford to send them to school; 2) they are preschool age and preschools here are mostly private which is very expensive for locals ($40/term); or 3) FVA has yet to be able to secure a sponsor for their school. Often we are working with youngsters who need the most basic of lessons (123s and ABCs). To the outside viewer you might say “But Nicole/Kaitlyn, the ABCs must be so easy to teach!” Remember – these are children who have NEVER been in an educational setting. They have never had to sit still and listen to a teacher. Also – many of them have illiterate parents, so the hope of giving them lessons that they can practice outside the classroom is minimal.

So, it brings us back to policy. RA1 has had a general distaste in her mouth for the American educational system (inflated college tuition, no child left behind, etcetera) but it took coming to Rwanda to realize that although our system is lacking – it is beneficial in so many ways. In America you learn to learn from a very early age. Costs are – for the most part – minimal for a public school education. Going to school is a requirement, not a privilege (perhaps we can move this progressive view of education over to healthcare……but that’s another blog update entirely) and there are legal repercussions for the PARENTS who don’t ensure their children are in school.

Perhaps America doesn’t have it all right, but being in a country like Rwanda where the spirit of the people is indomitable but so many areas need so much work, makes me appreciate America. It has also reinforced the fact that, to me, education is the way out. Education is the tool for a civilized society, an economically advanced society and a place where democracy is unavoidable. Smart people don’t stand for bad policies or corrupt politicians. Illiterate and uneducated people have no capital to fight back with.

We're Back!

Ok - we didn't actually leave. It's been raining a lot in Kigali, so we've been a little lazy on the internet cafe trips. HOWEVER! there are many fun updates planned over the next couple days and many of them will include multiple photos.

But - as we like to do because we love our followers - here's a quick photo update for you!

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1847532024/a=1844700024_1844700024/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/