So I arrived!

After a 8 hour flight to Nairobi (in a huge, empty plane), a connection to Kigali (in a tiny plane), a two-and-a-half hour journey to Butare (in a tiny bus), Libby and I finally made it to the house we will be staying in for the next five or so months. And we have internet!

For those who haven't heard of Rwanda, let alone know where Butare is, here's a map:




Libby and I will be working with Rwanda Village Concept Project (RVCP), a Rwandan student-run charity who run projects in the community which include malaria awareness and prevention, HIV awareness and prevention, gender empowerment and income generation. As long-term volunteers from Bristol Volunteers for Development Abroad, who fund some areas of RVCP, we will be advising RVCP on how to run the charity more efficiently, especially in areas of budgeting, finance plans, long-term strategy and social media. Our aim is to provide RVCP members with skills to secure the charity more external funding and to enhance the sustainability of RVCP, essentially making them less reliant on BVDA.

Now I've explained why I'm here, here's a list of stuff that has happened in the past two days:
- I found out that being woken up at 4am for an in-flight breakfast is the worst way to wake up.
- Libby's guitar made it in one piece HOORAY.
- We arrived at the RVCP house. We have internet. (but only one dongle, which means we can only have internet on one laptop at a time cause we're both useless at setting up Internet Connection Sharing. Will provide updates as to when we finally manage to figure this out...)
- We also have a fridge, but no oven. Priorities! We also have a house-boy, who doesn't speak any English or French but who has already proved very friendly and useful at mending locks and lighting stoves...
- We cook on a charcoal stove outside the house - culinary successes already include rice and vegetables and chapattis.
- We have bunk-beds which is great cause I can store/throw all my stuff on the top bunk instead of the floor!
- I have been sneezing A LOT. Nothing changes!
- It's really hot during the day and the first night we were here it rained really heavily.
- I have had to start learning Kinyan-Rwandan and French, here's an example of my new language skills at the market: 'Combien?' or 'Nangahe?' when pointing at various vegetables. Baby steps!
- Finally, hair update: I have both washed and brushed my hair, but my fringe is driving me crazy already in this heat, so that's going to have to go.

Next time I'll upload some pictures, haven't got round to taking any yet!