Here's a quick run-down of what I've been getting up to in Butare over the past few days. We have been focussing on developing RVCP's strategy - our Strategy Development Day has finally been confirmed for the 25th January which is pretty exciting! It's going to be such a vital step-forward for RVCP if we can develop a long-term strategy with them because it not only gives them a common goal that the whole organisation is aware of, it is a great way of securing funding from international partners. A strategy looks professional, shows that the charity has a vision and methods of achieving this vision. With the right planning, our Strategy Development Day could be a real success for RVCP and I'm looking forward to collaborating with the RVCP Committee in developing this document.
Getting people to complete and send over their handover documents is still proving to be a bit of a mission, especially as I'm not entirely sure everyone reads their emails....or their texts for that matter. I sent a total of 70 texts over 5 days to the RVCP Committee members, reminding them to check their mail, reminding them about the Strategy Development Day, reminding them to complete their handover documents...the list goes on. With a limited response (and the fact that my new* phone doesn't save sent messages) I'm not 100% sure people are even receiving the messages, but you can't say I haven't tried...!
*new phone: my phone was stolen on New Years Eve so I spent most of the last day of 2013 in Tigo and various phone shops trying to find the cheapest phone in Butare and to recover my old number, which happens to be my birthday. The result: a bright blue phone costing the princely sum of £8. (The guy in the shop: 'That's a boys phone, it's blue!' Me: 'Great, I'll have it then.' Cue strange looks - gender stereotypes are rarely questioned here!).
With work-related news out of the way, here's the chicken update! (This may become a weekly occurrence). Literally look how beautiful they are!
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| Claudine laid an egg! (Denise provided moral support and cheered her on) |
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| Our evening invasion of chicken. Every evening. |
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| Probably the best action shot ever! |
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| Feeding my girl some porridge for breakfast <3 |
The chickens are probably the best thing that have happened here. They have become so happy and friendly! I get up at 6 every morning now to let them out and give them breakfast (on the mornings they don't just run straight over to the neighbour's house). They have been laying eggs, they join us on the chairs in the house in the evening for a goodnight hug and they keep us entertained when they're running around or dust-bathing in the sun. The neighbours and our housekeeper still think we're insane though...
The other day Libby and I went for a long long walk to the Ruhanda Arboretum at the University campus. It was absolutely beautiful, and we walked for hours under the trees.
When we reached campus and Butare again, we wanted to walk across the valley back home instead of following the road that snakes round the edge. So we found ourselves climbing over crops, scrambling up vertical banks and going through someone's garden before finding ourselves behind the Cathedral. This was all much to the amusement of the farmers in the valley (who were actually very helpful in pointing out when we were going the wrong way!)
The only other update I have is that Libby and I have found ourselves a personal trainer...in the form of this guy on YouTube:
Everyday we do 8 minute arms, abs, buns and legs (AKA 32 minutes of hell). Go team!
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