dinsdag 30 november 2010
The very last shows
Two weeks ago we went back to the east, to Rwamagana. The last time we were there, screening at a vocational school, we met a British volunteer whom invited us to visit two of the villages he works in. On the way to Rwamagana we did a small excursion with a Rwandese development worker named John whom once gave us a lift in Kigali. John engages the local population in his development work. Together with the local community he decides what is needed in a village and then he trains local leaders for the projects. Besides his development projects John also has a personal tree planting project in the far east, and this is what he wanted to show us. His piece of land is right by the Tanzanian boarder beautifully placed on the top of a reach overlooking the boarder crossing and the rivers. Here he is planting trees and he also dreams of making it into a camping site for tourists, a place where people can completely relax. A baboon family is also living in the area, which gives a safari experience to the place. We got to see them running around the hillside, and when we threw pineapple and bananas at them they came quite close. We got extremely excited and started chasing them with binoculars and cameras, some local children saw us abasungo (white people) running around the hillside and got equally excited and started chasing us. After this exercise (a mix of burning sun and the high altitude make small efforts feel like an intensive exercise) John brought us to the boarder crossing which is a bridge over a waterfall. He also managed to get us over the bridge to the Tanzanian side (yey!). After all of these exciting experiences we headed to Rwamagana.
In Rwamagana we did two successful screenings in two small villages. Between 300 and 400 people came to each screening which were held in churches. A Rwandese volunteer was our speaker and did a good job (we think at least) explaining the audience about HIV/AIDS and gender violence. We also received some nice comments from locals finding the movies both necessary and educational. Once in Rwamagana we seized the opportunity to camp by Lake Muhazi and do a small morning tour on the lake. From Rwamagana we went to Gatagara where we stayed with an American couple that has sold everything they own back home and plan to build a school and a community center in Gatagara. Here we did a screening in a building complex for disabled people. People come from near and far to get the help and equipment they need. Both people staying in the complex and people from the neighboring area came to the screening.
The following day the Americans drove us to Butare where we showed them around the city and ate at an upper class (abasungo) restaurant. We strolled around in the colonial neighborhood from the Belgian era surprised by how well preserved it is. With just a little bit of imagination one can really understand how it was 60 years ago. The following day we did our very last screening in a reconciliation center funded by a Norwegian organization. We did our screening in bright daylight, for a change, and we also received and dance and singing performance. It was a day of mixed feelings, sad about it being our last gig but also happy about the result of the project and of the successful ending.
In Rwamagana we did two successful screenings in two small villages. Between 300 and 400 people came to each screening which were held in churches. A Rwandese volunteer was our speaker and did a good job (we think at least) explaining the audience about HIV/AIDS and gender violence. We also received some nice comments from locals finding the movies both necessary and educational. Once in Rwamagana we seized the opportunity to camp by Lake Muhazi and do a small morning tour on the lake. From Rwamagana we went to Gatagara where we stayed with an American couple that has sold everything they own back home and plan to build a school and a community center in Gatagara. Here we did a screening in a building complex for disabled people. People come from near and far to get the help and equipment they need. Both people staying in the complex and people from the neighboring area came to the screening.
The following day the Americans drove us to Butare where we showed them around the city and ate at an upper class (abasungo) restaurant. We strolled around in the colonial neighborhood from the Belgian era surprised by how well preserved it is. With just a little bit of imagination one can really understand how it was 60 years ago. The following day we did our very last screening in a reconciliation center funded by a Norwegian organization. We did our screening in bright daylight, for a change, and we also received and dance and singing performance. It was a day of mixed feelings, sad about it being our last gig but also happy about the result of the project and of the successful ending.
vrijdag 26 november 2010
Naar het Oosten...
De Reizende Bioscoop heeft ondertussen zijn zevende week afgewerkt. Dit nieuwe hoofdstuk van ons avontuur speelde zich voornamelijk af in het Oosten van Rwanda. Het startte met een trip naar de grens van Tanzania. Deze wordt gevormd door een redelijk onstabiele brug over de Akagera rivier. Vlak naast de brug is er een gigantische waterval die qua schoonheid gemakkelijk de vergelijking met de Niagara kan aangaan. John, een vriendelijke Rwandees die in de buurt een boomaanplanting project heeft, is bevriend met een van de grenswachters. Hierdoor kon het Reizende bioscoopteam van de gelegenheid gebruik maken om -heel even= Tanzania te betreden.
Na al dat genieten moest er natuurlijk ook gewerkt worden. Robert, een Engelse vrijwilliger die wij ontmoet hadden tijdens een eerdere voorstelling, bracht ons in contact met twee afgelegen dorpjes waar we onze filmvoorstelling konden geven. Een pick-up bracht ons telkens naar de kerk van de twee dorpjes. Het was voor ons de eerste keer dat we de Rwandezen op een leuke avond konden trakteren in een kerk. Een lokale organisatie had vooraf affiches opgehangen die ons bezoek aankondigden. Twee dagen op rij konden we elke keer minstens een 400-tal mensen verwelkomen. Eveneens kon een groepslid met de zin ‘het is gratis’ toevallige voorbijgangers overtuigen om soms letterlijk
alles te doen vallen om te komen kijken.
In deze Oostelijke provincie zijn er net zoals elders grote problemen betreffende HIV-AIDS en huiselijk geweld. Deze onderwerpen komen aan bod in onze Rwandese films. We hopen dan ook dat de films een aanzet geven tot reflectie over deze thematieken. Om dit effect te versterken werd ook ditmaal voor en na de film een discussie met het publiek gehouden. Deze keer werden we hierbij geholpen door Ronald een Rwandese vrijwilliger die werkt rond HIV-AIDS preventie. Door niet enkel films te vertonen maar ook te discussiëren met het publiek hopen we dat we een nog grotere impact hebben op de toeschouwers. Afgaande op het enthousiasme, de reacties en de grote toeloop kunnen we
concluderen dat deze week een van de beste is geweest tot nu toe.
Volgende week hebben we nog enkele voorstellingen gepland. Als deze achter de rug zijn is het –voorlopige?- einde van de Reizende bioscoop in zicht.
maandag 22 november 2010
Het relaas van een intense week
Na onze filmvertoning in Ramaregere, een uurtje ten zuiden van Kigali, kregen we het nieuws dat onze geplande screening in Nemba niet kon doorgaan. De lokale verantwoordelijke voor sociale zaken was niet bereikbaar. Een Afrikaans fenomeen!? We hebben wel een nationale toestemming verkregen. Maar daarnaast willen we ook altijd een toestemming krijgen op lokaal niveau.
Tijd op overschot dus. Daarom besloten we vroeger dan gepland te vertrekken naar Banda village. Hier hadden we afgesproken met een tof Amerikaans koppel dat daar werkt voor het Peacecorps, een vrijwilligersorganisatie van de Amerikaanse overheid.
Banda is één van de meest afgelegen dorpjes in Rwanda. Het ligt aan de rand van Nyungwe forrest ( tropische regenwoud in het zuidwesten van Rwanda ). We stapten af aan het bezoekerscentrum ( vanwaar vele toeristen vertrekken op tochten door dit mooie woud ) waar twee stoere Rwandezen ons hebben geholpen met onze bagage naar beneden te dragen. Een prachtige tocht van twee uur met ontmoetingen met enkele aapjes
naar een andere wereld. Er was geen elektriciteit of water. Men had er nog nooit een auto gezien en er waren maar twee moto’s in het ganse dorp. Echter, de mensen zijn er ontzettend vriendelijk. Door enkele technische problemen met de generator is onze voorstelling spijtig genoeg niet kunnen doorgaan. We zijn echter niet bij de pakken blijven zitten en hebben een leuk feestje georganiseerd. Een honderdtal jongeren dansten in het licht van onze zaklampen, die we als spots gebruiken, op muziek die luid uit onze luidsprekers schalde.
Na Banda zijn we verder getrokken richting de Congolese grens naar de stad Cyangugu ( Kamembe ). Deze stad met uitzicht op het Kivumeer en de Congolese stad Bukavu heeft een koloniaal verleden. Fons, één van de groepsleden, kreeg de kans om het huis te bezoeken waar zijn grootouders hadden gewoond ten tijde van Belgisch Kongo. s’ Morgens hebben we ontbeten op enkele meters van de Congolese grens. Je ziet er Congolezen en Rwandezen de brug oversteken die deze twee landen scheidt met allerhande goederen ( eieren op stappels van 2 m hoog, kleine visjes, enz ). Een unieke ervaring.
Eén dag later trokken we verder naar Nkanka alwaar we een fantastische voorstelling hebben gedaan voor een enthousiast publiek van ongeveer 300 Rwandezen.
Tijd op overschot dus. Daarom besloten we vroeger dan gepland te vertrekken naar Banda village. Hier hadden we afgesproken met een tof Amerikaans koppel dat daar werkt voor het Peacecorps, een vrijwilligersorganisatie van de Amerikaanse overheid.
Banda is één van de meest afgelegen dorpjes in Rwanda. Het ligt aan de rand van Nyungwe forrest ( tropische regenwoud in het zuidwesten van Rwanda ). We stapten af aan het bezoekerscentrum ( vanwaar vele toeristen vertrekken op tochten door dit mooie woud ) waar twee stoere Rwandezen ons hebben geholpen met onze bagage naar beneden te dragen. Een prachtige tocht van twee uur met ontmoetingen met enkele aapjes
naar een andere wereld. Er was geen elektriciteit of water. Men had er nog nooit een auto gezien en er waren maar twee moto’s in het ganse dorp. Echter, de mensen zijn er ontzettend vriendelijk. Door enkele technische problemen met de generator is onze voorstelling spijtig genoeg niet kunnen doorgaan. We zijn echter niet bij de pakken blijven zitten en hebben een leuk feestje georganiseerd. Een honderdtal jongeren dansten in het licht van onze zaklampen, die we als spots gebruiken, op muziek die luid uit onze luidsprekers schalde.
Na Banda zijn we verder getrokken richting de Congolese grens naar de stad Cyangugu ( Kamembe ). Deze stad met uitzicht op het Kivumeer en de Congolese stad Bukavu heeft een koloniaal verleden. Fons, één van de groepsleden, kreeg de kans om het huis te bezoeken waar zijn grootouders hadden gewoond ten tijde van Belgisch Kongo. s’ Morgens hebben we ontbeten op enkele meters van de Congolese grens. Je ziet er Congolezen en Rwandezen de brug oversteken die deze twee landen scheidt met allerhande goederen ( eieren op stappels van 2 m hoog, kleine visjes, enz ). Een unieke ervaring.
Eén dag later trokken we verder naar Nkanka alwaar we een fantastische voorstelling hebben gedaan voor een enthousiast publiek van ongeveer 300 Rwandezen.
Reflections underway
By travelling around Rwanda with our mobile cinema we have learned much about the country and her challenges. Rwanda seems to be a relatively unique country in the African context, especially concerning safety and the fight against corruption. We have for example not ended up in any situation were we did not feel safe. Moreover, no police officers and authority figures have tried to bribe us. It also needs to be emphasized that we have travelled a great deal, visited cities and tiny villages, and been in contact with quite a few authority figures. The President also seems to be genuinely interested in the development of the country and its people, though this is difficult for an outsider to judge. Despite these positive remarks, throughout our stay we have become aware of various challenges the country faces. We have met Western volunteers, visited local organizations and businesses, and also various health centers. We have also spent time in villages and talked with local people.
Awareness concerning family planning is urgently needed. The government has recently started a family planning campaign which is reinforced in the new seven year strategy plan. Families have too many children, often between five and ten. This results in many mouths to feed for an already impoverished population, and children often end up malnourished. In both Munini and Banda village we visited initiatives which focused on the treatment of malnourished children. At the hospital in Munini we learned that mothers that frequently give birth often end up neglecting the younger children still in the need of care when a new baby is born. Big families are partly an outcome of a negative attitude towards birth control. Many think that hormonal birth control makes women go crazy, and condoms are also not popular to use. Some women receive the three month injection because they want to have fewer children and because it is easy to hide from their husbands. Because of this skepticism towards hormonal birth control organizations also try to promote natural birth control by teaching women about their menstrual cycle and fertility peaks. Large families put pressure on an already densely populated country. Rwanda is 26 000 square km with a population of over 10 million of whom almost everyone are farmers. The need for fertile ground is immense and ever growing. Almost all forests outside the national parks have been cut for land and fire wood, which is devastating for the global climate and also leads to local erosion. More efficient agriculture is therefore needed to feed the growing population.
Another challenge Rwanda faces is the empowerment of woman and the fight against gender based violence. An ongoing African campaign tries to tackle the problem of domestic violence. In two of the villages we have visited two women were beaten by their husband right before and during our visit. Volunteers report that men beating their wife is a serious problem in their villages and that local police officers often do not take the claims of the women seriously. One volunteer said that she often have to accompany women to the police station in order to get the desired response. Another volunteer could tell us that an injured lady in the need of stitching was sent away from the local hospital because she could not afford to pay for the treatment. In some of the villages we visited we have screened a film on gender based violence which many people have appreciated and many have expressed the need for such awareness building.
HIV/AIDS is of course another major challenge. The official number of people with HIV is three percent of the population. Other sources however report a significantly higher number, around 13 percent. We travel around with two films concerning HIV. One of the films is educational, focusing on how one can get infected and also how you cannot get infected, thereby killing some common myths. The film also focuses on how people can live healthy lives with HIV. The importance of using condoms is of course also mentioned. People with no stable relationship, but with frequent sex partners often do not use condoms, resulting in a rapid spread of the disease. Men cheating on their wife and thereby infecting their partner with HIV are also a problem according to a Peace Corps volunteer. When women give birth both the man and the woman needs to take an HIV test, which makes it a little easier to spot such cases.
For us it has been a nice experience to be a small part of this important awareness building. It is very interesting to see how all the efforts the volunteers put into tackling these problems seems to lead -little by little- to some progress.
Awareness concerning family planning is urgently needed. The government has recently started a family planning campaign which is reinforced in the new seven year strategy plan. Families have too many children, often between five and ten. This results in many mouths to feed for an already impoverished population, and children often end up malnourished. In both Munini and Banda village we visited initiatives which focused on the treatment of malnourished children. At the hospital in Munini we learned that mothers that frequently give birth often end up neglecting the younger children still in the need of care when a new baby is born. Big families are partly an outcome of a negative attitude towards birth control. Many think that hormonal birth control makes women go crazy, and condoms are also not popular to use. Some women receive the three month injection because they want to have fewer children and because it is easy to hide from their husbands. Because of this skepticism towards hormonal birth control organizations also try to promote natural birth control by teaching women about their menstrual cycle and fertility peaks. Large families put pressure on an already densely populated country. Rwanda is 26 000 square km with a population of over 10 million of whom almost everyone are farmers. The need for fertile ground is immense and ever growing. Almost all forests outside the national parks have been cut for land and fire wood, which is devastating for the global climate and also leads to local erosion. More efficient agriculture is therefore needed to feed the growing population.
Another challenge Rwanda faces is the empowerment of woman and the fight against gender based violence. An ongoing African campaign tries to tackle the problem of domestic violence. In two of the villages we have visited two women were beaten by their husband right before and during our visit. Volunteers report that men beating their wife is a serious problem in their villages and that local police officers often do not take the claims of the women seriously. One volunteer said that she often have to accompany women to the police station in order to get the desired response. Another volunteer could tell us that an injured lady in the need of stitching was sent away from the local hospital because she could not afford to pay for the treatment. In some of the villages we visited we have screened a film on gender based violence which many people have appreciated and many have expressed the need for such awareness building.
HIV/AIDS is of course another major challenge. The official number of people with HIV is three percent of the population. Other sources however report a significantly higher number, around 13 percent. We travel around with two films concerning HIV. One of the films is educational, focusing on how one can get infected and also how you cannot get infected, thereby killing some common myths. The film also focuses on how people can live healthy lives with HIV. The importance of using condoms is of course also mentioned. People with no stable relationship, but with frequent sex partners often do not use condoms, resulting in a rapid spread of the disease. Men cheating on their wife and thereby infecting their partner with HIV are also a problem according to a Peace Corps volunteer. When women give birth both the man and the woman needs to take an HIV test, which makes it a little easier to spot such cases.
For us it has been a nice experience to be a small part of this important awareness building. It is very interesting to see how all the efforts the volunteers put into tackling these problems seems to lead -little by little- to some progress.
maandag 15 november 2010
This is Africa...
The past week did not go on as planned. We had planned to do a joint initiative with an employee of the Rwanda Cinema Center, the organization that we borrow films from. The guy is very interested in the Batwa minority and their culture. The Mobile Cinema wanted to do a screening in a Batwa community since the group is impoverished. We therefore decided to join our efforts and set up a movie night and a small film initiative were the people themselves would be invited to make simple short films. However, the day before our planned departure we got to know that the Batwa community we wanted to visit had been moved. This was of course sad news for us and our planned schedule, but the saddest part of the story is that it illustrates well how deprived the Batwa people in Rwanda are. They have been forced out of the forest and now they are being moved around the country.
Peace Corps volunteers have showed a great interest in our project and invited us to villages all over Rwanda. Because of a full schedule we have had to turn some of the offers down. The recent cancellation gave us the opportunity to visit a Peace Corps volunteer and his village located 45 minutes south of Kigali, and do our first real outdoor screening. Just a few raindrops came down, we were quite lucky in other words. The following planned screening that week also had to be cancelled because our contact person could not get a hold of the district officer and therefore could not arrange a permit (we always need a permit from the local office in each village to do our screening). The officer in charge had left the village and could not be reached by phone. Another silly cancellation. We did not manage to find a replacement for this screening, we therefore ended up going back to our house in Gitarama, and we also decided to leave earlier to the next planned site; the Banda Village in the Nyungwe forest.
Banda is the most remote village we have visited so far. There is no electricity and running water, and the village just recently received cell phone coverage. Moreover, there are no cars either, only two motorcycles in a village of 6000 people. With this pre-knowledge about the Banda community we were quite excited to visit the village with our mobile cinema. Naturally, we were also a bit curious to how it would be to stay in such a place, and we prepared for a few days of simple living. After 3 ½ hours in a bus we were put off in the middle of the forest. Two of us continued the journey on motorcycles while the rest went by foot. The ride/walk down to the village was amazing; high mountains, hills, the rain forest and local people carrying goods up and down the mountain side. At the foot of the mountain we were in the most authentic, rural village none of us had ever been in. The village has a center with small shops and an open space for market days when people in the village come to sell some of their crops. Houses and fields are scattered around the center and everything is connected by small paths and some larger dirt roads. Most of the people in the village are poor farmers, but they still take pride in their community and their houses, which makes the village beautiful in its own unique way.
Two Peace Corps volunteers and a development organization named Kageno are active in Banda. Kageno is trying to develop the village by empowering the people through education and small business initiatives (www.kageno.org). While in the village we got to stay in the Kageno guest house which comes with a cleaning/cooking lady and a battery (charged by power from a nearby waterfall) powering light bulbs. Our stay in Banda therefore ended up surprisingly comfortable. The two Peace Corps volunteers, a married couple fro, Arizona, took well care of us and the villagers were friendly and open, so we really had an amazing time in Banda village.
After a few days of enjoying we were excited about giving something back to the people. Because of lack electricity we would power our equipment with the barbers’ generator. We set up our equipment in the community building (built by Kageno), turned on the generator and were ready to start the show. But instead of the movie starting smoke came out of the DVD player. Out of fear of completely ruining our equipment with the generator we decided not to continue trying. To make up for the failed movie night we invited everyone for a dance party. We were all disappointed, but the party was a lot of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy.
By the way, we have been able to test our equipment with normal electricity and it luckily works, the Mobile Cinema can therefore keep on rolling. From Banda we hitch hiked on to Nkanka, a village close to Cyangugu and Lake Kivu. On our way we made a one day stop in the city where we enjoyed the view of the lake as well as the Congolese city of Bukavu. The boarder with Congo is simply a tiny bridge over the lake. Congolese and Rwandese people cross the bridge all day long, moving goods (including completely white eggs) from one country to the other. In the next English update you will hear more about our stay in Nkanka and some other upcoming visits.
Peace Corps volunteers have showed a great interest in our project and invited us to villages all over Rwanda. Because of a full schedule we have had to turn some of the offers down. The recent cancellation gave us the opportunity to visit a Peace Corps volunteer and his village located 45 minutes south of Kigali, and do our first real outdoor screening. Just a few raindrops came down, we were quite lucky in other words. The following planned screening that week also had to be cancelled because our contact person could not get a hold of the district officer and therefore could not arrange a permit (we always need a permit from the local office in each village to do our screening). The officer in charge had left the village and could not be reached by phone. Another silly cancellation. We did not manage to find a replacement for this screening, we therefore ended up going back to our house in Gitarama, and we also decided to leave earlier to the next planned site; the Banda Village in the Nyungwe forest.
Banda is the most remote village we have visited so far. There is no electricity and running water, and the village just recently received cell phone coverage. Moreover, there are no cars either, only two motorcycles in a village of 6000 people. With this pre-knowledge about the Banda community we were quite excited to visit the village with our mobile cinema. Naturally, we were also a bit curious to how it would be to stay in such a place, and we prepared for a few days of simple living. After 3 ½ hours in a bus we were put off in the middle of the forest. Two of us continued the journey on motorcycles while the rest went by foot. The ride/walk down to the village was amazing; high mountains, hills, the rain forest and local people carrying goods up and down the mountain side. At the foot of the mountain we were in the most authentic, rural village none of us had ever been in. The village has a center with small shops and an open space for market days when people in the village come to sell some of their crops. Houses and fields are scattered around the center and everything is connected by small paths and some larger dirt roads. Most of the people in the village are poor farmers, but they still take pride in their community and their houses, which makes the village beautiful in its own unique way.
Two Peace Corps volunteers and a development organization named Kageno are active in Banda. Kageno is trying to develop the village by empowering the people through education and small business initiatives (www.kageno.org). While in the village we got to stay in the Kageno guest house which comes with a cleaning/cooking lady and a battery (charged by power from a nearby waterfall) powering light bulbs. Our stay in Banda therefore ended up surprisingly comfortable. The two Peace Corps volunteers, a married couple fro, Arizona, took well care of us and the villagers were friendly and open, so we really had an amazing time in Banda village.
After a few days of enjoying we were excited about giving something back to the people. Because of lack electricity we would power our equipment with the barbers’ generator. We set up our equipment in the community building (built by Kageno), turned on the generator and were ready to start the show. But instead of the movie starting smoke came out of the DVD player. Out of fear of completely ruining our equipment with the generator we decided not to continue trying. To make up for the failed movie night we invited everyone for a dance party. We were all disappointed, but the party was a lot of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy.
By the way, we have been able to test our equipment with normal electricity and it luckily works, the Mobile Cinema can therefore keep on rolling. From Banda we hitch hiked on to Nkanka, a village close to Cyangugu and Lake Kivu. On our way we made a one day stop in the city where we enjoyed the view of the lake as well as the Congolese city of Bukavu. The boarder with Congo is simply a tiny bridge over the lake. Congolese and Rwandese people cross the bridge all day long, moving goods (including completely white eggs) from one country to the other. In the next English update you will hear more about our stay in Nkanka and some other upcoming visits.
we trekken verder...
De reizende cinema is deze week naar Mageregere afgezakt. Dat ligt een
uur rijden buiten Nyamibramo; een bekende en ook beruchte wijk in
Kigali. Maar hierover later meer. We hadden er een contact met
Malcolm; een Afro-Amerikaanse Peace Corps vrijwilliger. Malcolm werkt
als gezondheidsmedewerker in het plaatselijke gezondheidscentrum. Hij
werkt er rond de HIV/AIDS problematiek. Daarnaast hoorden we van
mensen uit de lokale gemeenschap dat geweld tegen vrouwen ook een
belangrijk probleem is. Daardoor beslisten we om de programmatie van
onze cinema-avond aan te passen. We toonden een film over
HIV-besmetting en een over partnergeweld. Een 300-tal toeschouwers
konden genieten van een openluchtvertoning. Er waren ook veel
toevallige passanten. Busjes en motortaxi's hielden halt en mensen
stapten af om te genieten van onze voorstelling.
Tijdens onze terugkeer passeerden we de wijk Nyamirambo die gekend
staat voor de vele artiesten die er wonen; maar jammer genoeg maakten
we ook kennis met iets anders waarvoor deze volkswijk bekend staat. De
GSM van een van onze teamleden werd er door een vrouw gestolen in een
klein busje. Dit was niet zozeer een probleem voor onze contacten in
Rwanda omdat we in een boek alles dubbel genoteerd hadden. Het
emotionele verlies was echter niet te onderschatten. We belden
geregeld naar het gestolen nummer; maar we kregen geen gehoor. Twee
dagen later belde de dief naar België naar de moeder van het
ongelukkige teamlid. Na veel over en weer bellen werd een afspraak
gemaakt met de dief om de GSM terug te kopen. Een jonge man en een
oude vrouw overhandigden de GSM na een ongeloofwaardig verhaaltje te
hebben opgedist over hoe ze hem "gevonden" hadden en hoeveel moeite ze
wel hadden moeten doen om de GSM terug te bezorgen. Een eerlijke dief
zowaar!
De rest van de week verliep redelijk rustig. Een geplande screening
kon niet doorgaan aangezien onze contactpersoon ter plaatse geen
toestemming had kunnen verkrijgen bij de lokale autoriteiten. We
keerden dus terug naar Gitarama voor twee dagen 'vakantie'. Deze tijd
hebben we nuttig ingevuld door de Gentse dokter Piet te bezoeken die
het hoofd is van de oogkliniek in het bekende ziekenhuis van Kabgayi.
We maakten er enkele oogoperaties mee. Piet deed gemiddeld 40
operaties per dag en Katarakt bleek het voornaamste probleem te zijn.
Met mes en scalpel in een oogbol peuteren bleek een niet al te
appetijtelijke zaak te zijn en een groepslid werd even onwel in het
operatiekwartier. Gelukkig was er een dokter in de buurt. En wat voor
een! Het is moeilijk om bewondering onder stoelen of banken te steken
voor een man die het gezichtsvermogen van ongeveer 3000 Rwandezen
heeft kunnen herstellen
Het team is door de afgezegde afspraak vroeger naar Cyangugu getrokken
voor de volgende screening. Deze grote stad achter het Nyungwe
regenwoud ligt tegenover Bukavu in Oost-Congo. Voor onze eerste
vertoning zullen we anderhalf uur door de jungle moeten lopen om tot
onze bestemming te geraken. Als u volgende week geen column meer kan
lezen verwittig dan aub de Belgische ambassade. Bedankt!
vrijdag 5 november 2010
Ergens aan de oevers van het Kivumeer
Na een weekendje welverdiende rust is het reizende cinemateam weer in actie geschoten. Voor vijf dagen zijn we afgezakt naar het weeshuis l’Esperance dat gelegen is aan de oevers van het prachtige Kivumeer. Het biedt onderdak aan 127 kinderen, en ook tijdelijk voor ons, en het deed ons al van de eerste minuut verbazen. In tegenstelling tot wat vele mensen over weeshuizen denken was dit een allesbehalve triestige plaats. Een Belgische dame had ons op het vliegtuig naar Rwanda in contact gebracht met Victor. Deze enthousiaste Guatemalteek heeft vijf jaar geleden de leiding van dit weeshuis op zich genomen en dit op een wonderbaarlijke manier.
Tijdens de rondleiding die we bij onze aankomst kregen, bleek al snel dat deze man met veel creativiteit en inzet een oplossing gevonden had voor vele praktische problemen waarmee weeshuizen in de derde wereld te maken hebben. Voor de verschillende noden die ontstaan bij dagelijkse taken zoals koken en opruimen bleek men intelligente oplossingen gevonden te hebben. Zo zorgt een UV-waterfilter op batterijen er voor dat de kinderen proper water kunnen drinken. Het was opvallend hoeveel steun Victor en zijn team wisten aan te wenden om zulke zaken te realiseren, ook vanuit België. Verder had een Amerikaanse ingenieur -zeer tot onzer tevredenheid- een ingenieuze douche en toilet ontworpen. Victor is er ook in geslaagd om de NASA ervan te overtuigen om een CD van het kinderkoor van het weeshuis in de ruimte te brengen. Daarnaast hebben ingenieurs er een unieke oven gemaakt die maar liefst 85% minder hout verbruikt.
Voor ons was het dan ook een plezier om twee filmvoorstellingen te kunnen organiseren voor de kinderen. Tijdens de tweede voorstelling werden ook de mensen uit de buurt uitgenodigd. Aangezien we toch vijf dagen ter plaatse waren besloten we nog een derde voorstelling te organiseren in een middelbare school in de buurt. Daar kwamen ongeveer 250 mensen op af. Na de voorstelling ontstonden er enkele schermutselingen tussen de studenten waardoor we snel moesten opruimen en onder escorte zijn vertrokken in de open laadruimte van een truck.
Uiteraard was er voor ons ook tijd om te genieten van het prachtige landschap. Het weeshuis had enkele kano’s, uitgeholde boomstammen, waarmee we een tocht in een baai van het Kivumeer maakten. De volgende dag maakten we een trektocht in het tropische woud. Michiel en Fons hadden hierbij het geluk om een kolonie apen waar te nemen. Tijdens onze wandeling zagen we zoals op vele andere plaatsen in het land dat de natuur door erosie en ontbossing ernstige schade heeft opgelopen.
De vijf dagen die we doorbrachten op deze unieke plaats waren voor ons een onvergetelijke belevenis. We kregen er een grote dosis nieuwe energie voor het verdere verloop van ons project. In onze agenda, die nu volledig volgeboekt is, staan hopelijk nog meer van deze inspirerende plaatsen op ons te wachten.
Tijdens de rondleiding die we bij onze aankomst kregen, bleek al snel dat deze man met veel creativiteit en inzet een oplossing gevonden had voor vele praktische problemen waarmee weeshuizen in de derde wereld te maken hebben. Voor de verschillende noden die ontstaan bij dagelijkse taken zoals koken en opruimen bleek men intelligente oplossingen gevonden te hebben. Zo zorgt een UV-waterfilter op batterijen er voor dat de kinderen proper water kunnen drinken. Het was opvallend hoeveel steun Victor en zijn team wisten aan te wenden om zulke zaken te realiseren, ook vanuit België. Verder had een Amerikaanse ingenieur -zeer tot onzer tevredenheid- een ingenieuze douche en toilet ontworpen. Victor is er ook in geslaagd om de NASA ervan te overtuigen om een CD van het kinderkoor van het weeshuis in de ruimte te brengen. Daarnaast hebben ingenieurs er een unieke oven gemaakt die maar liefst 85% minder hout verbruikt.
Voor ons was het dan ook een plezier om twee filmvoorstellingen te kunnen organiseren voor de kinderen. Tijdens de tweede voorstelling werden ook de mensen uit de buurt uitgenodigd. Aangezien we toch vijf dagen ter plaatse waren besloten we nog een derde voorstelling te organiseren in een middelbare school in de buurt. Daar kwamen ongeveer 250 mensen op af. Na de voorstelling ontstonden er enkele schermutselingen tussen de studenten waardoor we snel moesten opruimen en onder escorte zijn vertrokken in de open laadruimte van een truck.
Uiteraard was er voor ons ook tijd om te genieten van het prachtige landschap. Het weeshuis had enkele kano’s, uitgeholde boomstammen, waarmee we een tocht in een baai van het Kivumeer maakten. De volgende dag maakten we een trektocht in het tropische woud. Michiel en Fons hadden hierbij het geluk om een kolonie apen waar te nemen. Tijdens onze wandeling zagen we zoals op vele andere plaatsen in het land dat de natuur door erosie en ontbossing ernstige schade heeft opgelopen.
De vijf dagen die we doorbrachten op deze unieke plaats waren voor ons een onvergetelijke belevenis. We kregen er een grote dosis nieuwe energie voor het verdere verloop van ons project. In onze agenda, die nu volledig volgeboekt is, staan hopelijk nog meer van deze inspirerende plaatsen op ons te wachten.
dinsdag 2 november 2010
East and West
Rwanda is a great place to visit! We are having a lot of fun with our mobile cinema, which has taken us to many beautiful places. It has also brought us in contact with numerous interesting people, both Rwandese and foreigners. Last week we visited a vocational centre (a school where youth can learn a craft, mainly mechanics and tailoring) in the east of the country. The centre is beautifully placed in a small village in between banana trees and fields of crops, and it is also close to Lake Muhazi. The staff and students at the school took well care of us. They donated the kindergarten to our use, prepared food for us, came with us for a hike and went out to eat with us. In the evening of the day after our arrival we set up the cinema in the mechanics hall, and students, teachers and neighbors came to watch. The atmosphere was good and the number of people relatively high despite the pouring rain.
After a few days of rest and re-packing in Gitarama we headed west towards Lake Kivu and an orphanage close to Kibuye. From Kibuye we rented a bus which drove us up the hills on a dirt road following the lake. The view was stunning, while the same cannot be said about the comfort. An hour and a half, and five soar buts later we reached our goal. We understood quite fast that we had not come to an average Rwandese orphanage. At first glance it looked clean, organized and colorful. The orphanage L’Esperance is run by a creative Guatemalan guy and hosts at the moment 127 children, from newborn babies to older youth. Most of the children have lost their parents to the AIDS epidemic and to malaria. Some women also die when giving birth, and some of the older children are victims of the genocide. Volunteers from all over the world (NASA, Engineers without Boarders just to name a few) have contributed in making the orphanage high-tech (internet access, low consuming stoves etc.), sanitary (water purification system) and nice looking (colorful buildings, playgrounds).
The orphanage overlooks Lake Kivu and the Congolese city of Goma is visible of the other side. In the evening it is even possible too see the Nyiaragongo volcano in action. We ate all our meals outdoor overlooking this landscape - magical. Apart from eating and drinking well we had the opportunity to go hiking, swim in the lake, play with the children and learn more about the orphanage and the people there. Some of us even managed to spot a colony of monkeys. Of course, in between all this fun we also had to do our cinema thing. We set up two movie evenings in the orphanage. The first one for staff and children, and for the second one neighbors were invited as well. We also decided to do a third screening in a neighboring village. Most people are very happy to see films in their own language concerning social topics they can relate to. The movies we have on HIV-AIDS are particularly popular.
After a few days of rest and re-packing in Gitarama we headed west towards Lake Kivu and an orphanage close to Kibuye. From Kibuye we rented a bus which drove us up the hills on a dirt road following the lake. The view was stunning, while the same cannot be said about the comfort. An hour and a half, and five soar buts later we reached our goal. We understood quite fast that we had not come to an average Rwandese orphanage. At first glance it looked clean, organized and colorful. The orphanage L’Esperance is run by a creative Guatemalan guy and hosts at the moment 127 children, from newborn babies to older youth. Most of the children have lost their parents to the AIDS epidemic and to malaria. Some women also die when giving birth, and some of the older children are victims of the genocide. Volunteers from all over the world (NASA, Engineers without Boarders just to name a few) have contributed in making the orphanage high-tech (internet access, low consuming stoves etc.), sanitary (water purification system) and nice looking (colorful buildings, playgrounds).
The orphanage overlooks Lake Kivu and the Congolese city of Goma is visible of the other side. In the evening it is even possible too see the Nyiaragongo volcano in action. We ate all our meals outdoor overlooking this landscape - magical. Apart from eating and drinking well we had the opportunity to go hiking, swim in the lake, play with the children and learn more about the orphanage and the people there. Some of us even managed to spot a colony of monkeys. Of course, in between all this fun we also had to do our cinema thing. We set up two movie evenings in the orphanage. The first one for staff and children, and for the second one neighbors were invited as well. We also decided to do a third screening in a neighboring village. Most people are very happy to see films in their own language concerning social topics they can relate to. The movies we have on HIV-AIDS are particularly popular.
Abonneren op:
Reacties (Atom)