First day with the children...

Today was a great day.   Up at 6:30 am to have breakfast and off to the Preschool for 8 am.  I walked with Joe and Emmanuel and it was a 45 minute walk, seeing daily life begin, children going to school and people on their way to work –on foot and on bicycles.  People are curious because you are white but they are pleasant and greet you.  Children come up to you for a hug – just because.....Along the way we met children from PREFER Preschool and by the time we got there, we all had children holding our hands.  Every classroom welcomed me which was so sweet and recited their ABC’s and 123’s.  They so cute.

I spent most of the morning with the little ones – two adults and more than 30 children.  To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement but they are so eager to learn and it was great fun.  There are no behaviour problems because their parents are very strict and they all do as they are told. Imagine... All the children get Sorghum which is a mixture like poridge and also freshly baked bread for snack and then again before they go home at 12 noon.  The bread is baked on site.

After a delicious and healthy lunch at home until 2 pm we returned to school for the adult English class. I helped Emmanuel teach directions, east, west, north and south, left and right.  There were about six in the class and they have English classes on Monday and Thursday.  They were so wonderful, asking me about my life in Canada and about my family.  These people have so little but they are happy and always smiling – thanking me for coming to Rwanda. 

Apparently Rwanda is making so much progress in the past few years with a really great President, Paul  Kagame.  He wants all children to go to school and supports education.  There are now laws against Domestic Violence and Child Abuse.  Where I am in Musanze, is very safe, although I am not venturing out alone as that is very silly – not because people will be violent but because they are curious.  If you are white, they assume you are wealthy.....and compared to them, I guess I am.  I love the simplicity of life here – as I did in Tanzania last year. 

More in a couple of days....internet is a challenge.....