Competition Entries

So it has been about two months since we parted ways with our team and headed back to our homes in the UK and Kigali, since then we have all been super busy with studying, work and David leading his second team of volunteers.

This week Tearfund launched their #reasontosmile photo competition, and two of our team members Chinwe and Rachel have entered photos that really mean a lot to them about their time out in Rwanda.

It would be really fantastic if you could vote for these photos, as they hold such dear places in our hearts and really sum up what the trip meant to us.

#reasontosmile Chinwe's Entry

To vote for Chinwe's photo follow this link - #reasontosmile Chinwe's Entry

#reasontosmile Rachel's Entry

To vote for Rachel's photo follow this link - #reasontosmile Rachel's Entry

We really hope these photos give you a reason to smile, just as much as they give us a reason to smile!!

Thank you for all of your support throughout our trip - we had a totally fantastic time and we hope that these photos demonstrate that!

To find out what our team leader David has been doing with his second team of ICS volunteers go check out their blog at - Kigali Autumn Team 2014

Picture of the Day 15/09/2014

We have now come to the very very end of our placement - thanks for sticking with us for so long!! Our time in Kigali has been life changing and we have learnt so much. We really hope that we have inspired you to 'Challenge yourself to change your world'!

From left to right - Claire, Rachel, Henry, Beth, Sam, Vicky, David and Chinwe!!

Lots of love Kigali Dream Team July to September 2014 xxx

Our Kigali Highlights

We have now come to the end of our Tearfund ICS placement, partnering with AEE based in Kigali City. We have had some of the best ten weeks of our lives; doing our project work, creating relationships with the staff, living together, celebrating birthdays and just generally having adventures.

SO we thought, what better way to end our trip than to celebrate all of our team highlights!!

Gasabo Mission Outreach:

Our entire team loved this day - leading the children in Sunday school, playing games with them after church. It was the first time we had done any work with children and having such a positive reaction from both the children and their leaders was fantastic, and a great encouragement!! We loved getting to dance with members of the community and see numerous choirs perform.  It was an honour being asked to come up and pray for people - it was one of the first times we felt we had truly integrated with a community.

Mission Outreach Blog Post

Moving in Day!!

We were sad to be leaving our friends from orientation however, our first day in the AEE guest house was full of laughter and joy as we couldn't wait to get started with the work and really get stuck in to the reason we came out here and joined ICS in the first place.  Further we were also so excited to properly bond as a team and live together - deciding who was sharing with who etc...

The First time the Staff Meeting was held in English:

This was one the best moments of the entire trip. Prior to our English lessons the staff were unable to communicate effectively in English and required a translator at all times. However after a couple of lessons their language skills improved dramatically and they were able to hold the meeting in English!! This was a great reinforcement that what we were doing was worthwhile and was having a positive impact. Post this and with more lessons the staff were able to hold a fully fledged debate in English during our last week.

AEE English Lessons Blog

Feeling like a Part of the Team:

We loved the way we were taken around the see all of the self-help groups and the projects that AEE were a part of - it really made us feel like part of the team that they wanted to share all of their work with us. Also the way that they included us in the staff meetings was lovely and how they were so genuinely interested in what we had been up to during our week and weekend.

Going out for Dinner:

We loved all our hangouts as a team, visiting different restaurants, experiencing new sorts of food. We even introduced Henry and David to the delights of Mexican food by taking them to Meze Fresh. We always had so much fun; laughing, joking, messing around, telling stories.

Climbing Mount Kigali:

We climbed Mount Kigali as a team - and although we didn't find the cafe at the top and it took rather longer than we expected. We had a fantastic time working together as a team, telling stories, encouraging each other and hanging out. We got down just at the rain began to start - lucky timing!! As a team we really showed how strong and determined we are through climbing Mount Kigali.

Conquering Mountains in Kigali

Celebrating Chinwe's Birthday:

Chinwe turned 20 whilst we were out in Rwanda and to celebrate her birthday we threw a party with popcorn, samosas (her fave!!) and cake. We were fortunate enough to be able to borrow some speakers and we all had a fantastic evening dancing and singing with friends. We were so happy that Chinwe enjoyed the evening  and thought that it was a fitting celebration for a 20th birthday.

Hanging out as Team:

All the nights that we hung out together: watching films, playing cards, playing murder in the dark and mafia. Nothing got the Dream Team going like a heated game of charades and the name in the hat!! So many nights were spent laughing and joking about that it would be too difficult to pick a favourite!

Picture of the Day 14/09/2014

Today our UKVs fly home to England! We wish them a safe journey; they will be sorely missed. We have become our own little family out here in Kigali, and made some fantastic friends!

Two of our UKVs will be flying to Kenya and then onto Heathrow, and the other two will be flying to Amsterdam and ending in Heathrow!

Picture of the Day 13/09/2014

We spent today at de-brief presenting back to the other teams what we have been doing during our placement and hearing all the exciting things that they have been getting up to across Rwanda!!!

It was so lovely seeing everybody again - but can't believe we all go home tomorrow!!

Conquering Mountains in Kigali

Conquering Mountains in Kigali By Rachel Garner

This is the third piece written by Rachel for her local newspaper The Brentwood Gazette!

What does it feel like knowing you’re going to be living and working with complete strangers for ten weeks? Honestly petrifying. I have to tell you for the entire week before my ICS placement I was racked with dread, uncertainty and at points convinced I wouldn’t be able to do it. A mammoth sized task lay before me – to immerse myself into an entirely new culture, with entirely new people for ten weeks and come out the other side unscathed.

It felt as if there was a ticking time bomb to judgement day.  Are they going to accept me? Will they like me? Am I really strong enough and mature enough to handle this? These thoughts were just the first of many challenges I would face during my time in Kigali. Challenges that felt like immovable mountains; too huge to face on your own. And then I realised something crucial – I don’t have to tackle these on my own. We are all part of one team! Team Kigali 2014 – international development volunteers, planners extrordinaires and mountain conquerors! Together we could achieve anything, and we proved that many times.

Some of the team on Mount Kigali with our lovely little guides!

Last Saturday we took a team trip to Mount Kigali. The plan was 45 minutes of climbing, finished off with a celebratory coffee and breath taking views. But in true “Team Kigali” fashion the plan went straight out of the window!  We actually spent about 2.5 hours climbing through densely packed forest, and we NEVER found that coffee shop. (Rwandan coffee is rather special).

Beautiful flower en-route up the mountain.

From an outsiders’ perspective this was a pretty rubbish day; lots of strenuous effort with no tangible reward. Yet this was one of my favourite days of the entire trip. We demonstrated how strong we were as a team; relying on each other to make it up steep hills right to the very top. We spent the day laughing, taking pictures, telling stories and revelling in each other’s company. When we reached the top we were proud – we’d achieved something to be genuinely proud of.

Some of the fantastic views we were lucky to see!!

It’s a good metaphor for our entire time in Kigali; trial after trial, not quite achieving what we set out to achieve but realising we’d actually achieved something else - something much more worthwhile. I never expected it to be easy, but I did have a glossy magazine view of volunteering. Take part in a few projects; snap some pics, tadah world saved! From an outsiders’ perspective what we have done is exert copious amounts of energy to no obvious avail.

But all these tests made us stronger, better, and more mature people. They demonstrated our personal strengths and weaknesses; allowed us to adapt as a team, to accommodate each other. Personally, I have been able to improve my flexibility, patience, understanding, forgiveness and the ability to think on my feet. And that’s just for starters. Together we have blossomed and moulded each other;  we have become a family; learning one from the other. We may not have had a glossy magazine experience of volunteering, but we’ve had something far more powerful – we have experienced life.

Beth, Vicky and Rachel midway through climbing Mount Kigali

There is something strangely liberating about spending your summer with strangers. You are free to loosen the chains of modern day society and live as who you are, with no pre-conceptions and no existing judgements. You are able to conquer mountains head on with a new zest and vigour. You are free to truly live!

Picture of the Day 09/09/2014

We had our last session at the nursery today - we taught the children about vegetables. We are really sad to see the end of this project as we all had a fantastic time and loved getting to know all the characters in our classes!!

We wish them all the best for their very bright futures ahead of them!

Picture of the Day 08/09/2014

Today we exchanged our AEE staff meeting for anther group debate - we had a great time with the staff discussing all the different topics. We will be so sad to leave them!!

Our team with some of the staff members!!

Structural Learning Week 6 - The Return of Jesus Christ

The Return of Jesus Christ by Claire Umumaranrungu:

For our structural learning in week 6 Claire decided to do hers on an issue that she feels strongly about – the returning of Jesus Christ. Although this topic does not relate to a development issue directly Claire thought it important that we all be reminded of it, and it is something she feels very passionate about sharing.

I wanted to talk about the return of Jesus because I feel that it is important to remind people, as it can be very easy for people to forget that the current world is not permanent – and that this is a place we will spend a very short amount of time in. I wanted to highlight how the Bible tells us that there are signs about the return of Jesus, and allow my team mates to see these.

"When you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near."
- Luke 21:31

Throughout the Bible there are references to the second coming of Jesus Christ - Luke 21:28 and 31; Matthew 24:42 - 44, 25:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 John 3:2 - 3; Hebrews 10:24 – 25.

Although it is not possible to say with any certainty how events that take place today relate to the Biblical prophecies, it would be unwise to not take heed and ignore their warnings. The following are some of the signs that the Bible says we should be aware of when considering the return of Jesus Christ.

Wars and Rumours of Wars:

“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” (Matthew 24:6 - 7a NIV)

Famines, Pestilence and Earthquakes:

“And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:7b - 8 NIV).

Deceivers who claim to follow Jesus:

"Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4 -5 NIV)

People of Israel return to their Land:

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.” (Ezekial 37:21 -22 NIV)

Increased Wickedness and Loss of Love:

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12)

Return of the Fallen Angels and Hybrid Heroes:

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." (Genesis 6:4 NIV)

Strong Delusion:

"For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie." (2 Thessalonions 2:11 NIV)

One World Government:

"It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.That number is 666." (Revelation 13: 16 - 18 NIV)

One World Ruler:

"The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” (Revelation 13: 1 - 4)

Claire finished off her presentation by getting us to watch the following video...

Picture of the Day 06/09/2014

On Thursday whilst the rest of our team were out at the catch-up school and EPR school, Sam went off with Madame D. to a self-help group training session!

Madame D. leading the session

Rwanda's Development - An Outsider's Perspective

Rwanda's Development - An Outsider's Perspective By Beth Milburn:

Rwanda is what most people would call 'a developing country'. However, when I say Rwanda is a developing country I really mean Rwanda is a developing country! You can't miss the evidence that this is a country experiencing rapid development, it's everywhere. Before I came I was not expecting to see it so clearly and I have found it extremely encouraging to see and to be here at this significant stage of Rwanda's history.

Currently Rwanda is one of the fastest developing countries in the world - ranked 9^th in the world (The Economist, 2013). It experienced an economic growth rate of 8% in 2012 and 7.8% in 2013. 'Vision 2020' is the Government’s strategy and vision to transform Rwanda into a middle income country by 2020. There have been some great successes to date. For example, between 2005 and 2011 the poverty rate decreased by 12% which means that 12 million people were lifted out of poverty (UNICEF, 2013). Rwanda is one of just ten countries to achieve universal access to antiretroviral treatment for HIV (UNDP, 2012).

The beautiful view of Kigali city

Kigali, the capital city, is a beautiful mix of skyscrapers and ordinary homes stretching across hill after hill after hill. But the skyline is rapidly changing as the city is being transformed in accordance with ‘Vision 2020’– big impressive buildings and towers are appearing and you can see current projects under construction. Not only are buildings being built but we have also seen projects laying down internet cables underground as part of a plan to give the whole country a good internet connection – essential for effective development. Roads too are constantly being built and improved and the main roads we drive around on in Kigali are of an amazing quality. All the industry in the city is being moved to a designated area and the central part of town is being transformed. And this is just Kigali.

Our teammate Sam, who is from Kigali tells us that: 'you can't recognise the country from pre 2005' and that 'Rwanda is developing so fast people come out of prison and think that they are in a different country'. Imagine that!

The people are excited about the development prospects of their country and are united. They say that 'we are all Rwandan', there is one culture, one language, and development is 'one Rwandan project'. Therefore these transformations are not just taking place in Kigali. This form of development is what’s known as ‘pro-poor growth’, where the aim is that no one will get left behind as Rwanda’s economy grows. This is due to projects such as 'One Cow Per Poor Family', the prioritisation of education for all, and an emphasis on inclusive development.

The vision for the future Kigali skyline

I am genuinely excited by the hope that lies in this country and its potential for the future. Effective policies are being put in place, poverty levels are decreasing, and here development is far more tangible and evident than I ever thought it could be.

External links:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/theworldin2013/2013/01/fastest-growing-economies-2013

http://www.rw.undp.org/content/dam/rwanda/docs/Research%20and%20publications/Millenium%20development%20goals/MDG%20Global%20Report%202012.pdf

http://www.unicef.org/about/execboard/files/2013-RWA1-Rwanda_CCPD-final_approved-English.pdf).

http://edprs.rw/content/vision-2020

http://www.minagri.gov.rw/index.php?id=28

Picture of the Day 05/09/2014

Today we held our group debate with the AEE staff. Despite some issues with the horrible rain - yuck! - it was a really successful session and the improvements in the staff's English were so obvious. Our main aim with the AEE staff was to improve their confidence and public speaking ability - we feel that this session was a great demonstration of that!

We were split into two teams, who had to argue for and against on a variety of topics!

Culture, is it really that shocking?

A member of our team - Rachel - wrote this piece for her local newspaper.

Culture, is it really that shocking? By Rachel Garner

According to the Oxford Dictionary, culture shock is “the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes”. So naturally when you are sending a group of 25+ teenagers to a completely different continent (Africa), with a significantly disturbing history (the Rwandan genocide of 1994), culture shock  is an issue that’s going to get flagged up. Both ICS and Tearfund continually mentioned culture shock during orientation weeks in both the UK and in Rwanda, and to the best of their ability prepared us for it. They highlighted possible behaviours that we could find distressing, offensive or just down-right weird.

One of our first weeks of placement - visiting the beneficiaries

However, I think that no amount of preparation is going to ready you for the reality of a different culture and that culture shock affects everybody in different ways. We were even given examples of In Country Volunteers (ICVs) who experienced culture shock within their own country. So given that we are a mixed team of UK and Rwandan volunteers I thought a good way to explore culture shock would be to talk to members of my team about their experiences; how they feel it has affected their time here; and also what advice they would give to other people going to different countries susceptible to experience a similar sort of culture shock..

From the team interviews, it is clear that we have all experienced some form of culture shock

“I felt overcome by everything that was different and felt like I had just been thrown into a completely new world” (Beth)

But what is fantastic is that, as a unit, we have been able to turn this into something positive and something to grow from.  One of my team mates described culture shock as

“realising that you are definitely an outsider in a situation” (Chinwe).

This can be particularly hard to move on from, but when you work together as a team, it is possible.

Members of the team working together at Kimihurura Farming Cooperative

Despite facing some challenges because

“culture shock influences team dynamics through what is considered rude in different cultures” (Beth)

which would sometimes leave one half of the team feeling as though they had been disrespected through a lack of understanding. Overall the differences in culture have had a really positive impact on the members of our team.

Learning from one another - different cultural skills

“It has affected us positively, you really get to know how other people live, and you adapt and become flexible because of the changing of environment” (David).

Culture shock has given us the opportunity to learn about ourselves and others, developing our patience, empathy, respect and understanding. Culture shock has even led to some of our most memorable moments as a team because

“it makes the team happy learning something new about another culture” (Sam)

and allows us to become more of unit as we create new friendships built on accepting one another for who we are.

Team Kigali, minus Beth who was doing some office work!!

So what would we say to other people who are at risk of experiencing culture shock? How can they turn it into a positive experience? My friend Henry said

“If you are truly a team, culture shock won’t be a problem.” (Henry)

meaning that no matter what happens, if you are able to work things out as a team, and find common ground, then you can’t really go wrong! But sometimes this needs helping out with a few top tips! The common theme throughout the interviews was to be open minded; be ready to find new experiences; be prepared to both ask and answer questions. I love the way Claire summed this up

            “to be flexible, patient and try to learn” (Claire).

At the same time it’s important to remember that…

“… if where you were was exactly like home then you might as well have stayed at home” (Beth).

Exactly! We went out to Rwanda to try make a difference and if it were no different to the UK, and if we didn’t find ourselves a little “shocked” at times by the culture, then we may as well have stayed at home. And I’m so glad we didn’t!

Picture of the Day 04/09/2014

We visited the catch-up school in GAHANGA for the last time today, we are so sorry to see the end of this project, we had such a fantastic time taking part. The teacher Olivier said "we thank you, we have spent a long time together, you've been a great help to us!"

Henry leading a class

To see what we got up to at the school watch our video - Catch-Up School

Holiday Camp Visits

When we started work with AEE the children had already started their school holidays, during July they get two weeks off school. In the second week we led two different holiday camps; one in the Gahanga sector and one in the Kikicuro sector.

Some of the children making animals shapes during a drama session - can you guess what they are?

In these holiday camps we planned many different topics such as: HIV prevention, hygiene and sanitation, music, drama, dreams and ambitions, and obviously lots of games! In the Gahanga sector there were around 160 children that attended whilst 96 children attended the Kikicuro Holiday Camp. In the Kikicuro Holiday Camp the caregivers were present instead of the teachers to work along side us in conducting these sessions.

The children were split into three groups depending on their age; one class for Secondary and P6, one class for P4-5 and one class for P2-3.

Children playing the trust game during one of the drama sessions.

The group for secondary and P6 was HIV prevention. The topics discussed were transmission and prevention of HIV, focussing on sexual intercourse and the importance of abstinence in order to avoid HIV. The students were split into 5 groups and were each given a different ‘impact’ topic that HIV can have on a person or their family such as: poverty, strifes in relationships, isolation etc. They were given time to discuss as a group how they would portray this impact and act it out to the rest of the group.

The Children really enjoyed the drama session and requested that they would love to do more drama in the future with their teachers. Drama has a very positive impact on children’s self-confidence and their ability to speak in public places in front of their peers, as every member in a team had to have a speaking part.

Children miming out their chosen profession to highlight their dreams and aspirations - these ones want to be footballers!

The group for P4-P5 focused on music, drama and dreams. The sessions focused on getting the children to express their dreams, and the importance of staying in school to get good grades. We started by playing a game to get them to use their faces to show various emotions. This was helpful for them to practice using their facial expressions and emotions while acting to give a good and captivating performance. They then split up into groups and had a different word that they had to portray in a mime (so they were not allowed to talk!). The children enjoyed trying to guess the words and some of the groups had very impressive ideas on how to act. Lastly the children split up into different groups depending on what career they wanted in the future and acted out different scenarios they might come across in that profession. The children were excited and happy to participate in these sessions and enjoyed learning a new song in English ‘Our God is a great big God’ which included actions to the lyrics of the song.

David and Rachel leading a session on personal hygiene - hand washing, clothes washing, hair washing!

The group for P2- P3 focused on hygiene. The children were taught the importance of personal hygiene and how good hygiene can prevent illnesses, such as worms or typhoid. We explained that by preventing illnesses it can enable the children to remain in school and to achieve a high attendance. The children enjoyed learning a step-by step process of how to effectively wash their hands.

All age groups participated in games together such as: Duck, Duck, Goose, Bulldog, making animal statues in teams, throw and catch with tennis balls and a national game Sticks, which is a girl v boy game where it doesn’t end until one team has caught up with the opposition team and touched them with their stick.

One of the children demonstrating their new knowledge!

As the holiday camps were a one off it is difficult to predict the outcomes of these visits, however we believe that as we worked alongside the teachers and caregivers our methodology will be passed onto them and can continue to use it to plan their sessions.

Picture of the Day 03/09/2014

We have been giving English lessons to the teachers at the EPR school - today we talked them through personal pronouns, possessive pronouns and demonstrative pronouns!

Sam and Claire talking through the sheets

Picture of the Day 02/09/2014

At the nursery today we were teaching the children about fruits, we did this by getting them to paint and colour in stencils, as well as drawing the fruit from real life objects!

Getting all messy with the paints!!

Nursery School Visits

During the last four weeks of our placement in Rwanda we will be teaching at a nursery school from 7.30am to 10am every Tuesday morning. The headmistress has requested that we follow the schools normal curriculum throughout our lessons, the entire team of eight will be splitting across all three levels. In total across the classes – baby, middle, top – there is about 65 children.

Playing games with the children

The headmistress also asked us to try and make sure that our lessons are as fun and interactive as possible; focusing on activities like music, games and arts and crafts.

The first sessions that we ran on Tuesday the 19^th of August had a central theme of animals; with the top and baby class focusing on domestic animals, and the middle class on aquatic. Before each individual session started we played some group games outside, so that the children would feel comfortable around us, and also so that they would be energised and ready to learn. 

'London Bridge is falling down'...

Once we were finished with the outside games, we took the children into the classrooms so as to begin teaching them about the animals. We taught them songs that we had written about each animal. The top class learnt about: cats, dogs, goats and pigs. The middle class about: fish, frogs and octopus’.  Finally the baby class learnt about: cats and goats. Each song was incorporated with actions to help them to remember them, and also to keep them active and on their feet.

Some of the posters we used as visual incentives

Throughout these music sessions we also played an animal stretching game, whereby the children would have to pretend to be a certain animal. In the baby class for example we used animals such as: giraffes, frogs, cats, birds – so as the try and keep the children as engaged and active as possible.

In the top class during their indoor session they went on to do arts and crafts. Chinwe and Henry who were leading that class go them to draw each of the animals that they had learnt about, as well as trying to label them. 

Chinwe leading an arts and crafts session with the top class

Our second session at the nursery also had a central theme of animals, this time focusing on wild and aquatic! We had a really great time interacting with the children, playing games, making them laugh, teaching them new songs. They particularly enjoyed making conga lines and doing the Hokey Cokey.

Playing follow the leader

Next time we will be focusing on fruits, and hope to get the children really engaged by bringing in practical examples that they can touch and see and smell!

Overall we have had a fantastic time at the nursery, and have really enjoyed getting to work with the children for extended periods of time. This has been a really rewarding project and one that we have all looked forward to going to each week - despite the stupidly early wake up!!

Henry teaching the top class about cats and dogs