Over the past few days, in between packing, I've started considering a few more aspects of my (hopefully) future job. Still waiting on a departure date, though.
I found a couple more genocide-related clips on YouTube, which bring home a very brutal past. Notably Ghosts of Rwanda, a twelve part documentary made in 2004, ten years after the genocide. There are a number of other pieces which are very poignant. One of the more recent uses the song from Hotel Rwanda.
It's been interesting stuff to look at. I'm not sure it really prepares me for a country that has, by all accounts, come a very long way in the past thirteen years, but it's helped give me a sense of the history. I'm off to Harborne Hall again in a couple of hours for my second round of training. I vow to spend less time in the bar and more in the library this time.
They have an impressive resource library which is open 24/7. I found a wonderful book there last time. An artist’s paintings depicting the genocide. I will look it up again tonight and post the title - the paintings were outstanding. Unfortunately, they also have VSO files on each of the countries and when I randomly opened the one on Rwanda I saw the following story staring back at me.
It was a slightly different article, which explained more of the circumstances. She had been a VSO volunteer based in Rwanda, who was engaged to a local guy whose family lived in Burundi. At the time, security was such that people were advised never to travel to Burundi or, if they did, only to fly directly to the capital and back. Despite these warnings, she decided to board a bus with her fiancé and go by road. The bus was ambushed by Hutu militia and everyone on board, including Charlotte and her Fiancé, were shot dead. Very tragic. Security has vastly improved today and, even then, the dangers were known. It's not something you'd imagine happening today, but it was still a slightly disturbing article to find.
The other current major problem in Africa at the moment are the floods, which have been devastating a large proportion of the continent including Rwanda, where fifteen people have died. My friend in Kigali says that there's currently an Ebola outbreak in the Congo, but near the capital, Kinshasa, which is the other side of the country from Rwanda. Apparently, there has never been a case of it in Rwanda. I've found I've been paying a lot more attention to the BBC African News section recently :op
Malaria prophylactics are still causing me concerns, but this round at HH includes a medical/health workshop where this should be addressed. However, I've been reading up about a natural Chinese herbal remedy called Qinghao/Artemisinin which is very interesting stuff indeed. It's not cheap, but apparently it can attack and kill the malaria viruses post-infection, as well as being a prophylactic. I'm considering buying a supply to take with me so I can take it if I get bitten or ill, just in an emergency. Very interesting indeed. I'm still going to try Mefloquin, but one of the guys at the last HH said he'd taken his first and was suffering bad hallucinations. He said he felt too ill to go out with his mates. I will give it a go and discuss my concerns with the medical unit - see'f they've heard of Atemisinin.
Anyway, I better get myself out the door. Just finished reading Ben Elton's Chart Throb - was okay, good initial idea but dragged a bit. From last trip, I'm going armed with some books this time - try and keep me away from the bar lol
See you all when I get back. Here's hoping for a good night's sleep and arriving in time for dinner!
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