Moto-Mania

MINEDUC

Zoooooooooooooooooooooooooom

I'm all motoed out today :op

It's one of the things everyone says they miss when they go back to the UK. Motos really are the best way to travel!

Went into town by bisi today to meet Léon, who showed me where the American Embassy was before heading off to a meeting. I went in and stared down the pictures of Bush, Chainy and Rice by the desk. Asked for a copy of their project funding form to take away.

I was going to get a moto back to the office when I realised I hadn’t brought my keys. So, instead, I got one all the way home.

Then I received a text saying we were having a meeting at MINEDUC (Ministry of Education) at 2pm. I hung around at home looking for my keys and doing general 'stuff', then took a moto, saying "MINEDUC". He didn't take me to MINEDUC, only I didn't know this, never having been there before. He took me to a group of buildings which are part of MINEDUC, but not the Ministry itself - right on the other side of town. 

So, after a very confusing phone conversation about 'where are you?' with Betty, I hopped another moto to the actual Ministry. I arrived about half an hour late, but no worries. In Rwandan time it hadn't even begun. A total of about £1.80 spent on motos today - a lot of money! But so much fun! Little children shouting 'muzunguuuuuuuuuuuuu' as you pass :op

The meeting was interesting. It was me, Betty (our terp), Francois (ex-Director), Brandine (Secretary), Bob (Mental Health) and Parfait (our Youth Representative, who's been away in Uganda since I arrived - he's lurvly). We were there to state the case for Deaf Education. It was really spirited. The guy at the Ministry brought out an ancient old reel-to-reel recorder with a microphone, and asked us all to state our names! lol 

He gave it to Betty in the end, who voiced the meeting for everyone. I had to state my name, where I was from, and my job. I got admiration and a round of applause from my colleagues for signing AKR and being voiced for, rather than speaking. It made more sense anyway because the meeting was in Kinyarwanda, which I don't speak well enough, but it was appreciated as a sign of support :)

It was a stirring speech by those present, interrupted only when the reel-to-reel ran out and had to be changed.

We all headed home after. Most people going past Kimironko, which is my stop. I had a good chat to Parfait. He's originally from Uganda. His dad's Ugandan and his mother's Rwandese. After the trouble he decided, like another Deaf person I've met from the Congo, that he wanted to come here and help. He goes back to Uganda now and then. He signs highly about the state of Deaf inclusion and Sign Language there. I'd like to go and take a look at their interpreting school some day. We're talking about a trip when my passport comes back from immigration.