Hoeing in Kigali

If it’s nice you gotta do it twice and add some spice. I had one of the most unforgettable meals the last time I was in Kigali: Mukeke fish. I was told it is a fish originating in Burundi. I returned to Kigali a few months later in transit to Burundi solely for Mukeke fish **Kanye shrug** I'd finally get a chance to see Lake Tanganyika as well, I thought to the self.

The main reason for the transit in Kigali was to partake in Umuganda. 

What is Umuganda, you ask

Umuganda is community work. Its purpose is to contribute to the overall national development of Rwanda. It forms part of efforts to rebuild the country after the 1994 Genocide taking place on the last Saturday of each month from 7a.m. and lasts for at least three hours. (http://www.allaboutrwanda.com/umuganda.html)

Umuganda was not well received by the people of Rwanda at first. It was considered forced labor but due to its significant achievements in erosion control and infrastructure improvement – especially building primary schools, administrative offices of sectors and villages and health centers, people came to like and participate in it voluntarily. 

On the day of Umuganda business activity halts, public transportation is limited, and people are seen everywhere working. On this day, you can wonder – streets are empty from 7am to 11am and you will hardly find any vehicles, motorists or pedestrians moving. The work done differs from one area to another. In towns you will find people participate in cleaning streets, cutting grass and trimming bushes along roads, or repairing public facilities. In villages you will see those repairing roads, building houses for vulnerable persons or cleaning wells. People with particular skills offer their services for free on this day. For example, doctors may offer free medical examination.

On my way to Umuganda

The activity is done under the control of the selected committees which is responsible for organizing, supervising, evaluating and reporting the work done and more so motivating people to keep the spirit up. At present, 80% of Rwandans take part in monthly community work and Successful projects including building of schools, medical centers and hydro electric plants as well as rehabilitating wetlands and creating highly productive agricultural plots have been established, Umuganda’s contribution to the country’s development since 2007 has been estimated at more than US $60 million. Imagine if we did something similar in South Africa. Yank ourselves out of bed and work for the country alongside politicians in addition to paying tax as we usually use that as the reason or excuse to being entitled to heaven and earth.

Besides undertaking community work, Umuganda also serves as a forum for leaders at each level of government (from the village up to the national level) to inform citizens about important news and announcements. Community members are also able to discuss any problems they or the community are facing and to propose solutions together.

I took part in trimming grass or as I call it: hoeing LOL!!!

Rwandans came in droves

I refused to visit the Genocide Memorial this time around. I’m still healing from my first visit last year but I did visit the former/late President's house: President Juvenal Habyarimana. The guide showed us a swimming pool that allegedly housed his snake, a python. Apparently, the president was quite fond of the snake, rumored to weigh more than 300 pounds, which he used for various black magic rituals and employed to guard against evil spirits. A whole pool, I bet it was white cos hey blacks can't swim for sht!!!

Snake Pool. How sway

Bujumbura

I landed in Bujumbura just before sunset & tried to get a taxi to my hotel. My driver mentioned something about getting a 4x4 that would get us over the bridge where we would then get in his car and head to the hotel blah blah fish paste. I thought “Ok, hold up black man, you’re a driver. Why do we BOTH need a lift over the bridge where you’ve parked your car?” For a moment I took off my South African “trust not even an 80 year old lady carrying an infant on her back” hat and trusted the process. We got a lift from a 4x4 eventually. Nine men in this maafaka and there I was, a South African girl othanda izinto. Out of the blue were floating houses; men with their pants rolled up to their knees; ladies cycling with their skirts tucked in their panties. What the hell? The entire town was flooded. So how do people get to work, I asked. It was a rhetorical question. Life went on, in adversity comes creativity they say. Surely God owes Africans better in the next life man. We’ve suffered in enough, if it’s not slavery it is poverty. Dear God kindly choose a struggle next time, we’re not as strong as You think You’ve made us.

I finally understood what my driver meant by over the bridge thing. He drove a sedan, which of course would not have made it past the flooded area LOL! We therefore needed a 4x4 to get us past the floods and get on his Sedan

We made plans to meet the following day and he'd take me to Karera falls. I had made a friend.

Sunday I woke up to so much noise out in the streets. I asked reception what on earth was going on. They said “it’s sports day”

Sports day literally means exactly that. Citizens play sport, they run, play football, whatever. We came across so many people in the outskirts of Bujumbura, mostly barefoot (shoes are a luxury) running the streets. I’m talking about people off all ages. No wonder they are lean. Well poverty plays a role but come on man. 

Here you are reading this from SA talking about an “African body.” If I gave you a map of Africa would you be able to point to me which country apart from Muritania suffers from obesity as we do? West Africans look like Serena Williams, so do not even go there. Africans are very athletic, hopefully in the next life God will give us a break so we can invest in sports development. All the so called First World countries can forget winning anything afterwards. Look at the French football team in the World Cup and tell me how "French" it is. #AsikhoLapho 

Chargrilled Mukeke Fish (Image from Google)

CNN keeps  this Africa hidden from you

Lake Tanganyika

How beautiful is Africa?

 Highlights/Lowlights/Observations

Rwanda

1.      I have mentioned the pride of the people of Rwanda in another piece. They love being Rwandese, Last year I was called out by a private citizen for not wearing shoes. I still cannot believe the turnout for Umuganda. They were genuinely excited to be there. I remember a convoy of cyclists and bikers pulling into the area where we served that morning. They arrived whistling and singing one could have sworn they were off to a EFF/ANC rally. I watched with so much admiration how excited these people were to do work “for free” LOL! Imagine us working for mahala. Us the taxpayers as we call ourselves. Government should cut that grass it’s too high, I can’t see my neighbour. Forgetting that high grass is in your own yard ngoba you’re too used to blaming everything on others

UMUGANDA 

President Kagame. He's not infallible but he's done well in rebuilding Rwanda

2.      Africa is a working continent. I remember changing dollars to Burundi money at 7h30am. Bujumbura was already abuzz that early in the morning. Shops; restaurants; banks everyone was out doing their thing. This is a black country run by blacks. Don’t let them tell you blacks are lazy, they’ve suffered centuries of theft & oppression leaving them with little to work with.

3.      Democracy in SA. I heared from locals that President Nkurunzinza has not left his country in years. He’s afraid of a coup. South Africa we don’t care man, we’ll recall you while you sip on cognac e MahlambaNdlopfu. We don’t wait for your absence to fire you. Ask the two of South Africa’s democratically elected Presidents. 

4.      Burundians drive right handed cars despite the statutory “Keep right, pass left” Their explanations is that Asian cars are cheaper. This is Africa LOL!!!

5.      Similarity between languages. Listen I spoke Kirundi by the time I left Bujumbura. Bantu languages sound the same. It further confirms the theory that we were one until someone came and drew lines and called us different countries/nations. Black families were divided by skin pigmentation. Your sister would be moved to a "coloured" area for being two shades lighter than you and you wonder why we're so fcked up. Explain the rondavels throughout Africa. How did we know to build the same kind of houses if we had not met? We were nations alright and developed dialects as we moved across the continent. Read the history on Soshangane/Sochangane when you have time.

6.      Being driven around by random men with no fear of getting raped or murdered. Let’s start from the day I landed in Burundi. A South African girl with no plan; knowing nobody in Burundi; spoke no word of Kirundi and a little French. All I had was a passport and the desire to see Lake Tanganyika and Karere falls. I met a man who told me stories about a 4x4 but was trustworthy enough to get me to the hotel safely. He brought ANOTHER dude the next day to drive while he acted as my guide. So I was driving in the outskirts of Burundi alone with two random men going to places with no phone signal; unable to send location to family yet felt no threat. I have hitchhiked across Africa and have never been mugged. The only incident I can recall is Dakar where I felt unsafe. Lesotho my best friend & I stripped to our bikinis & swam under a waterfall while our driver minded his business from across the waterfall. Malawi we hitchhiked when our taxi got stuck on the side of the road. Lagos we walked in our shorts in the middle of Ojuelegba and heard no whistles or disrespectful comments from random men. I would never in my country ride with a man I do not know. Statistics say in SA say there’s a higher probability of a girl getting murdered by her partner than in a car crash. I do not feel safe even in an Uber, I send screenshot to my family no matter what time of day. I’ll never take Uber after dark no matter how much you pay me, I’d rather park my car at the airport and pay thousands than take Uber after dark. Perhaps SA is a lawless country. Most of the nations that commit crime here would never do the same in their countries. There’s visibility of Law Enforcers in their countries. Land in Gaborone, Botswana and be greeted by the army just outside the airport. Walk around aimlessly during Umuganda in Kigali and get stopped by the army to explain why you’re not working like other citizen. Ojuelegba is run by female cops in Lagos. Taxi drivers fear female cops yet in SA they break rules and beat policemen. Why? I think it’s because there’s no consequence for breaking the law here. White collar criminals do the same. From mines that kill people in their shafts to 180 people killed by poisonous meat products and not even one executive has appeared in court. How many people have been prosecuted for all killings during apartheid? I’ll wait while you dig in your archives

My heart belongs in Africa. God willing, one day I’ll teach English & Maths across the continent and finally learn and master KiSwahili

To the people of Rwanda/Burundi Murakoze and thank YOU for reading