Going to Kabgayi (See photos on my Facebook page)

Today was our second visit to Kabgayi, a Roman Catholic compound just outside of the Rwandan city of Gitarama.  On our first visit, we met the HRH (Human Resources for Health) Professor of Pediatrics who is at the same facility where Anne will be teaching and mentoring midwives.  We also met Father Deo Gratis, the head of the Petit Seminair (the Catholic boys’ school where we will be staying).  He has caused an apartment to be refinished and prepared for us.  The apartment has furniture, sheets and blankets, as well as plates, pots and pans, glasses, cups silverware, and other accoutrements.   Our living accommodations appear to be quite agreeable, and they are a 10 minute walk from the Kabgayi School of Nursing and Midwifery where Anne will be teaching. 

The hour drive from Kigali to Kabgayi was quite an adventure in itself.  I am glad that we were being driven both times by experienced Rwandan drivers who not only know the route, but also know what the road and traffic are like.  Driving in Rwanda is not as orderly as in the US, but it is much more efficient: at busy, uncontrolled intersections (which there are many of in the cities!) people turning or going straight negotiate on the move who is going to go first.  There is no careful “waiting your turn” at a complete stop, it is more like those stunt driving teams where the cars weave in and out between each other, but this is all improvised.  It seems to work, as I have not seen any accidents!  On the two-lane blacktop highway between cities there are mostly busses of various sizes, as well as trucks both large and small, lots of motorcycles (most of which are acting as taxis) and many pedestrians.  Most of the pedestrians are carrying things.  Mostly, they carry loads on their heads, which seems to be very efficient but I am sure takes plenty of practice.  When passing a slow truck going up a hill, you not only need to watch for oncoming vehicles, but also for oncoming pedestrians and motorbikes.  (A motorbike might squeeze into a virtual third lane to pass or be passed.)  We may soon have our own car, and Anne and I will have the thrill of driving these roads ourselves.  Adrenalin, anyone?

The view from the highway was quite remarkable.  Rwanda is mostly an agricultural nation, and it has the third highest population density of any African nation, so most of it is not covered by rainforest (“jungle”) as some parts of Central Africa are.  We saw many rolling hills, similar to the foothills of the Appalachians, but covered with terraced farmlands.  In the valleys, there are many small, well-tended fields, as well as many areas where bananas are growing. We are in the driest part of the year now, so many of the fields did not appear to be green, but did appear ready for the rains to come.  I was again very glad that I was not driving, as it gave me an opportunity to look out at the countryside and the villages.

We did not stop in any of the villages that the road passes through, so I had only the most superficial impressions.  One thing that stands out is that the buildings that face the highway are often covered with advertising. I don’t mean many ads for many different product, as we see in the states, rather one might see the front (or is it the back?) of an entire row of buildings painted blue with the “TiGo” logo, or painted red with the “AirTel” logo, or gold with the “MTN” logo.  These are the three competing providers of wireless services.  Some villages had 100 feet of blue building with the TiGo logo repeated 5 times or so, followed by an equal length of buildings with the Airtel logo.  The only other ads I recall were for the two most popular brands of beer.