Rwanda: A Day in the Village

Following the muddy path, we made the rounds–to meet the priest, to meet the basket makers who sang their welcome, to see the orphans at the school who presented me with a lovely drawing of the village, and then with the basket makers again to share a meal and give speeches. The women were dressed in their best clothes. They all wore shoes. They wouldn’t wear shoes to anything that wasn’t important because they’d just wear out and there’s no money to replace them. Many had babies with them. The rain pounded outside muting voices.

While we ate with forks and drank bottled beer, the women ate from heaping bowls with their hands. They drank from big plastic tubs filled with sorghum beer and banana beer, a thick concoction that may be nutritious, but didn’t look at all appetizing.

And then there was singing and dancing. And I was invited to join in for a short time. And they asked, “How do you know these African moves?” And I wanted to tell them that I learned them while watching them, but I just smiled.