Updates from Idaho Dad via Rwanda
I spend the mornings and early afternoon at the worksite (they quit about 3:00) and the afternoons at the disabled center. The building foundation is finished (volcanic rock) and we are up to the windows with bricks. They use a little concrete on the corners and where the trusses will be but the rest of the bricks are set in clay. We are making good progress at the disabled center, I have shown them how to build 4 different wheelchairs from bicycles, how to make an uphill break for wheelchairs (the city is on a volcanic hillside), replace their worn out wheelchair wheels with locally available bicycle tires (at a tenth the cost and they can go on the local dirt roads) and fixed a couple wheelchairs that they were not using. Word has gotten out that we can fix wheelchairs so they just show up now and we fix them if we can.
We went to a local forest for a hike last weekend and saw a lot of the local hills. Rwanda is the most populated country in Africa so there were people around every turn. It is amazing that so many people live in clay brick houses with dirt floors, no running water or power but they seem to be happy and wave or smile if you go first. Out of the city they know little English. I am also amazed how they keep their cloths clean, all the washing is done outside on the ground in three plastic tubs (wash, rinse, rinse).
The food has been good and basic, bread, rice, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, eggplant, some meat and fruit. The highlight of the meal is the fruit.
-Idaho Dad-
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