$6
The buying power of 3500 Rwandan francs at the local market in the village next to ASYV. Those 9 avocados in the back? 300 francs or about 53 cents, rounding up.
Presumably, it’s all organic too. So, Mom, how much would this run you at Jimbo’s?
Adrift in a Sea of Rolling Hills
My time in the Pays des Mille CollinesArchive for Doing Good
The World’s New Hope
It’s difficult to overstate just how much the world cared about this election. Everyone I met, ex-pats from all over and Rwandese themselves, had an opinion on the election and were always quizzing me for my “expert” (read: American) opinion on what would happen. Throughout this election cycle, CNN International and BBC World News, those very sober news outlets, obsessed about the latest election news. The conventions and debates could be seen live on no less than 4 channels here (and there are only 14 channels altogether!), and come election day, whether you turned on the radio, switched on the TV, or walked down the street, all you heard was that America was going to vote. We say it often in America, with some sense of presumption it seemed, but people around the world honestly believe that the President of the USA is the most powerful person in the world and, this year, just like many Americans back home, they were deeply enthralled by the possibility that Barack Obama might next be that person.
A Bakery with a Mission
Yesterday I got to visit an after-school/ weekend activities center for orphans here in Kigali. It is run by two genocide survivors, Emmanuel and Leonce, who believe God saved them so that they can help others.
The center began with offering activities and programs for street children and orphans and, just recently, they’ve opened a bakery staffed by their kids - a program which will support other programs.
It’s quite the operation, with about 12 kids on assembly lines and a huge, wood fueled oven. The bread is quite good too.
Emmanuel and Leonce’s passion and work moved one of the local staff who was with us to share his own passion. Driving back, he told us how difficult it was to find the will to live after he survived and how important our project is for Rwanda. Pounding the steering wheel, he declared that “We must succeed, we must rebuild our country.”
This is the passion which is building a better future for Rwanda.
