8 2 2016 Umugudugus in Eastern province and one of Charles' churches

Today was local election day so it was also a half day public holiday, which delayed the start of all our activities. Eventually Charles arrived and we set out on a long trip to the Eastern Province near the northern entrance to the Akagera Nation Park.
We travelled along pretty good roads via Kabuga,Rwamagama, Kayenza,Past Gahini Hospital and Lake Muhazi.Google map Gahini
The aim of the day was to visit some of Charles' churches in the Eastern region and also visit a project run by James Rubakisibo for the Rwandese Health Enviroment Project Initiative,
RHEPI
We picked up James on the way. Our first stop was to an umudugudu ( the smallest unit of local government like our village) near Gahini Hospital up from the lake Muhazi a beautiful piece of water with the President's farm looking at us from the other side of the lake.
This was a particularly poor area we noticed many of the children had no shoes and were malnourished the area was very dry and the gardens were poor and consisted mainly of banana plantations. The church was a tiny hut with the start of a new church behind it They had got up to the level of the windows but no reinforced vertical pillars as they had in Kamembe just a circular beam of reinforced concrete at the present level of the wall.

Rob and Alan measured the site and this would be one possible project which could be sponsored by Christian Engineers in Development along with many others they had seen, completing the roof and adding a water harvesting system. As the only water was from the dirty lake water a steep long walk up the hill.

We then went on to Karangazi where we were introduced to Theogen the local co-ordinator who works with James.

We bumped around un-made roads in the centre of the village the elections had just finished and people were crowded around and loud cheers went up as the results were announced for new local leaders, a good example of how democracy is alive and well in Rwanda.

They showed us around the project which was sponsored by the German Embassy. They had set up a model garden and rainwater collection system using partially buried fero-concrete tanks made on site, and the water was raised by a pump powered by a long pole. They used good composting techniques and the soil in the garden was fertile producing a wide range of fruits and vegetables.  The main challenge now would be to introduce the techniques to all the household around and really the need for this to be rolled out nationwide.
We saw several other systems with similar tanks, some buried and some above ground the people preferred the buried ones as the water was cooler and safer as the pump handle could be locked away. We also saw a biosand filtration method this involves a box filled with sand water drips through and produces a bio-film which builds up over a few weeks which does the actual filtration, not quite as efficient as the Grifaid Aquafilter.  We then went to the head man of the village's house and we all had to sit down with his wife sitting on the floor, Rob tried to offer her a chair to loud protests from the locals in was not the local custom for a women to sit on a chair, then their were speeches and we finally left then off up the road to see Charles father who looked very well.
Finally we dropped in on Alex Ntung mother a Rwandan friend from England, after much difficulty finding the house. We were still travelling when night fell making driving difficult as the white lines if present are difficult to see as are the many unlit bicycles.
This was compounded when a downpour started the car having inefficient wipers and demister we finally got home after a little detour down a wet and slippery road to drop off  James, we finally arrived home to a very much appreciated supper.