Church with two archbishops and genocide memorial

Sunday 19th

We awoke to a pleasant morning and a very good Solace breakfast with lots of fruit. The rest of the group having arrived last night. We then went in our bus to the service for Justin Welby who is visiting East Africa. Most of the Rwandan Bishops were there as well as lots of church and local dignitaries and the deputy British high commissioner who turned up in her car resplendent with Union Jack. There was lots of joyous singing and dancing. Justin preached on Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.Building for the glory of God by the Grace of God in the Power of God.

The two archbishops Rwanda and Canterbury

After many more speeches and singing we finally went home for lunch.

Then off to the Kigali Genocide memorial site which is the main site in the country although there are many more scattered through the whole of the country. 

The site consists of banks of mass graves containing over 250,000 bodies; with more being found and added every year. Sited in a beautiful garden and an exhibition area where the story of the genocide is told through pictures and multimedia.      

Wall of names of  victims whose bodies have not been found

One of the graves which can be seen so people can pay heir respects 

The rest are sealed with concrete.

After walking round, Mary and I sat in quiet contemplation in the beautiful knot garden and read from Lamentations 3 . A cry of hope in the middle of despair. 

Marambi and the ride through the forest.

Monday 20th
We awoke for our last breakfast at Solace before our days journey through Rwanda

The roads are all very much improved so the drive was much quicker and comfortable compared to even last year. As we drove out of Kigali we went from the finely groomed diplomatic centre through the more commercial areas and finally into the country. Even in the  rural areas there was much development with new houses being built and most of the roofs looking bright and shiny with little evidence  of rust.

After a brief stop at Nyanza which is a dairy centre with good loos  and delicious yogurt which they make locally. 

Then on to Marambi a large genocide memorial site.

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The group walking up to the school where the genocide took place.

The memorial is a school where 50,000 people where butchered by the militia while French peace keeping troops did nothing. Only 34 people escaped alive to tell the tale.

The place is a very sombre memorial where bodies have been preserved in lime in the classrooms.

It acts as a warning for everybody about the dangers of racism and propaganda and how all people should be treated equally. The denigration and dehumanisation of any group must be actively resisted and the evil exposed before further evil ensues.

The mood was lightened as we drove out by the cheerful children running after the bus shouting "Muzungu" the kinyarwandan word for white rich people.

We then made a stop at the Kamembe diocese where we met  the archdeacon, and dropped of the water filters we had bought before starting our journey through the wonderful Nungwe forest  the highestt high level rain forest in Africa

Flying to Rwanda

Today was a very early flight to Rwanda we set of at 4 am to the airport, on clear roads, to the new rebuilt airport which is now very plush. We met up with a very tired Andy Hince, one of our group who had started his journey in Inverness via Heathrow.
The flight was delayed slightly by fog the pillot having had to abort his first attempt at landing.
However we were finally down and was met by a smiling Jonathan and or lovely bus driver, Modeste.
And on to a friendly greeting at Solace Ministries where we are staying for two days.
The morning was spent unpacking and relaxing after the journey with an little walk down to the local shops for tea and some locally roasted peanuts. On the way back we met up with a couple of boys selling cards on the street, they are very friendly wanting to know all about you where you come from what are   you doing. We joined the group from Yaxley near Peterborough who are just finishing their visit, they are all very excited and enthusiastic about what they have been doing, we enjoyed a light lunch with them.
In the afternoon we visited the Inema art gallery a wonderful centre created and run by two Rwandan artists.Emmanuel and Innocent who are producing a lot of very vivid inspirational Rwandan art. They were very pleased to show us around. There are about 14 artists in residence plus the work with children especially orphans and run weekly workshops.
The young people had also produced some really great art.

The founding artists

Some of the young people with their art works

We had a very lively meal with the Yaxley team and were invited to join them in an informal communion led by their vicar, Finally there were lots of thank yous and goodbyes and speaches on both sides which the  Rwandans love.

Finally to an early bed. 

The rains have come:

The first rain fell last night a massive storm which settled the dust. The Masai herdsmen quickly brought  their herds to feed on the new grass on the sides of the roads. They used to graze their animals on this land until the English came and were sadly displaced. 

Today we went for a lovely walk in the Oloolua forest. we hired a guide t take us around who was very knowledgeable. He showed us dik dik, small very shy deer, that were feeding in the forest.
We also saw several sorts of monkey and bats in a cave.

Stkes's monkey  typical of this area pretty little monkeys living in the tree tops.

 Our group resting on a bench by the water fall

A flowering cactus

After a good walk we went to a cafe for spicy african tea and vegetable samosas. Then to Simon and Cecilias old house in Ngong which was in between tenants t fill up water from the water harvesting talk which is very good for drinking, once filtered with the aquafilter.
Then Mary and Cecilia went for a little pamper., while Simon and I unloaded the water.
We finished our time in Kenya with a wonderful Kenyan dish prepared by Cecilia consisting of a potato pumpkin leave and bean mash with a little beef and peas.

A quiet day

Today Cecilia and Mary woke up with slightly queasy stomachs this morning so we decided to have a fairly quiet day. We relaxed on the balcony, just going out to collect supplies from the Nakumatt the local supermarket which is found all over this part of Africa.  We had mandazi a type of African doughnut which is not too sweet and a Kenyan staple.

In the afternoon we all felt much better so went to a local walking track which is very popular a rubberised circular track around a local cricket pitch which is free for everyone to use.

For supper we had an organic ugali. Ugali is a white cornmeal staple. however we had a healthier version made with a mixture of corn millet and sphorgum flours. Which contains more fibre and nutrients than maize flower alone which if the only source of nutrition causes protein malnutrition which is a common problem in children . We finished of with banana and yogurt. The banana was purchased from a salesman in the middle of the rush hour traffic.    

Karura Forest

Today we went to a native forest on the outskirts of Nairobi. It consisted of well laid out trails in native woodland. We managed to get there fairly early while it was reasonably cool and had a very pleasant morning walk. One of the problems they have is invasion of foreign species such as eucalyptus and they are trying to thin these out and re-plant with native species.

There were many butterflies in the forest this one was happy to be photographed

 There were some helpful labels on the trees

Another butterfly resting on the path

There was a small lake with native water lilies

One of the waterbirds on the lake.a hamerkop a curious stork like bird

 which builds an enormous nest  in a fork in a tree decorating the outside 

with any bright coloured trinkets  they can find.

A very dainty little wader walking on the lilypads

After the walk we headed up to a shopping mall which have very pleasant cafe restaurant called Art Cafe.Here we met out friends George and Mary Ogalo. George heads up an organisation called  FOCUS   which co-ordinates the universities Christian unions. Mary heads up several projects empowering women and is at present finishing off here doctoral thesis. They were both very well as where there children, we spent a very pleasant time with them over a delicious lunch.

 In the afternoon we went to view another house on the outskirts but again not ideal. On the way home we dropped in on Cecilia's friends where we were offered samosas and very spicy spare ribs washed down with a Tusker a very good African beer served ice cold. 

Then home for fruit and tea.

UN tour and Paradise Lost

UN Flag: the world viewed from the North Pole, surrounded by olive branches of Peace and Hope.

Today Simon and Cecilia booked us into a tour of the Africa UN headquarters in Nairobi.

This is an amazing facility, in a massive ground, donated by the Kenyan government.
We went round with a group of Masters students from the university. The guy who took us around was great fun and very informative.
The UN vaccinates 58%  of the world's children Assists 34 million refugees. Is doing a lot of work with climate change. Fights poverty, protects human rights. As well as it's key role in peacekeeping and preventative diplomacy.
The tour included a visit to the massive conference rooms where various assemblies sit. I was asked to do a 30 second presentation to the group on behalf of the UK from the same podium where Barack Obama spoke. Mary also addresses the group on "the seeds of hope"

Our guide addressing us in the Japaneses Peace Garden.

Headquarters of UNEP the UN environmental agency

This is a modern concept building that is environmentally neutral. 

It has solar panels and this large atrium which provides cooling 

The plants are watered by the water from the roof has all LED lighting

and toilets which use minimal water. 

We had an African tea and pastry in the very good buffet there, then set off for Paradise gardens which is well named. It is in the middle of a coffee plantation, It consists of a lake with waterfall and " Prehistoric caves", which were quite fun to go round; then we sat and watched a vast variety of birds in the canopies of the trees, with even one or two even sitting still long enough to be photographed..

Supper consisted of a delicious mango and avocado and banana smoothie and butternut squash and bean feast.

 Tree with aerial roots by side of waterfall

Mary Simon and Cecilia in the cave

Another in the cave

 Bird in a tree

This one was getting insects from underneath the bark

Another amazing tree with aerial roots