Our Road Trip
After yesterday's crack of dawn start getting up at 7am felt like a positive lie in. First job was to prepare contracts for our bakers which were produced with relative ease. Next job was to go through with Florence and Cecile the contract and accounts. However we were somewhat distracted by Florence's three week old gorgeous baby who has now been named Harriet. It was exciting that the ladies main concern was that the trial period was too long as they were worried about demand and the size of the oven. It is wonderful that they are so positive and enthusiastic.
We then all squashed into the car with Elysee to visit some of our street children who have been reintegrated back with their families. Pacifique was our first port of call. Although this family had really very little it is encouraging to see his mother applying sound business sense to making the most of produce she has from their land. Then we sent to see Jean Marie who The Thomas family sponsor through BNM. This was a difficult meeting. Jean Marie and his brother James are essentially looked after by their grandparents. It is still very rare to see old people in Rwanda and the hardship and trauma they have encountered is clearly etched on their faces. This family is probably one of the poorest we have ever met on this trip. Jean Marie's reintegration has been successful but their life is still vey difficult.
We stopped for a chippy lunch - the best yet in Rwanda and then moved onto see two girls who were the first to go through BNM sewing vocational training. These girls seemed settled, happy and able to save some money each month for their work as seamstresses. It was a more positive end and lovely to see a different part of Rwanda where rice and tropical fruit are the main crop.
