A little update about UCTCCN

Francine Carron November 24, 2015

My mission in Rwanda for l’Union Cooperative Théicole de la Crete Congo Nil didn’t only stop by leaving. I had engaged myself to coach and follow them up for another year. Numerien has followed my advice and is taking the action plan very serious. I was thrilled to receive his email! He has had numerous meetings with FXB Village in Gisenyi and they have launched the first step in the tea project. Numerien was able to talk to the youth inside the FXB areas and promote work in the tea region. He also made it clear that he was able to sensibilise the youth in respect to the importance of tea in the region. The next step was for me to create a logo for the tea union. I gave him 2 options but off course he preferred the option with the tea leaf. (The option I wasn’t really fond of.) So below is what their new logo will look like. They will print a logo on their office door to begin with. Now I am developing a new free website for them and ordering business cards for their meetings in Kigali. Jean de Dieu, the bookkeeper is also mailing me which is pretty fun… he writes YES MANAGER WE WILL DO ALL YOU SAY! haha, I had to laugh but they are well on their way… I hope they will receive the holidays I requested for them in December because they really deserve it. More to come later…

microStart customer of the week! Shakuma Fitness

This week’s customer of the week is Shakuma Fitness, owner Francis Abutoh aka King Franky! This week was our 1 year anniversary week and we had invited Shakuma Fitness to set in the 2nd year. The owner, King Franky of Nigerian descent has been working for years on this project and every year it has been growing bit by bit. Shakuma is African fitness, we all tried it outside our office and I assure you the workout is not a joke. After 10 minutes we were beat! However, the rhythms of the African beat keeps you going. The concept could be compared to Zumba but much better. Shakuma Fitness is now selling licences for franchises. Do you want to become a Shakuma instructor or bring the concept to your country? Contact us for details of King Franky! & help make this entrepreneur big. He deserves it!

Francine Carron November 20, 2015

Francine Carron November 18, 2015

The microfinance customers made this year so special and successful.

Francine Carron November 18, 2015

Celebration of our first microfinance year in Antwerp!

Francine Carron November 18, 2015

Today was the celebration of our 1 year anniversary of microStart Antwerpen!

We reached to 260 micro credits in 1 year. Newspapers have written about our results. Our team is fantastic! and we have a payback rate of 99% on generation 2015! This means that microcredit customers are BANKABLE!

The celebration was not only one of results but to celebrate our entrepreneurs. They had booths in our office stalling out their goodies!

Up to another hardworking year, empowering entrepreneurs.

Cleanliness & well courteous behavior !

How come these toilets don’t smell and are so clean ? I was afraid to go to the bathroom in the country side but when I got to go; I gots-to-go. To my big surprise this toilet was odorless and beyond clean!

In general Rwanda is a very clean country. Every Saturday, it is national clean up day. The villages is in the country are clean as well. Rwandans don’t litter and the rule to prohibit plastic bags definitely pays off.

Rwandans don’t like mess and are extremely polite. They don’t like people acting a fool according to Numerien. While we were in the taxi bus and the driver decided to speed in mountains, the passengers began shouting that they will call the police. The driver immediately slowed down. The police here isn’t corrupt and correct so people fear it. On the way to the tea factory we got stopped by a police road block. They searched the van for contraband. I thought that was great! There is no need for a country to be flooded with illegal products and the population tends to agree!

I have nothing but good things to say about the people and the way this country is governed !

Francine Carron September 23, 2015

Francine Carron September 22, 2015

Second day at work: Visiting Coopthega.

After a 1,5 hour drive (with taxi bus ;) we arrive in Nyabhu. Coopthega is another tea cooperative that is part of the union. Numerien introduces me to the agronomist and accountant. I am free to ask whatever I want and so the list begins. It took me about 2 hours to ask everything and I am starting to understand more and more the problems facing the union and why they brought me here. More and more ideas are rising to my head in order to help the union. It’s actually not a strategic plan they want but someone who thinks outside the box and can help them to become a reputable union.

Coopthega is part of the brand Rwandan Mountain Tea supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation.

After the immersion I get the opportunity to climb into the mountains and try to cut some tea leaves myself. Goodbye sedentary life this is going to be a lot of climbing and walking today. My physical therapist is Belgium must have a ball when she reads this because ‘Francine’ never walks.

It was worth the climb, these tea cutters conduct amazing work and an incredible speed. The average tea cutting is 50 kg a day. There is a story of a girl who could hand cut tea leaves 90 kg a day. She was sent to India to teach others how to manually cut so fast. Handcut leaves have superior quality. Machine cutting destroys the quality. In the tea factory boiling room section it smells like amazing tea. I still haven’t tasted the Rwandan premium quality tea!

A delirious state of mind

Francine Carron September 22, 2015

This is going to be my last blog post for the night. The wifi is extremely slow hence I am typing every blog post from my iPhone 6. My laptop is unable to connect as a matter of fact I haven’t been able to connect with my laptop since I got here. I probably won’t even be able to email the business strategy. Oh well no stress at all…

At the moment I am completely delirious and I am sure it’s from those damn malaria pills. I decided to take them as I wasn’t going to be in places with A/C but those pills have me tripping.

Let me sum up which side effects it’s giving me:

1. Crazy, frightening and vivid dreams:
I am in my bed not knowing whether I am hallucinating or I am experiencing reality. It’s a really screwed twilight experience.
2. An unquenchable thirst:
In Antwerp I barely drink anything whereas here I am drinking 3 to 4 liters a day and still feel like I haven’t had a sip. I constantly have to go to the bathroom to Numerien’s amusement. (Reminder to dedicate myself a blog post to the previous toilet experience outback.) My lips feel dry and swollen. Damn it, I should have bought that chap stick at the airport. I was being cheap, I thought 12 euro was too much and now I freaking need it. I will probably be dreaming about Chapstick tonight. Fata Morgana it bloody is!
3. Random severe headaches another side effect. I am taking Dafalgan to reduce the occasional headaches but painkillers reduce the effects of the preventive pills.
4. Nausea another side effect! Motilium instant is my good friend though it reduces the effects.
5. Sleeplessness another one ! So Tylenol pm has become my guardian angel. One Tylenol pm is enough to put me in a 5 to 6 hour comatose sleep. Otherwise I wouldn’t sleep at all while I am actually sleepy. Actually it’s drowsiness during the day and sleeplessness at night.

What kind of rubbish medicine is this ?

6. It aggravates the vertigo I already have so now I have to up my doses.

I am starting to wonder whether I should continue using it ? According to my doctor yes as 1 in 10 experiences these rubbish side effects.

Well my daily cocktail exists out of Dafalgan, motilium, malaria tablet, vertigo medicine and Tylenol pm. Not the best cocktail in the world but it seems to do the trick…..

Hallucinating I am off to sleep ! Days are long working from 7 am to 17:30 from tomorrow onwards!

Lunch with Numerien : Muzungu

Francine Carron September 22, 2015

After visiting Coopthega, Rwanda Mountain tea we headed back towards Gisenyi. Two different taxi buses and a sleeping Francine later we stepped outside the bus in Makoko, a small town before Gisenyi where according to Numerien everything is cheap. He wanted us to get out the bus a few miles before to stretch our legs and walk to town. Secretly I was thinking damn it I was sleeping on the taxi bus. Both hungry we decided to first have lunch. I didn’t have breakfast this morning as my headless chicken routine failed and Jean- Claude (the bookkeeper) arrived 15 minutes ahead of time ! What’s up with being so crazy punctual out here?! Nausicaa just messaged me that people who studied at the missionaries you can’t beat them on the clock. Well that’s what I get for trying to rest till the last minute. I devoured some granola bars and unknown fruits I have been eating for days. So at 14:30 I was dying hungry considering we already had crossed half the country. Numerien wants me to have good food and we go and check out a few places. The food was a bit old laying in buffet warmers. I didn’t mind eating it but Numerien was afraid I would get sick so he took me to its favourite spot. It was a total shack but boy did they serve us good food! Numerien kept on telling them to be hygienic, cook the food well and serve it hot. I smelled the grilled/ barbecued food and began spontaneously drooling. Wow how amazing and clean! Numerien is giving me the most local African experience I ever had in my life! I am enjoying every bit of it. We discussed our work and our personal life. He saw I was tired from the journey and said: I see you are tired, you like the nap; it’s the African in you! We both laughed very hard. Numerien has seen me eating fruit (not knowing I didn’t have time for breakfast and I have no other choice), and wanted me to have the best fruit at the best price so he took me to the local market. Everywhere people screamed muzungu, white woman. I don’t think no muzungu had ever come here. As a matter of fact ever since being in Nyundo, Gisenyi and Nyabhu I haven’t seen a muzungu! I see there are plenty of NGO’s out here but where are they? It’s almost a mystery to me. I am guessing the areas I am visiting and the life I am living is not for muzungu’s. Every time we take the taxi bus, I am the local attraction because muzungu’s don’t take taxi bus. People are shocked, awed everywhere Numerien is taking me. Touching my hair, holding my hands and some asking for money because the muzungu is rich. Well legacy of colonisation I would say; can’t blame them. (What the locals don’t know…. ) First of all, I am not a muzungu but half a muzungu I feel like saying. However, if you start messing with this muzungu, I will screw you up. Being mulatto isn’t common here in the countryside. The population is homogeneous. When I tell them: my mother is Nigerian and my father Belgian; most people here in the country back don’t know where Nigeria is. It could be in Europe for all they care. Two countries full of muzungu’s LOL Well I can’t blame them, my mom living in South Nigeria has travelled all over Europe but never heard of Rwanda as well. Africans in general don’t travel much within the continent as travelling between countries isn’t always easy. I have asked her to come visit me but first we have to find out if there are easy connections from Port Harcourt to Kigali. My dad called me from Monrovia saying he found a connecting flight somewhere with Kenyan airways. So maybe my parents will be visiting me here in Gisenyi as they are both very curious about Rwanda. Fingers crossed that everything will work out. So my life as a mulatto is basically in Africa my natal continent; I am a white woman and in Europe my father’s homeland I am a foreigner. Technically everywhere I go I am a foreigner. My paternal grandfather had Indonesian roots and my looks take also part from there. In Brazil I’d probably pass for a local too… Never been though. As an intermixed person I don’t believe in race or nationality; it is all the same for me. I could be a Chinese passport holder looking Latino. So call me Muzungu but without the privileged treatment because no race or skin colour is superior ! Ohh and don’t rip me off because I will muzungu yo ass ;)

Second day at work: Visiting Coopthega.

Francine Carron September 22, 2015

Coopthega is part of the brand Rwandan Mountain Tea supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation.

Francine Carron September 21, 2015

First Day at work: Lunch time

We decided to go to town to buy a phone. The SIM card I received isn’t a microsim. I knew this was going to happen and even wrote about not forgetting to bring a small Nokia that fits a regular SIM. Well I forgot to bring the Nokia so I need another phone. I will now be carrying 3 phones and 4 numbers. In town we bought a Teco phone. Teco seems to be a big phone brand out here. I bought a basic Nokia type of phone that supports facebook and costed me 10000 Rwandan Francs. That is about 13 USD ! Good thing I didn’t buy my phone in Belgium. This model would be 25 euro. A good smartphone costs about 40 euro. Isn’t that fantastic ?

I noticed that Rwanda is not expensive at all. Taxi’s, food, phones, etc are cheap. This allows for Rwanda to have consumption and an increasing economy. This is much better than Liberia for example where the average salary is 60 USD a month and a basic phone cost 40 USD. Many people can’t even afford a bag of rice at 80 USD a month. Rwanda is different the country is affordable to its people. It’s not like Liberia or even Nigeria in that matter, where life can pretty much only be afforded by the rich. I have seen beggars here in Gisenyi but it is very very limited to what I am used to see in Africa. If Rwanda keeps continuing this road it will be a very well developed place within a decade. Roads are being constructed in the countryside. A lot of new villa type houses are being constructed by the local population. It is a nice sight. I give another high five to the Kagame regime!

Buying a phone with Numerien is so detailed. He wants everything to be perfect and he got me an extra deal of 800 free talking seconds. (Never have I seen phone companies charging in seconds. But it’s good because you can recharge for less than a dollar; again affordability is key here.) Numerien wants me to be happy and receive the best he can give. Numerien impresses me more and more everyday. He is so well organized and structured. I am starting to think he has OCD… Lol

At 1pm we drove back to the city in another jam packed bus. I couldn’t see a thing and didn’t even know where Numerien was sitting. As you can see from the photo one guy had to hang from the window and I was sitting on half a butt cheek. The bus was overloaded and I was convinced it was going to break down. I felt really hot and had the feeling my toes were on fire. I started to think maybe the engine is underneath my feet and something is really wrong. The heat became unbearable while we were trying to get across another hill. Yep my doom scenario happened; the bus shut down and we started rollingggggggggg backward down the hill. He finally managed to stop rolling backward into a dirt road. No one seemed to care and stayed on the bus. They lifted the first row seats and yes the engine was underneath my foot. (See photo) So I wasn’t crazy! My feet were literally on FIRE! While fixing the van half of the people stayed on the bus. I thought that was so dangerous… After half an hour we decided to leave and hop on another jam packed bus. I really want to take moto-taxi as it faster but Numerien doesn’t think it’s safe plus it costs triple the price.

Arrived back to the Centre Francois Xavier for lunch I decided I wanted to eat African food. All I see on the menu’s here is kind of Belgian food. I assume this is a result of Belgian colonisation. I am not in the mood for steak or stews nor French fries or purée. There is one African dish casava pasta, so I order it. It wasn’t spicy at all, so I added the lovely African Chilli pepper. Hmmmmmm

I am happy I have a phone number so I don’t have to use my Belgian private number anymore. This has costed me 100 euro already in a few days.

Back to work.

Francine Carron September 21, 2015

Day 2, First morning of work: The selfiestick !

Numerien, the coordinator of Union Theicoles de Crete Congo Nil was supposed to come get me at 9:00 o'clock to go to work together. I woke up around 7 AM but as usual I decided to laze around for a bit because I still got 2 hours to go. Before I know it’s 8:15 and I start my everyday morning headless chicken routine. This is my version of a quick shower, hair and makeup. At 8:30 I am already ordering ordering a cheese omelette and by 8:45 I have completed my breakfast. Hooray I am still on time. I was wrong. Numerien had beaten me again on the clock. He was already waiting in the lobby. He is so freaking punctual I will have to step up my clock game.

Dressed with a white formal shirt, lose pants that I bought at a microStart microcredit customer and my Valentino heels, we head out to the office. The reason why I am wearing heels and decided to dress up formally is that power dressing is still very common in Africa. You have to be well dressed at the office if you want to be a well respected lady and the men always wear shirts with or without tie. I assumed it would be the same here in Gisenyi.

In order to get to work we had to cross a few hills and hop in a taxi bus. This bus was so packed that I didn’t even see an available seat. Yet we wormed ourselves in there. To make matters worse a pregnant lady jumped in…. (See photos) I don’t mind all of this as I experienced this ‘jampacked bus situation’ before in Nigeria but Rwanda is a hilly country and those vans can barely make it over the hills. I was scared we would roll completely backwards down the hill. Oh the thoughts that were racing through my head…

After 45 minutes we finally arrived at the office. (This journey by car would be 15 minutes) In the bus I had unpacked my jivo selfiestick and decided to try it out. Numerien loved it and immediately before entering the office everyone wanted to try the selfiestick. No one had seen this before even though everyone has a smartphone here. A business opportunity immediately jumped to my mind! (See photos above)

Numerien shows me his modest office first and then we go visit the manager of the Pfunda Tea company named Niyonizeye Claude Medard. He is a very friendly man but doesn’t say much. So I decided to lead the conversation by asking many questions about the Pfunda Tea Cooperative. I found out they are labelled fair trade by Forest Alliance and are the third best tea producer in Rwanda. The manager explains to me the tea making process which gave me food for thought to work out my agenda for the next few days.
Numerien and I return to his office and I get to meet Rwicaninyoni Jean de Dieu, 27 year old who is the accountant of the tea Union. Rwicaninyoni was also impressed by the selfiestick and wanted to try it out. After a long photo session of trying out my iPhone, Apple laptop and selfiestick; we decided to go into town.

Francine Carron September 20, 2015

Day 1/Part 2: Centre D'Acceuille Francois Xavier

After 3,5 hours we arrived right near the Gisenyi hospital. Numerien and I got off the bus and had to walk to the hotel. OOOOOh I was hating my suitcases at that point. Each of us carried one of the suitcases and schlept it up and down the hills to Centre D'Acceuille Francois Xavier. Numerien saw that I was dehydrated and went to get me plenty of water.

The centre D'Acceuille is very basic but has everything you need. I actually just now noticed that there is no tv in the room. (I never watch tv anyway so no big miss for me.) We had lunch here as you can see fries with rice ?! Besides the fact the carb in take was way too high; the food was very yummy! I could eat that dish everyday. Numerien and I chatted about work tomorrow and had a good laugh. Exhausted I drag myself to the room and began to unpack. There is no closet in the room so I have to divide all my items in a clever way.

I have my medicine cabinet; and yes as you can see I have every type of medication with me. Sickness isn’t going to be part of this mission and if it is I have every pill to self medicate.
I took the blankets of the bed, installed my malaria impregnated fitted sheet over the mattress so that no possible bug can bite me. I laid out my cosy Ralph Lauren blanket and popped up the malaria impregnated net. I double netted the bed as the hotel also had a net hanging from the ceiling. No bug will be able to get to me! I arranged the bathroom, hung my own toilet paper that I brought from home. (The little Scottex dog on my toilet roll makes me feel home.) Yes. Yes the small things in life… I even brought air freshener from Zeeman (the purple pot in the photo and yes the room needed it … Mildew smell) The room is starting to look at a dorm and I am smiling at my new house for the next 12 days.

Tomorrow is my first working day and I am very nervous as I want to perform at my best. It took me a while to choose what to wear tomorrow because first impressions always remain.

I haven’t slept much since Friday so on this note Goodnight!

Francine Carron September 20, 2015

Day 1 in Rwanda! Road trip from Kigali to Gisenyi !

Last night Numerien and Cyrille had agreed to come and pick me up between 9, 9:30 - 10 in order to take the bus to another town, Gisenyi (where I will be working) When I went to bed I thought for sure they will be late to pick me up. I am not going to set an alarm. I will be awake before they get here because they will be late.

Mannnnnn !! Was I wrong. They were on time and I was late. They asked me you are not a morning person are you ? I was embarrassed. Ok so that won’t happen again; Numerien is punctual.

So we left Chez Lando to go to the bus terminal (See pics above) and had to buy three seats on the bus due to my excess luggage ;) (Luckily I left some stuff at Nausicaa’s mom house and was left with 2 suitcases and a backpack.) I figured it would be difficult on the bus…

The bus system is privately owned but works very well. Every 30 minutes there is a bus to Gisenyi. The ride took 3 hours but was amazingly beautiful. There is no denying that Rwanda is the land of the thousand hills ! Numerien says thousand hills, thousand problems and thousand solutions and he is probably right. The road is perfect (again what a big difference compared to other African countries I visited) but curvy. You are continuously lingered from left to right, basically falling on top of each other due to the hilly landscape. It ended up actually being good for my vertigo. I think that being flipped from one side to the other, it somehow balanced the crystals in my ear.

I sat next to a young guy who was editor of umycoradio.com and hoped to receive a scholarship abroad in order to further his education. I hope he gets it.

I noticed on the bus that the young generation doesn’t speak French but only English. While the older generation only French and no English. So I never really know in what language to approach someone. However these are minor issues.

When we got 2 hours into the bus ride I got so sleepy. We had made it now from Kigali to Musanza and I saw the Diane Fossey foundation :) When I was basically becoming narcoleptic Numerien decides he wants to talk.. Sigh…

Arrival in Kigali: Part 2 - Chez Lando When I walked out the airport both the organisation that I am going to be working for UTCCN (Union theicoles de la Crete Congo Nil) and the driver of Chez Lando (my friend Nausicaa’s mom is the owner) were awaiting me. Numerien Nsengumuremyi (UTCCN) & Cyrille Mwumvaneza (local representative of Exchangevzw) brought me as I had previously requested to Anne Marie and Joseph (my friend’s parents) and owners of Chez Lando Hotel in Kigali. Anne Marie Katengwa is such an impressive woman. She is tall, beautiful, kind, classy and a real business woman. I was so happy to see her and she immediately made me feel home. Joseph (my friend’s father and Anne Marie’s husband) is unbelievably friendly, welcoming and heartwarming. Both Anne Marie and Joseph are very highly educated Rwandans. Joseph even speaks Dutch ! That really caught me off guard. He said he hadn’t spoken it in a long time but yet he was fluent! Joseph had lived, travelled and done business all over Europe. He knew every detail about Belgium and studied in Swiss. (@ Nausicaa if you are reading this: your parents are fantastic!) Anne Marie made sure I was at easy showed me the guest room as you can see from the picture above is beautiful. A large beautifully decorated room with view on an amazing garden. I took a picture (see above) of a peacock looking animal but I wasn’t sure what it was… anyone ?? In any case it makes a lot of noise. It sounds like the battery of a dying phone ;) The family, Numerien, Cyrille and I were served delicious food. We all talked for a few hours. (I found out that Cyrille speaks German and studied in Canada.) Another polyglot in the room! Numerien and Cyrille were very happy to have met the owners of Chez Lando through me. I am sure Cyrille will stay in touch with them. I had brought everyone gifts: Godiva chocolates for Numerien and Cyrille, a poncho for Anne Marie and two wines for Joseph (a true wine connoisseur). During our conversation Anne- Marie informed me about her hotel across the street (Chez Lando) of which I had a glimpse. I found out that Chez Lando is so much more than a hotel and everyone should know. Now why should anyone stay in Chez Lando when travelling to Kigali or Rwanda ? Let me give you 4 good reasons: 1. It’s a family run hotel in Rwanda by Rwandans. 2.The atmosphere is very welcoming and the owner (Anne Marie) immediately brings everyone at ease. 3. The hotel’s food is amazing and the place is unbelievable clean. 4. Anne Marie supports entire communities trough this hotel. How ? All products used in the restaurant are locally and ecologically produced on their own 3 ha farmland. They have an entire team of people working on this field. Besides growing their own crops they also buy other locally and ecologically grown crops from female cooperatives!! Yes Anne Marie supports many women cooperatives. The products sold in the boutique are also from local farmers with fair trade labels. The 84 bedroom hotel and executive apartment owner employs many people and also provides traineeships. Every year they take multiple interns from the hotel management schools and identify future potential. Many of these students are offered a job upon graduation at Chez Lando. The work atmosphere is fantastic as everyone aims at pleasing the customer while maintaining a familial feeling. I am sure there is so much more to Chez Lando but these are already good reasons to spend your next stay at this resident hotel in Kigali. Hope to see you there! Here is the link to the hotel and support Rwanda entrepreneurship !

Francine Carron September 20, 2015

Arrival in Rwanda - part 1: The flight

After a flight of 8 hours I finally arrive in Kigali. The flight went great I sat next to a very interesting woman named Karina Weinstein, program director of FXB USA of FXB International with headquarters in Geneva and New York. FXB International helps the networks of the world’s poorest people (the bottom tiers). FXB works through a model of FXB villages providing basic needs of life such as housing, healthcare, food and education. It also provides training to create a business over time in order to become self sufficient within three years. FXB’ funding is coming from various donors such as USAID. I find it extremely interesting project as reaching out and helping the bottom tier in any society is an extremely difficult task. For more information on FXB International. Click here: https://fxb.org

Besides talking about her work and my work and our missions in Rwanda (I explained her Exchangevzw, BNP Paribas & microStart); we had a great time talking about our sons and personal views of the world. Our opinions were very similar; definitely staying in touch with NYC based Karina!

What was interesting on the flight was that it was packed with NGO workers. It’s clear that Rwanda is a great place for NGO workers as it a safe place which can guarantee safety to employees. Rwanda seems to be very open to foreign help and is very keen on continuous advancement. Many people on the flight were wearing t-shirts with the name of their NGO. So I noticed a lot of doctors on board for doctors without vacation. A lot of people from Water for Life (for Jesus) and other missionaries.

We landed around 19:00 and my dad had arranged for the station manager from SN Brussels to meet me at the plane. I was happy disembark the plane and immediately talk to someone I know. Especially if you are travelling to a place you have never been, it puts you at ease. I have her Rwandese number so any issue I can always call her and explain my issue in Dutch. Not that I jam expecting issues, after years of travelling in Africa I am so ready for this. Though it is the first time that I travel to the Mama Africa without having a family member waiting for me.

After a long line at immigration which is the most professional immigration line I have seen in Africa so far. Fingerprinting, questioning, pictures, etc… Well done Mr. Kagame ! I am liking this country already.

Photo of Kigali airport

P.S: Mind the spelling mistakes I am typing from iPhone 6

Francine Carron September 20, 2015

This is what I am going to read during my flight. Les trois petits paniers Rwandais and the brs annual report send to me by Koen Peeters, author of the book and head of CSR KBC Bank.

Francine Carron September 19, 2015

What a hectic morning ! Leaving for Rwanda.

This morning I received a message from my Rwandese friend Nausicaa not to bring any plastic bags as it is against the environmental policy in Rwanda. Apparently all plastic bags are removed out of the luggage at the airport. I don’t like people going through my stuff so I ran out of my bed, reopened my suitcases and removed all the plastic bags. Just in time for the taxi. Arriving on the Brussels ring there was a huge traffic jam and this on a SATURDAY! I got scared as this week, the airport exit was closed and people had to walk miles to the airport. I have 3 bags and a heavy purse; my heart started racing and the clock was ticking. I made it to the airport 1 hour before boarding and the Africa T terminal is at least half an hour walk. Finally at the Brussels Airlines desk I thought the stress would be over. I was wrong ! My hand luggage was overweight! My purse on its own weighted 16 kg; I must give it to Louis Vuitton those bags can carry a lot of weight. I had to re-divide my hand luggage amongst my suitcases. I am not only carrying a lot of clothes but a lot of paperwork and folders for the mission and folders to represent Exchangevzw at the Rwandan Board of Development. After re packing (you can already imagine how that looked) I got my tags and finally ready to go. Nausicaa had told me to get amibae pills at the pharmacy so I decided to spurt back. Fingers crossed I make it on time for boarding. Naturalich, a long line at the pharmacy just for her to tell me I need prescription! I could have guessed… This is Belgium. Well I had a nice work out and I am sitting in my seat. Hopefully my friend Anya from SNBrussels is working as cabin crew on my flight today… ;) ✈️

Francine Carron September 19, 2015

Francine Carron September 18, 2015

“The evidence suggests that the truth lies in the in-between: Microfinance works really well sometimes – but not always. It works for some people the way we thought it might, and for others in ways we didn’t anticipate.”

— I copied the above quote from lyrianfleming blog because I tend to agree on the statement. My experience in microfinance shows that it works for the majority of people. Unfortunately there are always a few people on which microfinance has “adverse effects”. However, by providing free coaching, guidance and training these possible “adverse effects” of microfinance can be eliminated over time. Microfinance should be a combination of credit and (business) coaching. In our microfinance agency (microStart) we call this combination “GUIDED MICROCREDITS”. Through granting guided microcredits we see that microfinance can be successful for everyone.

The Land of a thousand hills !
The preparatory work with Benevolab and Exchangevzw is done. My research is completed as well. I am ready to pack actually.
I realised that going on a mission will result into 18 hours of a work a day. (I remember how it was like setting up the microStart branch in Antwerp.) So I am pretty sure UCTCCN are going to want me working at 110% which I am more than happy to do. I want them to receive the best support ever. Hence I planned a vacation in a Rwanda after completing the mission.
While working there I am planning on taking a break to see the following:
1. Volcano/ gorilla hike visit Musanze caves
2. Go to Kibuye, relax do a boat ride and visit God’s bed
3. Complete the entire Nile - Congo trail by bike
4. Go to Akagera Safari Park
5. Visit Nyungwe, walk across the canopy and stop at the last Royal House.
Considering Rwanda is about the size of Belgium I looked at the map and figured that with a good SUV this should all be possible in 5 days. Although Rwanda has an extensive road network, I didn’t realise that Rwanda’s rural areas road network hasn’t been completed. Therefore road travel can be slow and complicated.
I had been given the price of 3600 USD that included 3 hotel nights in mid-luxury range hotels/lodging, private driver/car hire 4X4 SUV for 5 days, private guide, food, safari permit, gorilla permits, etc. I was surprised by this price. I knew that the price for a gorilla permit was 750 UD and had a budget of 2000 euro in mind. We are talking almost double now. I thought I was getting conned and decided to contact all the tour operators listed in the Rwandan Tours and Travel Association. http://www.rttarwanda.org/content/our-members I asked them to give me a quotation of the three different itineraries. I received many responses in a very short time. The prices were all between 3000 USD and 7000 USD. Some agencies had slightly adapted the itineraries and had given other hotel options. One tour operator even send me an excel sheet with everything detailed out.
I decided to drop Akagame Park as I am planning to conduct a safari in Tanzania next year. I also dropped the bike Nile Congo river ride as I bike as slow as a snail. I am not in the best shape of my life considering I used to run collegiate track. My friends have seen me bike and wonder each time how come I don’t fall off as my speed is almost at standstill. Many tourists in good shape havent been able to complete the bike ride. Cancelling those 2 activities brings the price down to 3250 USD. I am going to have to dig in my savings but I am convinced it will be worth every penny!

Now I need to start packing!
2 weeks in Gisenyi in the tea plantations, 1 week hiking and a few days visiting Kigali staying with my friend’s mom (Mrs. Anne-Marie Katengwa) who is the owner of Chez Lando in Kigali. As a female entrepreneur in Rwanda, she has a lot of important contacts and arranged for me a meeting to represent Exchangevzw at the Rwandan Board of Development (http://www.rdb.rw)
What do I need to take for a business/holiday trip? I might have to do some online shopping!

Francine Carron September 17, 2015