Les 3 petits panier Rwandais

I hadn’t finished the book on the plane as I was to busy talking to Karina from Fxb. So I finished the book last night. Last night the Dutch girls and I decided to stay in as it was raining too hard. Emily and Maartje as their names are suffer from hydrophobia. While finishing the book I realised how much truth there is in it. It describes being in Nyundo, Gisenyi, the village people, the hills, microfinance and poverty. Very similar to my life here. The name of the little Rwandan girl in the book is Impana which means gift in Kinyarwanda. I was touched as my middle and Igbo name is gift as well. Francine Gift Carron in Kinyarwanda I’d be Francine Impano Carron. I am going to keep in mind if I ever need a new screen name.

The book describes microfinance in its complete reality, the struggles and the job. It also talks about the meaning of poverty. The tale of a rich man that has everything wants to experience poverty. I can totally relate to this because in life we always aim to have more and become richer. We are convinced that by becoming richer, we automatically become happier. However in order to realise that wealthy doesn’t make happy you have to be rich first. Only when you are or have been rich you can appreciate the happiness in leading a basic life. I live myself a very nice life but being here in a basic room makes me realise that I don’t need anything but food and a place to sleep. People who have little can’t appreciate what they have because they have never been rich. Well most of us in the Western world have never been poor and hence need to experience poverty to learn.

I passed the lovely book as it is requested by the author Koen to Maartje and Emily, the Dutch girls. Emily is a nurse going to work in Uganda and Maartje is a Doctor. Talking to them I learned that the kid who jumped in the taxibus was actually infected with rabies. This explains the crazy reaction of the women pushing him with their feet of the bus.

Thank you Koen for lending me this book! I am sure Maartje and Emily will continue to pass it on on their journey in East Africa. Ceux qui ont les dents blanches rient.

“When you have 60% of women in your government, your country will advance. = Rwanda !”
— #francinecarron

The story of Numerien and Betha Numerien came to work perfectly dressed as always. I rather decided to go natural today. It’s chilly outside today. Numerien was very anxious this morning because his wife Betha was coming. Numerien lives in Gisenyi in a hostel while the wife lives in his town with the 4 kids. In his home town near Rutegroc, we will be there on Tuesday are the salaries very low. Numerien makes about 370 USD a month This is still too low for the responsibilities relating to his function and the time he invests. On top of that he pays a hostel / lodgement 5 days a week. His oldest son is in boarding school and comes home 4 times a year. The smallest is 2 years old. The other 2 are in primary school. While the wife came to Gisenyi to return to Rutegroc with Numerien in the evening, the 12 year old is responsible of the 2 other children. Numerien’s wife named Betha is a primary school teacher and makes 40 USD a month. Horrible ! I knew that Betha was coming today so I went through my suitcase to find a gift. Everything I brought can be left in Rwanda. That was my initial plan every outfit, accessory or whatsoever can be given away as a gift. So I decided to give her earrings, a bracelet and a ring that I had bought in Antwerp from Enchante Fine Jewelry. It’s very nice black pearls, white pearls, silver and CZ stones. I also had a big bottle of expensive Guerlain perfume with me that I had received as a gift myself. I decided to pack this in the local brown bag and gift it to her. She was so happy she had never owned a bottle of perfume in her life! I can’t imagine that as a woman. Since I was 4 I had been collecting perfume. The ring was flashy and her size. I don’t see many women wearing jewelry so it was the perfect gift for her. This afternoon, Numerien is giving me a break he is going with his wife in town and he wants me to nap. Not realizing the strategic plan is a lot of work and I will be working from my hotel this afternoon. I plan to nap all day on Sunday. The taxibus on the way home was full of babies not even 3 months old. Literally full full! It was reeking like pipi diapers considering I didn’t eat breakfast complete nausea hit me. As a result Numerien and I decided to discuss family planning. He thought I managed my family planning with 1 kid. He said his wife has tried all birth control pills, the injection, everything and it makes her very sick. So they had decided to carefully play Russian roulette in the bed but she got pregnant at 41. I had to laugh so hard when he told me this. I am telling you people always share their personal things with me and Oops now I am writing it on a blog. Numerien said the government has programs everywhere to introduce family planning but the pills give moods wings to the women. 

 I bet he will be doing a lot of family planning management this weekend. Now I am alone in Gisenyi because the bookkeeper is in Kigali for training. Back to work.

Pfunda Tea Farmers and Workers - Saving and Credit cooperation. PTFW SACCO

I went to visit the savings and microcredit agency of the tea farmers today. Their procedures are almost exactly the same as the procedures we use at Microstart. The biggest difference is that they take much more securities and also to the payroll management of the workers. So they can deduct instalments from salaries before it gets to the customer. They barely have recouvrement or contentieux. The Rwandese government made a big effort to educate people in credit and savings.

Hi5 Pres. Kagame!

Credit and savings goes hand in here something we could work towards at microStart. They are a member of Amir, Association of microfinance agencies in Rwanda that provides them with micro savings and credit trainings. It’s nice to that the procedures in Belgium and Rwanda are similar this means we both are still very close to the original Grameen system.

Day 4: Union Theicole de la Crete Congo Nil

Still morning we arrive to the tea plantation of Pfunda. The plantations of the Nyundo based cooperative are flat. The others I visited were in the hills. This means the quality of the leaves aren’t as premium as the mountain green leaves but the work is easier. Even though carrying all this weight for miles on your head isn’t easy. Today I wanted to get into detail to learn about the problems of the pluckers. Considering the fact that they get paid 0.04 cent a kilo, they have an average salary of less than 50 dollars a month. Rwanda is cheap but not that cheap to survive on 50 dollars a month. The problems of the pluckers is the nationally fixed price of the tea. The deduction of a humidity tax by the factory, the high price of their cane basket and plastic robes to protect their already torn clothing. They have basic security but can not afford healthcare which is 3000 Rwandan francs per person; 4 dollars a year is too much. If you have 4 kids that’s 12 dollars. That is huge if you only make a meagre 50 dollars a month. The poverty of the tea workers is striking me. The strategic plan has to be set up that the union can fight for the rights and help these workers. Today we managed to have Fxb Gisenyi on the phone whom we will try to make a partnership with. I have also told Numerien to develop community based travel. Invite tourists to come help pluck tea for a day at a price in cooperation with a tea plucker. The plucked will receive extra money for working along the tourists. Today young people want to have real local experiences and this could be one of them. Numerien is interested. I am going to make this my own philanthropic project and when I return home I will do my best to help Numerien fight for the right of the tea farmers in the cooperatives. My next step is to partner up with a trusted community based travel agent. Days are long and tiring due to being on high altitude but we are slowly getting there.