Six Weeks in Rwanda

Well, we're now 5 weeks into the project. I'm in love, that's for sure, with this country and with the folks I encounter. Once I was told (beginning of week 2) that rather than helping with training, I was to write the biz plan and project-manage the launch of the coffee cooperative's shiny new telecentre, things got busy. It's a crazy biz environment, craaaaazy slow on the one hand and super-easy-going on the other. I can't explain it. I've spent most of my time setting up a biz team and support structure for our coffee cooperative guys who will be running this new telecentre - most of whom had never sent an email in their lives. And marketing the telecentre idea to the local community whilst trying to find out what types of services would really work here; our telecentre is amongst the first in a really rural area here in Rwanda, with a clientele consisting of 97% of people who only speak Kinyarwanda, and about a sixth who can't read or write. Not really with enough cash in hand to pay for our brand spanking new broadband connection. But they do want and need to use communication and information. The public phone landlines in town (at least a day's salary away) are expensive, and the teachers here get by using 20-30 year old books. The guys working in local administration have courriers go to town on their behalf; everything stops till those get back. Skype will be a huge improvement here. And entertainment and community spaces for chatting and exchanging ideas are needed too. I continue to be amazed at how much enthusiasm I encounter whenever I go to a school or local authority office, with my wee powerpoint presentation. The vision is there, absolutely. Everyone needs training though. On everything. Hope we can keep our student volunteers motivated (and compensated by the project till things take off) to offer computer training to the public, in return for a glow of the glory of having created a new infrastructure for knowledge and wealth creation. That's the theory.

The football (worldcup) has definitely helped in building relationships. After each day's worth of running around and chasing our daily rainbows, we go back to Butare, meeting students and other guys who may help provide the continuity we're craving so badly. The local sorghum beer is great, so no probs here. And Germany did manage to come third.

One more week to go. I can't believe it. So much to do, so much fun to have, so little time. Can I stay forever?