Everyone wants Africa, so there is pressure to develop to the "world's" standards. That is the impression of three colleagues (including Mama Abigaelle) I have talked to about at length about this. My thoughts and reflection on these things:
1) Political Involvement is encouraged so much more so than education in the eyes of educators like both my host parents. We often talk about money and the price of things (which tend to not be comparable to prices in Canada in terms of salaries and revenues). Mama Abigaelle told me once that those who teach in Rwanda are among the poorest of the population. She told me that all the money goes to those in politics, government and banks; everyone else needs to claw their way for better living or conditions; as in a competitive capitalist society. Because I am Canadian and our government puts so much money into education, I wondered why President Kagame doesn't do the same. My impression prior to being in Rwanda has been that Kagame wants to put education close to the top, but public schools (even though free) are often 70-80 people per class to one teacher and private schools are pricey for many families (with many of them single parents). The logical thing to me would be to give teachers better salaries if they are so important to the future of Rwanda producing businesses in English and French. Perhaps the demand doesn’t meet the demand of teachers (which is surprising because you don’t need any special qualification or certification in teaching in order to teach…anyone with a secondary school diploma can teach primary and anyone with a bachelor’s degree can teach secondary school). But teaching seems to be the prerogative of each family now; difficult to know and integrate English as most parents grew up learning only French, yet English is so desperately wanted now. It is a rough transition with most families knowing 4 + languages. Can language be a means to "progress"? Perhaps that is the wrong question as the culture is infused with languages; it seems more like the pressure of the government, even from a far, imposing on the minds of its citizens. Whether positively or negatively, seems to be someone that is duly trusted without question (namely President Kagame), with large framed pictures of him in homes, in schools, offices, and hotels. Perhaps putting hope in a person drives a people differently than ideologies or "dreams" do.
2) Kagame cares about property?! Or conservation? Is this a white-imposed sentiment?
In another conversation with my mama, she told me that they used to live in a house on Rubavu mountains, but was kicked out without given any compensation for the house they built with their hard earned money and only given one week to leave; an adamant eviction from the government itself. She expressed that it was so unfair and illogical, without any regard to the money used and their transition to find a new house, which is really hard to find as most Rwandans choose to build their own house. Apparently, everyone has been pushed off Rubavu to a certain imposed line for "conservation" purposes. Later, I heard from mama Quinne (another host mom) that they were sent away because the position of their house violated flooding regulations; this seemed like a more of a neutral response to me and I made me wonder what conservation really meant in the minds of the Rwandan government and to the citizens. Is there conflict between how an ideology and value is implemented and the vision itself? Perhaps this is the work of people working towards development; a struggle between a bigger vision against the perceived needs of a people. This may be what makes “progress” such a hard concept to put one’s finger on because everyone’s immediate predicament not only creates tangible inequality but inequality in the form of ideas and thoughts that fill ones person’s mind the majority of the time.
3) There is a deep wanting to get out of Rwanda for many young Rwandans, but a desperate sense that it won’t be so easy and nearly impossible. Walking with one of my good Rwandan friends one evening, he was in a deep trance as he smoked. I asked him what he thought about usually when he would reflect on life while smoking (to take the edge off he would always tell me). He said most of the time scenarios and fantasies of how he would one day get out of Rwanda and this life and make a living in a developed country like America, Canada or Europe. This response was definitely not out of place to how he lives and what he speaks of and strives for, but I was still shocked but how deep this wanting is. Perhaps it doesn’t help that he has so many friends from these places telling him how good it is and he feels left behind in all of it; in the whole “having-my-life-start-or-get-better” ideal. Money consumes him and the need to connect internationally as well. But he believes in hard work and not cheating his way to another country in other ways; though he sighs each day because of it; the borderline impossible for him right now because he has to live with several other families and can barely have his own place in Gisenyi. In Rwanda that is the standard and mark of a man: money to sustain a household and the means to be able to provide for a family. It is stressful to be living on the fence of two cultures and being pulled so much by both; one because it was ingrained in you and was chosen for you and the other something you painfully pursue because of where you have been and what you have seen and believe. I am familiar with this pulling as mentioned in my first reflection.
1) Political Involvement is encouraged so much more so than education in the eyes of educators like both my host parents. We often talk about money and the price of things (which tend to not be comparable to prices in Canada in terms of salaries and revenues). Mama Abigaelle told me once that those who teach in Rwanda are among the poorest of the population. She told me that all the money goes to those in politics, government and banks; everyone else needs to claw their way for better living or conditions; as in a competitive capitalist society. Because I am Canadian and our government puts so much money into education, I wondered why President Kagame doesn't do the same. My impression prior to being in Rwanda has been that Kagame wants to put education close to the top, but public schools (even though free) are often 70-80 people per class to one teacher and private schools are pricey for many families (with many of them single parents). The logical thing to me would be to give teachers better salaries if they are so important to the future of Rwanda producing businesses in English and French. Perhaps the demand doesn’t meet the demand of teachers (which is surprising because you don’t need any special qualification or certification in teaching in order to teach…anyone with a secondary school diploma can teach primary and anyone with a bachelor’s degree can teach secondary school). But teaching seems to be the prerogative of each family now; difficult to know and integrate English as most parents grew up learning only French, yet English is so desperately wanted now. It is a rough transition with most families knowing 4 + languages. Can language be a means to "progress"? Perhaps that is the wrong question as the culture is infused with languages; it seems more like the pressure of the government, even from a far, imposing on the minds of its citizens. Whether positively or negatively, seems to be someone that is duly trusted without question (namely President Kagame), with large framed pictures of him in homes, in schools, offices, and hotels. Perhaps putting hope in a person drives a people differently than ideologies or "dreams" do.
2) Kagame cares about property?! Or conservation? Is this a white-imposed sentiment?
In another conversation with my mama, she told me that they used to live in a house on Rubavu mountains, but was kicked out without given any compensation for the house they built with their hard earned money and only given one week to leave; an adamant eviction from the government itself. She expressed that it was so unfair and illogical, without any regard to the money used and their transition to find a new house, which is really hard to find as most Rwandans choose to build their own house. Apparently, everyone has been pushed off Rubavu to a certain imposed line for "conservation" purposes. Later, I heard from mama Quinne (another host mom) that they were sent away because the position of their house violated flooding regulations; this seemed like a more of a neutral response to me and I made me wonder what conservation really meant in the minds of the Rwandan government and to the citizens. Is there conflict between how an ideology and value is implemented and the vision itself? Perhaps this is the work of people working towards development; a struggle between a bigger vision against the perceived needs of a people. This may be what makes “progress” such a hard concept to put one’s finger on because everyone’s immediate predicament not only creates tangible inequality but inequality in the form of ideas and thoughts that fill ones person’s mind the majority of the time.
3) There is a deep wanting to get out of Rwanda for many young Rwandans, but a desperate sense that it won’t be so easy and nearly impossible. Walking with one of my good Rwandan friends one evening, he was in a deep trance as he smoked. I asked him what he thought about usually when he would reflect on life while smoking (to take the edge off he would always tell me). He said most of the time scenarios and fantasies of how he would one day get out of Rwanda and this life and make a living in a developed country like America, Canada or Europe. This response was definitely not out of place to how he lives and what he speaks of and strives for, but I was still shocked but how deep this wanting is. Perhaps it doesn’t help that he has so many friends from these places telling him how good it is and he feels left behind in all of it; in the whole “having-my-life-start-or-get-better” ideal. Money consumes him and the need to connect internationally as well. But he believes in hard work and not cheating his way to another country in other ways; though he sighs each day because of it; the borderline impossible for him right now because he has to live with several other families and can barely have his own place in Gisenyi. In Rwanda that is the standard and mark of a man: money to sustain a household and the means to be able to provide for a family. It is stressful to be living on the fence of two cultures and being pulled so much by both; one because it was ingrained in you and was chosen for you and the other something you painfully pursue because of where you have been and what you have seen and believe. I am familiar with this pulling as mentioned in my first reflection.