Moray woman's aid mission to Rwanda
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RWANDA is known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, and one Elgin voluntary worker can vouch for the country’s moniker.
Katherine Milne has just returned from a six-week aid trip to the African Republic, which is rebuilding its economy after being torn apart by the genocide of the mid-1990s.
Mrs Milne, of Lesmurdie Road, has completed a dozen similar outings to countries around the world, including earlier projects to sub-Saharan Africa in 2008 and 2009.
During her latest six-week stay, Mrs Milne lost 28lbs in weight due to the diet, heat and labour intensive work.
However, she gained hundreds of friends and was overwhelmed by the spirit and unerring work ethos shown by those she met.
"I went walking on my own to the markets and all around the villages where I stayed and I felt safe as the people are so friendly. You smile, shake hands and say Moraho (hello), Amakuroo? (how are you?), Nemesa ( I am fine). I shook hands with hundreds of people," she said.
Dividing the six-week stay between the villages of Gahago, Kibrizi and Cyangugu, Mrs Milne helped to paint two classrooms, construct the foundations for a new mud-walled house, and taught English.
Thanks to local support, she was able to take children’s clothes, balloons, skipping ropes, pencils, notebooks and soap to her hosts.
"The young people I taught English to belong to the Nehemiya Association and are also taught sewing and card making. The guild donations, which I received, helped them buy a sewing machine and cloth and they were full of joy.
"The other donations I received from local guilds and groups went to buy wood to help with the construction of a new house for a 74-year-old lady and her family," said Mrs Milne.
Visits to a mobile clinic, local churches and a school for children with disabilities were also on Mrs Milne’s itinerary.
"During the stay, I lived in a basic poor house – the toilet was a hole in the ground and a bucket of cold water was the shower," she said.
"Access to water is a problem and because it is so hilly, natural springs are found deep in the valley. I walked the sandy, winding track down and counted 694 steps on the steep hillside then walked home, carrying 20 litres of water on my head. Every child carries two containers each, to collect water to take back to the village."
On Lake Kivu and bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mrs Milne said women would regularly appear over the border via a bridge on the Ruzizi River to purchase supplies.
"Many, many women walk across carrying empty sacks to buy food and charcoal at the market and then walk back, 20 or 30 miles, carrying these huge heavy loads on their back," she said.
In a country with few roads, very basic health care and lacking utilities, nothing is wasted.
"Sandals and shoe repairs are made from old bus and lorry tyres, and if you need a ladder you make one from two trees and nail branches across for rungs.
"All worn shoes are mended, repaired and sewn; radios are repaired; and lamps are made from empty pilchard tins," Mrs Milne said.
Terraces created across the hilly terrain allow the land to be cultivated, with cabbages and carrots among vegetables grown. Cassava and sorghum are ground into a flour, which is mixed with boiling water to form a porridge-like food.
Rwanda’s economy has seen strong growth over the past decade, driven by coffee and tea exports coupled with expanding tourism,
However, poverty remains widespread and the country remains highly dependent on aid.
