What I’ve Learned: “I have learned much more than I had anticipated”
Written by Lindsey Woods — Dec. 30, 2019
This trip to Rwanda has already been eye-opening. We have only been here about a week, and I have learned much more than I had anticipated. Here are a few of the things I have learned while being here in Rwanda:
The food here is good, but veeerrrrrryy heavy. One of the staple foods from Rwanda is potatoes. So far, I have had chips and boiled potatoes at every meal — even breakfast! The country is reliant on its agriculture to feed its people, which has been something very eye-opening to see every day.
My knowledge of Kinyarwanda before coming was zero, but I have learned a few words. The group and I learned some common greetings and phrases, and the people really appreciate when we speak it to them. Just saying “muraho” (hello) to the locals really seems to make them light up and smile when we pass by. The language is hard, but seeing the people cheer up when we say small words makes the difficulty worth it.
The people here live off of very little money. Our guide, Ivan, told us during a driving tour in Kigali how the majority of the population lives off of $1 a day. The currency equivalent to $1 US is 1000 Rwandan francs. The price for food here is only a few cents in American currency, which is hard to believe. Seeing just how little some of these people have makes me feel very fortunate for what we take for granted in America.
There are plenty more things that I have learned on this trip and I expect and hope to learn even more. Being able to travel around the city with our local translators has been an amazing experience because I have been able to ask and listen to the traditions that go on here from a person who has firsthand knowledge.
