Amata! (*)

(*) Milk.

Delft, January 20th 2014.

Saturday morning, 11.00 a.m. 

When I arrive at the gates of the Kanombe Museum, they are waiting for me. They, Mbabazi and Richard Mukunzi and Joselyne Murekatete .  A lot happened these last weeks between them and me. Mbabazi and Richard as managers of Abatarutwa, both extremely dedicated to the company, friendly and firm, examples for what we could define as ‘good leadership’.  Joselyne, a typical ‘product’ of Abatarutwa, with the same qualities but also one of the best dancers I have seen for years, keen to learn and to teach others, willing to invest, to exploit her capacities, at the same time fragile and shy but determined to pursue the goals she has defined for herself. So, imagine the scene when Egide and I arrived and them standing proud as peacocks lined up to give me a present for the past weeks of collaboration. Even without a present I was moved by their presence. We all laugh nervously while I’m unpacking clumsy. The woodcut represents a couple, man and woman sharing milk with each other. In Rwandan society, giving, sharing milk is a symbolic gesture. It seals union between people being it between men and women, parents with their children, amongst family and friends; in this case between Abatarutwa and me. Yes I will hang it on the wall as soon I arrive home. No, I will not forget for a moment what unites us!

The previous week was filled with all kind of farewell moments after my return from Gisenyi. I had a dinner at Sylvie’s & Maurice. The encounter with the kids proved that at least two of them are a wonderful proof of equally divided parentage… the looks of the tranquil father, the character of dashing mum. What a wonderful family.

Next on the agenda was, sealing the collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Culture. Serge Guillaume organized a meeting with the P.S. wherein I could clarify my report addressed to the Minister a few days before. I’m extremely thankful to Serge Guillaume for his permanent dedication and to all the people who made the Contemporary Dance Workshops successful.

Another collaboration was sealed with Dr. Aimable Mugarura, owner of the Culture Lab. We are planning the creation of a Centre Rwandais de la Danse - Rwandan Centre for Dance. Meanwhile he will also explore collaboration with Abatarutwa.

My last evening was reserved for my host family, or shall I call them my Rwandan fosters. Egide, Francoise, I think if we look back throughout the years I can better call them my Rwandan family. Despite the absence of the children we went out for a dinner with Tharcisse and Adeline for a last round of Mutzig and Waragi. How wonderful and magical to meet that same evening in Africa someone whose name is Africa!

A few hours before my departure uncle Innocent came to the house for a last farewell and the not so Saint Guillaume came diabolically for a last temptation…

And then there was the airport. And then there was a plane taking me off…

Despite the weird attempts of St. Guillaume to promote water I share symbolically Amata with all those people I will mention hereafter. It is my tribute, my attachment to them and their relatives.

Francoise, Egide, Rolande, Loris, Alvin, Nounou,  Aron, Dear, Espé & Co, Tharcisse & Adeline & kids, Innocent,  My dancers family Abatarutwa and especially Mbabazi, Richard and Joselyne and her family, Emmanuel – mon chauffeur !, all the UNESCO-IHE alumni and especially Carine, The Minispoc staff and especially Serge Guillaume, the Rwandan Embassy Staff and especially H. E. Jean Pierre Karabaranga, Rwandan Ambassador to the Netherlands  and Guillaume Kavaruganda… the family of the friends and the friends of the family who always gave me a warm welcome, Aimable and ALL the Commando’s of the Culture Lab … proud to be part of them!

At the home front, Chris & Ronny, my Belgian family being there at the departure and arrival and feeding me before and after. Assiyeh for sharing the food at Chris and Ronny before my departure and for taking care of my Delft residence.

Catherine for coming to teach with me next year!

And spread all over the world, showing the nomads we are… Ana, Pato, Véro, Elena, Joana, Erica, Angela, Angelica, Jessica, Juliette, Carolina, Stefania, Maria Laura,  my Colombian Fosters,  Aki, Benno, Yared, Mauro… et tuti … y todos… et tout les autres… the whole bunch of Rwandan UNESCO-IHE participants in Delft…

…And last but not least the Milkman who drinks water: Guillaume (and family)…

To all: Raise your glass and enjoy the Amata that unites us.

"My Rwanda I love your hills but your people even more."

Time Management

Gisenyi, January 13th 2014.

Greetings from the Kivu lake shores. Sitting on the balcony of my hotel room with a great view on the Kivu lake in Gisenyi  I address you my last Rwandan news letter from inside the country. Purpose of my stay here is to order my thoughts and write an initial report for the Minister of Sports and Culture whom I hope to meet before the end of the week.

This morning I made a long walk on the beach some soft music from my earplugs and the sound of a lost rippled wave. My thoughts are emotional and I tried to order last week's events.

As you could imagine the big black hole after three weeks of intensive dance teaching opened its doors after one day of inactivity. So the second day I decided to go with Egide's children to the swimming pool of a nearby hotel owned by a friend of the family. For the first time since my arrival I was able to read a book (on the I Pad) with a glass of beer... no stress, no thinking... thoughts on zero. In the evening family visit to a long time friend... conclusion...Guillaume drinks water instead of milk, or maybe he has the capacity to change milk into water, what I dare to doubt as his religiosity is not that big compared to the one of most Rwandans. After all these years I'm still wondering how so many people are attending services in churches after what happened in those churches during the genocide. But I have to say that in this as in other matters I and others have to respect the will and the thoughts of the inhabitants of this magnificent country. So slowly the discussion if yes or no 'mon' Kagame (some people tend to call the President 'ton' Kagame when I spread his words and messages on my FB) will run for another term is growing and it will be an internal decision of the Rwandans that nobody should criticize from the outside world as this country is a heaven of security and peace amidst a central Africa in turmoil... again.

So Saint Guillaume did it again, as predicted, he's drinking water and makes his guests drink something a bit stronger. I could resist the Waragi this time but the week is not yet over and also Turbo King is still on the wish list.

If you think Kigali's 'The Culture Lab' is something as a cultural nightclub in Ethiopia then you are more than wrong. Aimable, owner of the place wanted to see me to discuss the possibilities of what we should call an aerobics based on traditional dance steps. The talk evolved into a broad discussion about arts in general, and you can imagine more in particular traditional and contemporary dance and the possibilities and limitations of professionalizing dance art nowadays in Rwanda. It's a hallucinating experience to have such a talk on the hook of a bar surrounded by a bunch of only men drinking out loud beer, eating brochettes and roasted corn and only revolting for one second because the match on tv is interrupted by a power failure. Beer and food soothe tempers. I was wondering why my glass was never empty that evening and I was awarded the title of Commando despite the fact I didn't mount the hill upwards the street yet. Later I made it without any rope so the title was justified. The talks with Aimable will continue this Thursday... I think on a safer place, lol.

On Friday morning I experienced again that time management in Rwanda is a key issue. After we changed several times our schedule for the day I was having a coffee at Bourbon's reading five times the Rwandan Times (what's in a word...) and what was supposed to be a break of one hour turned out to be a 'double'. Ladies and Gentlemen as the word Time Management seems to be a dirty word here in the country, also according to many of my counterparts, I took the brave decision to delete it from my Rwandan dictionary and to replace it by a new term: 'Les quelques secondes de Françoise' or 'Françoise's few seconds'. I leave it to linguists to translate this new idiom into Kinyarwanda.

Friday evening turned out to be the moment to meet UNESCO-IHE's Alumni. I can say without any hesitation that I know them all since my special relation with the Rwandans at the Institute. It was great to see them all and despite the absence of a few who canceled for private reasons but whom I saw on other occasions we had a great evening, good food and drinks in a fancy bar 'Chez Yves'.

On Saturday afternoon I gave a 'master class' to Joseline Murekatete, Kanombe based Abatarutwa Cultural Troup's star dancer. She's one of the most fantastic dancers I have seen for years and she's the exceptional result amongst other dancers of the fine and warm policies of that company I'm honored to work with. In April we will launch the 'Agaciro' movie at the occasion of the 20th Remembrance of the Genocide against Tutsi and you will all see the quality of Abatarutwa and its dancers.

In the evening I was cooking for the family and this dinner was the start for a series of goodbyes. Alvin, Loris' inseparable cousin, and staying at Egide's house for almost the entire vacation, left the house with his mother and I will not see him again after my return to Kigali. Together with Loris he will go to a boarding school and they stay there for almost three months. The same happened already with Rolande, the eldest daughter one week ago. The house will be so empty at my return Wednesday. Lucky us, Nounou will entertain us, once her grief for all those departures is over.  I love those kids a lot, we had a perfect time together and a lot of fun... and they were so valuable during my classes, translating, filming and always helpful. They are a blessing for everyone.

As i told you at the beginning of this letter, I'm writing this from the balcony of my hotel room and in between I had a lunch and a nap. The weather is perfect and despite these are my last days in this paradise on earth I don't feel too sad -for now - that I will have to go back to cold busy busy Europe with spoiled people bathing in luxury. Luxury here are friendly, nice hard working and dedicated people, even poor enjoying life! Once back I have a lot to do... editing the movie, talks to create a platform for contemporary dance in Rwanda with the support of dance platforms in Europe, finding scholarships for talented Rwandan dancers and making decisions about my own future. Quit a program isn't it? For the latest news of my last days this week I refer to the next news letter that will be written from Dutch soil...unfortunately.

UNESCO-IHE Aumni gathering...

UNESCO-IHE Aumni gathering...

UNESCO-IHE Aumni gathering...

UNESCO-IHE Aumni gathering...

UNESCO-IHE Aumni gathering...

Abatarutwa

Kigali, January 6 2014.

Abatarutwa: we are the best...

Dedicated to the Dancers and Staff of the Abatarutwa Cultural Troup and to the Cabinet Staff of the Rwandan Ministry of Sports and Culture.

The 'Abatarutwa Cultural Troup', is a traditional (now also contemporary) dance group of young men and women, largely orphans. It was formed as a way of creating jobs for themselves while exploring and deploying their talents for the good of the country.

For Abatarutwa group members, the fact that they are still alive is a high value for which ex-combatants, who sacrificed their lives for them should be thanked.

I had the privilege to work with those young men and women for almost three weeks. And despite the logistic difficulties and communication problems due to the language it was an incredible experience, physically and emotionally, for them and for me. When I saw their faces yesterday at the end of the show case in Kanombe receiving their certificates from Jean Butoto and signed by the Minister of Sports and Culture, MITALI - K - Protais, himself I was so proud of them for their involvement and achievement.

I will have two weeks free of teaching now before going back to Europe but I know that before the end of the day I will already miss working with my 'kids'.

Last week Monday we brought a visit to the Genocide Memorial in Murambi with the six main dancers as they wanted to be confronted with the mummified bodies of genocide victims to go into their roles they had to 'dance' in the 'Agaciro'  movie. First there was the fact that the guide forgot the keys of the classrooms where a thousand bodies are kept. But as we came mainly for that they persevered in waiting and when the keys arrived almost four hours later we could finally enter the rooms.  Meanwhile we visited the permanent exhibition with the excellent guide and we had a question and answer session in the conference room. If you ever go to Rwanda, you have to visit Murambi if you want to really understand the atrocities of genocide.

Once back in Kigali I was exhausted after two trips to Butare and surroundings in three days, but the views of the landscapes along the road from Kigali are a must see! I was with the family on a wet! wedding on Saturday and on Sunday we visited family members in the Butare high countryside.

Last Tuesday we finally started the last preparations for the movie and we were rehearsing the whole day in a classroom in the National Stadium Amahoro. As it was too difficult to organize proper logistics to make the movie in Murambi we had to look for alternatives. I could clearly see the impact of our visit to Murambi in how the dancers were implementing their roles. After a day of hard working and a late nap at home I was heading for a New Year celebration in a very beautiful house somewhere in the hills surrounding Kigali with some fifty family members and friends. Delicious food, good drinks, nice conversations, music and dance till 8 - read eight - o'clock in the morning... at six I closed my eyes seated in one of the luxury sofa's but the lady of the house served  breakfast at seven and after that the whole bunch of people started drinking and dancing again. As usual I was the only white skinned (don't dare to call me muzungu) and the oldest of the company but after all not unsatisfied about my presence there.   

I have spent January First sleeping, napping, resting, yawning. Happy New Year to all of you!

On January second we made the 'AGACIRO'  (our dignity) movie!. It's about the genocide dead reviving and become strong children, women and men again.

I had two cameramen, twelve dancers, two small camera's (thanks to UNESCO-IHE and Rob!) a classroom and the National Stadium Amahoro to realize the movie in one day!

A realistic movie director shouldn't even start the job but we did it and we made it. The editing has to be done in the Netherlands and I'm already eye winking to Maria Rusca and Rob... ;-) The movie should be ready for launch during the 20th commemoration of the genocide in April.

Yesterday during the show case in Kanombe the dancers performed 'Agaciro' for the first time in public and the audience was touched, affected and moved.

Friday evening I took the brave task of cooking pasta for a bunch of twelve people (five adults and seven children) There is like an Italian supermarket in Kigali where I could buy most of the ingredients. I think I was quite successful as nothing was left from three kg of pasta, two kg of sauce and one kg of meat. I had even to prepare another 250 g of pasta + sauce etc. for Aron the manservant of the family who had a fantastic evening seeing a man cooking. He finished his plate completely and enthusiastically although he found those long spaghetti difficult to handle.

Today Nounou went for the first time to school but was send back home because of the tresses (dreadlocks) in her hair...meanwhile she's back from the hairdresser and Francoise will make a new attempt tomorrow! This afternoon I go with the kids to the swimming pool of a hotel nearby (the hotel owner is a family member) and later I have a meeting in town with Evariste the former president of the Rwandan participants of UNESCO-IHE, doing his data collection in preparation of his MSC thesis....  Coffee time in Bourbon Coffee Kigali....mmmmm.

All this is a survivor kit for an addicted dance teacher facing vacation.

'n0tes' dance: https://vimeo.com/82683622

'AGACIRO' Invitation for first live performance in Kanombe.

Dancing the flu away...

Kigali, December 27, 2013.

This morning I ended the second week of dance workshops with a super enthusiastic group. I arrived in time but for once the dancers were waiting for me. They jumped and lifted as young foals...what they are! Next week we will make the 'Agaciro' movie. Monday we travel with the seven principal dancers to Murambi where we will visit the memorial. For them it's the first time they will be confronted with the genocide atrocities over there. I think it will be very confronting but they absolutely wanted this to be able to dance their role in the movie.

The last couple of days I miraculously recovered from flu by dancing it away and the exceptional good health care in this country. I tell you, Dutchies of the world... you should envy it. Let me challenge you; on Sunday 8.30 pm we drove to a general practitioner unit a few streets away, no I didn't had to make an appointment... , and ten minutes later I sat with a doctor after a nurse had measured my fever and taken my blood pressure! Instead of talking to a computer screen I was confronted with a human being who was not afraid of examining me and, at least giving me the impression, being concerned by my too high blood pressure. Another fifteen minutes later I got my medicines in again a local 24/24 h. pharmacy, staffed by a charming lady pharmacist (yes I know... I have that uniform fetish and as in Africa, black is really black and beautiful, white uniforms have even a bigger impact on that particular deviation of me).   In this country everyone has a proper medical insurance adapted to his/her income and as a matter of principle I will not hesitate to declare the stupid low amount of money I had to pay to my insurance company in NL. So less than 45', read:  forty five, minutes later I could take my medicines without be confronted with a cumbersome administration aimed to refrain me from searching for care rather than helping me to cure a.s.a.p. Since I'm living in the Netherlands I always thought that 'la médecine de la brousse' was better than the Dutch health care... la preuve est faite!

The next day, despite the worries of my foster friends I took the way to the Stadium to teach. I tell you, dance teaching in this condition is not recommended...  sweating like a bullock I gave my class and I hardly reached the seat of my car afterward. Sometimes it feels right to have your personal car with driver, this was such a moment! Once at home an ice cold shower and a few 'Mützig bien tapées' (my favorite local pale lager beer, ice cold too!) in combination with paracetamol, antibiotics, coughing syrup and a blood lowering medicine provided a miracle.... I was almost my normal self again.

We have spent Christmas evening at Egide's favorite aunt's place. If Christmas means family well than I fulfilled all the modalities with also a visit to Françoise's sister Espé on Christmas Day, since my last visit married and the proud mom of a very active son... a family gathering with a fantastic view on Kigali from the terrace, a non disturbed nap on the luxury coach.

Boxing Day in Kigali hangs somewhere between a normal working day and a normal working Sunday as busy life never ends here, so I had my own schedule for the 26th of December. First I attended a meeting in the old Bourbon Coffee with a film maker of pre-colonial movies. Celestin is driven and passionate about the history of his country and even plays as a warrior in his historical movies made to show the well structured society Rwanda was before the colonial period. We discussed some projects he's involved in and he will look to find me some cameramen for the dance movie we will create next week. Meanwhile already one of them confirmed.

I met with Carine K. and we had lunch at one of my favorite places in Kigali, eating chicken and fries with salad. Mmmmm... a 'Poulet, frites, salade' at 'La Galette, a  German Bakery & Butchery, restaurant, supermarket in the center of the city, I tell you,  heaven is not far in Kigali for the Belgian who I am, after all. 

http://www.livinginkigali.com/reviews/kigali-restaurants/la-galette/

Heading for home... enjoying the rest of a peaceful Christmas break.

Rest. La vie est belle!

Jumps and Lifts class

La Galette with Carine K.

La Galette

La Galette with Carine K.

La Galette

NouNou's siesta.

Christmas at Kigali.

Ndi umunyarwanda!

Kigali, December 22, 2013.

Never thought that I will write my first Rwandan Newsletter sitting/lying in my bed. My summer flu came early this year or is it late!?

The weather in Kigali was not particularly good this last week, and the mix of heavy rain/thunderstorms and sunny hot weather is detrimental for someone's health. So almost everyone in the house is coughing and sneezing and yesterday I had to pass to go for a wedding... staying in bed and I guess the program for today is looking pretty much the same.

Also the intense contemporary dance workshops are playing a role... I'm teaching in a huge hall that suffers from the hot vs. cold outside and as I make my dancers sweat I have to sweat myself too. The plan is to go and have a rest in Gysenyi, the second week of January but I think I should have start with it instead of teaching first.

The climate change here is also clearly perceptible. Four years ago I hardly had a rainy day, now I experienced exactly two days without rain since my arrival. A heavy thunderstorm this week caused a lot of material damage and the lost of four people. The open sewers turned into swirling rivers and this heavy rain causes a lack of running water because the tubing gets clogged in Kigali, I suspect through the mud, and also because the pipe system is not sufficient.

My days were very organized because of the teaching... preparing my class in the morning and teaching in the afternoon. Despite being tired we went out a few times in the evening.... experiencing a very good band in the famous Hotel Milles Collines while eating brochettes with Francoise, Egide, Tharcisse (IT Manager at Heineken Rwanda, lol) and his spouse, and another brochette evening with the children last Friday.

Rolande the oldest, almost fourteen now, was translating the whole week during the workshops and she did a marvelous job. Loris and Alvin filmed. Let me introduce you to Nounou the youngest... almost four and speaking fluently Kinyarwanda and French. She's smart, funny and beautiful.

The family's new house looked as a palace to me at arrival, but you can see on the whole territory of Kigali immense houses arising and people are even building small apartment buildings for renting on left over parcels next to their house. For one moment you can even imagine being in Tuscany as more and more roofs have that wonderful red clay color.

More and more streets are asphalted and clean. If you shouldn't know better you would think that Kigali is the capital of a rich oil country but all of this is the result of good management and good financial management. Every euro and dollar invested in this country is well spent.

About the dance workshops...Especially the dancers of the Kanombe company are willing to learn and very dedicated. Despite the distance they come every day and you can see the cohesion between them also with former dancers of the company who are also following the classes.  After first talks last week I think I will accept to become their contemporary choreographer, creating one 'contemporary' dance every year as they really want to explore this next to their traditional dances. I could also invite other choreographers to work with them. They are very talented dancers but I also respect them a lot for their involvement in all kind of projects going on in Kanombe. They sing, dance and play the drums as if it is the most normal thing in the world and most of them have a job e.g. selling shoes in the streets of Kigali or being a plumber. Others are still studying. And then there is Joseph, he is a Rwandan athlete, dancing traditional and always the first to appear in my classes, he is playing the drums and teaches it to children, he sings and as I could also see last Friday he is a great standup comedian.

All of the Kanombe dancers were involved in the organization of the closing ceremony of the Holidays in Museums Program. As guest of honor I witnessed a fantastic show in the former Presidential Palace Museum as the result of a two week educating activity for children between 12-15 years about the traditional Rwandan way of life. It was all about traditional dance, sports, fashion, composing of poetry, art and special dialogues on the 'Ndi umunyarwanda' (I am a Rwandan) program.

With a lot of conflicts in Central Africa at the moment this Rwanda here is paradise, a paradise made by their own hands and always searching to increase their unity despite the horrible past. Artists and scientists from all over the world should come here to support this little country to become a beacon of light for the rest of Africa.

Closing Holidays in Museums Program...Milk ceremony. 

Francoise, Adeline, Egide at Milles Collines.

Kigali lane.

Nounou

Amahoro Stadium