So it wasn't all gore and hard work in Gisenye. Its actually a beautiful place on the edge of the huge Lake Kivu which sits between Rwanda and Democratic Rebublic of Congo. Its a very poor town and you see more beggars on the street here than anywhere else in Rwanda. There are people ranging from 7 to 70, with missing and deformed limbs, sitting on the side of the road begging for their livelihood. There are so many that you can't give to them all and it breaks your heart to walk right past them. While we were there we 'took on' a young street girl of 15. She had been raped by an uncle and was left with a child who was now 6 months old. She had previously had one leg amputated and walked the streets with a baby, crutches, and all of her life belongings wrapped in a sheet and balanced on her head. Her remaining foot was swollen and infected and my colleagues had put her in hospital a few days before I arrived. We would visit her and take her meals every day. Its frightening to think that this is life for so many here.
We were very lucky. We lived in a house about 5 minutes walk from the lake. A 4 bedroom house with large lounge and dining. I lived with 2 other volunteers, slightly older than myself, as well as a local interpreter, a house mum - who did the cooking and cleaning, and a house dad - who let us in the locked gate and kept us safe. The food was pretty good, and we had fresh brewed coffee every day. There was a very convenient pub right across the road from the house and we frequented this several times, indulging in the $2 beers and the local cuisine of goat kebabs.
Down on the waterfront there were several beautiful establishments and we had amazing bruschetta and pizza at the White Rock Bistro one night, sitting on the deck in the balmy warmth and watching the sun set over the hills of DRC. We walked to the border one day, it only took about 10 minutes. A very industrious place with people coming and going by car, truck and on foot. There were also several people with adapted wheelchairs. Disabled people who were making their living by transporting goods between countries. I thought this is actually a great charity idea to provide some of the beggars in Gisenye with adapted chairs from which they can make a living.
One evening we drove around the lakeside to a lodge called Paradise Malahide. Its a gorgeous place, with lush green grounds going right down to the lake edge. We had a couple of beers and met up with a girl we had met the day before at the health centre. A journalist from Belgium. So we had a couple more beers. The sun was getting low as we set off and we passed a small fishing village where the boats were starting to make their way back in. Huge flat canoes with large poles set off the back from which to drop their nets. ![]()
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Whilst in Gisenye I also took the time to visit another orphanage. This one was slightly different to mine, in that it has 600 children. Yes. Thats right. 600! Unbelieveable. My colleague was working there and had some concerns about a couple of the kids that I said I would have a look at. We manage to communicate anough with the staff to tell them why I am there, and before you know it there are several more kids being carried into the consult room to be assessed! Oh well its good to be using my skills again. And they all had legitimate physical disabilities so I was pleased to be able to offer some advice to help. We did a tour of the centre and visited the special needs unit where there were about 20 teenagers and young adults with intellectual impairments. The orphanage has its own farm with cows, pigs and coats. It has a mammoth kitchen with the biggest crockery pots I have ever seen. I saw several albino african children who get shunned by the community, and hundreds of toddlers running around playing. We were an exciting novelty and found it very difficult to get away! Gosh I think how my kids are so affected by lack of love and attention, then I look at these poor mites who are in a family of 600!
After our visit to the orphanage we head back to the lake and visit the Serena Hotel on the lakeside. It is a luxurious hotel that has its own private beach and wonderful waiting staff. We enjoy the afternoon with another couple of beers on the beach. We have a discussion I have had many times since being here. How can we sit in this luxury, when there are children in orphanages? Beggars on the street? People going hungry and struggling for their life and livelihood? There's no easy answer to that I suppose. I like beer. And I guess its kind of a sanity saviour too. It can get a bit full on day in day out, and hey, if a beer on the beach is all you need to relax, why not! I have to be honest and say my guilt was minimal.
So that about sums up my time in Gisenye. Managed to fit a fair amount into my few days here. And although I did indulge in a few luxury beverages, I have to say that my time at the Health Centre was by far the most incredible and memorable. I feel very honoured that I was able to get the opportunity to work there. How can I ever forget something like that!
