Your trusted correspondent here in Kigali is pressing forward to write after a long day of meetings and journeys. Today we visited the women at Covanya and I had the pleasure of announcing to them that we will be receiving a good number of computers for them this summer. While we’re still working on the details of implementing a computer center and training program, we do have the computers. We’ve really been blessed. Anaclet and I also had a very productive meeting with the Executive Secretary of Bugesera District. He was quite favorably impressed with our program and offered to sponsor some basket-weaving training for Covanya. As usual with the Rwandan government, we’ve been surprised by their forthright and open support.
To get to Nyamata and many other towns, Anaclet and I take the public bus. Indego Africa doesn’t have its own vehicle and we take pride in travelling like everyone else in Rwanda. It’s more than that, however. As they say elsewhere in Africa: “It’s a pleasure.” I’ve noted before that the bus is a time both for reflection and, ironically, joyous merriment. It’s also a form of artistic expression. Rwandan buses are often colorfully-decorated and even more colorfully-named (see photos). I can't explain "Texas Salon". Anybody have an idea? Here is a selection of some of my favorite bus names:
To get to Nyamata and many other towns, Anaclet and I take the public bus. Indego Africa doesn’t have its own vehicle and we take pride in travelling like everyone else in Rwanda. It’s more than that, however. As they say elsewhere in Africa: “It’s a pleasure.” I’ve noted before that the bus is a time both for reflection and, ironically, joyous merriment. It’s also a form of artistic expression. Rwandan buses are often colorfully-decorated and even more colorfully-named (see photos). I can't explain "Texas Salon". Anybody have an idea? Here is a selection of some of my favorite bus names:- Shaloom (?)
- Hummer from USA
- Sean Kingston: The Big Up
- Lucky Dube Remembered Forever
- Brandon Lee
- New Jersey Nets: Vince Carter
- Yahoo! Express
- Day to Day
- Black Casanova
- Volcano
- Samantha
- T-Pain (?)
2 comments:
T-Pain is a somewhat irreverent rapper from Florida who's had several hits in the last few years. Those guys who drive that van are surely fans.
The new website looks awesome, and it's great to see my donations so quickly invested in Rwandan entrepreneurship. Thanks Matt and IAP!
Expressing yourself through painting slogans and art on small public buses in Africa is an acknowledged art form. Nigerian buses are famous for this with such inscrutable expressions as "Let Them Say", "Lucky Boy" or the Bruce Lee portraits painted on the sides during the 80's. Keep up the good work of adding to the awareness of the fascinating cultures in Africa that is a big part of Indego's mission.
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