Personal stories from the Rwandan teachers

Working alongside Rwandan teachers gave me opportunity to consider the differences between the UK and Rwandan educational systems. Both have their merits. Rwandan teachers were notably committed, working double shifts in difficult conditions with no food but this got me thinking. Are UK teachers less committed or does it just not show up as well?

One of my teachers asked at the end of the session if he could have the single sheet of flip chart paper I had used. The following day I saw this paper recycled and re purposed as a learning aid for his "lower learners." A lot of effort had clearly gone in to this. Would a UK teacher have done the same? With the use of IT in UK schools I wonder if people's strengths get hidden behind powerpoints, smartboards etc. It was certainly very liberating having to teach with only a piece of chalk to support you. I really started to enjoy it. Perhaps western teachers have grown too reliant on technology.

When we ran conferences, the teachers were generally familiar with many of the pedagogical techniques. The difficulties were how to apply them within a Rwandan classroom. They understood the merits of group work but moving big heavy wooden desks was heavy. They understood they needed to carry out regular AfL but without paper, how was this possible? I learnt a lot exploring this with them and between us we all found ways of achieving using whatever was available. For them it was making the most of the resources they do have whereas for me I hope to use significantly fewer resources so I can focus much more on the learning - the connection between teacher and pupil.

Our teachers were teaching in schools with no water and therefore no sanitation. Children came to school hungry and there was nothing the teachers could do as they too were hungry. A teacher gets paid roughly 40,000 RWF a month (£40) which is barely enough to get by on. I was touched by the story of one teacher whose aim in life was to save enough to buy a cow (600,000 RWF) so he could better provide for his family. Teaching in Rwanda is becoming a respected profession but there appears to be a way to go. Certainly, in the UK, it is unusual for a teacher to have to miss meals. Everyone moans about their wage and I do believe teachers do an awful lot for what they earn but when compared to the Rwandan teachers it is difficult to feel hard done by.

I worked with a teacher with a story common to many in Rwanda. She had returned to Nyamasheke, her home district to teach as she wanted to educate the children of this district. She kept saying it was very important to her but never explained why so during one break I asked her. Her eyes lowered and she said that she had to leave 23 years ago but she came back when she could. She is roughly the same age as me. This is a common thing for Rwandans to say. Her family were killed in the Genocide but she managed to escape and survive. For these teachers, education is essential. There is a sense of sadness about the country but also one of hope. These teachers are driving this, ensuring the children get a good education so the atrocities of '94 are never repeated.

To address this, the curriculum has completely changed. The language of instruction is now English - a challenge for many adult Rwandans. Leaving Rwanda, I sat next to a lady on the plane and chatted the whole way to Nairobi. She was a proud Rwandan, who explained she had had to leave the country to go to university. Her whole schooling had been in Kinyarwanda or French but she was due to start university during the change to English. It was simply too hard to study for a degree in a foreign language so she had to go where her language was spoken. She now speaks impeccable English and hopes to visit England one day. She'd be more than welcome.

But this got me thinking about our teachers. Primary teachers are teaching in Kinyarwanda until P3 then English when their first language is likely French. The challenges are immense and I noticed many lessons not meeting their objectives due to the language barrier. Yet the teachers persevere and achieve good results. And, as with everything in Rwanda, they do all of this with a warm, wide smile.

Final week!

The final week dawned and brought with it a number of school visits - each one showing more and more positivity. I was astonished at how much progress the teachers made during our short visit. I hope this progress continues and they support each other with this in the future. I saw a lesson on different chicken types where the teachers love of teaching and of her children was evident; I saw a P1 lesson on body parts and ended up joining in with the singing and I was astounded to sit in on a P5 lesson on compound interest. All of these teachers put their own spin on our shared techniques and the children were incredibly enthusiastic. It was with a great deal of sadness that we said goodbye to the schools only wishing we could stay longer.

We boarded the buses with a huge sense of accomplishment as we left Ishara for the final time. The journey was quiet, many were exhausted but all were happy that we had had a positive impact.

Kibuye was a very different place. It was similar to a swiss resort but with that special Rwanda edge. We had lunch, eventually, then went out on a boat in the afternoon to peace island where we swam in the lake. This was a great way to unwind after all the school visits. It turns out our helm was a Rwandan Olympic swimmer. He was nice and allowed me to helm us home. We saw a lot of otters even though it was hammering with rain.

The next day we went out on the boat again but this time to bat island (Napoleon island). There were hundreds of bats flying around and the noise was terrible. Most of us scrambled to the top of the island where the views were incredible. When we returned to the boats, Jackson went swimming - an olympic masterclass!

We left Kibuye the following day tired but mostly ready to return home. My bus turned into a Disney / showtunes sing along which was fun.

Once we had settled into our rooms back in Kigali we went for dinner in Papyrus, a chinese restaurant with panoramic views over the city. It was stunning but felt very surreal. Nyamasheke was very poor and this seemed alien to the conditions we had been living in. Never the less, the change in food and comfort levels were well received and everyone had a lovely evening.

The following day we all left for our flights. We had been booked onto a long route which allowed plenty of time for contemplation / sleep.

What an incredible summer we all had. We were so lucky to be able to work alongside the Rwandan teachers and each other and I hope that all involved will continue in this positive way.

Week 2 - School visits

Our first school visit did not go well. As I mentioned previously, only the main roads in Rwanda are good. The rest are dirt tracks, poorly maintained and with rickety log bridges to cross. Our taxi driver was rather determined. Unfortunately our taxi was less so and ended up sliding off a log bridge into a ditch! Within a few minutes the whole village had come to see what was happening and lifted the car back onto the road. Now, Mr Taxi was very determined and crossed another two of these bridged before getting stuck. By this time we had to call it off and opted to visit our car share partners school which actually turned out for the best. I saw a mixture of Primary lessons and was pleased to see the teachers attempting to use some of the techniques we had shared. Our coaching conversations went relatively well although, again, we struggled with the language barrier. These teachers were so keen to learn and share ideas and had a real desire to understand the theory behind the techniques. Working with them was a truly humbling experience. Considering we weren't even supposed to be at that school, we were welcomed with open arms, hugs, songs and huge smiles. The head teacher proudly showed me around his school and showed a real interest in our project and how we could ensure it's longevity. By the time the taxi came to take us back, my passion for teaching had been reignited. I was full of new ideas and so excited to get back into the classroom.

Mr taxi, clearly still feeling guilt about the morning now tried to get us to the original school. Unfortunately it did not go well. The other road was still being constructed. No problem - we will just drive under the digger! Eventually we reached a bridge which was simply too narrow for a car and at this point we had to insist he turned around and took us home. We were parked across a road and, rather embarrassingly, a wedding party was coming. The poor bride had to walk in the mud on the edge of the road whilst Mr Taxi attempted to turn around. Mzungu!

The following day, everyone was up early excited to see their other schools. I knew mine was on the main road so felt more confident of a successful day. However, that day was a special day for Rwandans. It was the inauguration of President Kagame and it had been decided that morning that schools would not open so children could watch or listen to the ceremony. This gave us a spontaneous day off and additional planning time which is always useful.

The weekend saw the third and fourth day of conference. For these sessions I moved groups and actually got to work with the teachers I had observed on Thursday which turned out well. They worked hard, had a lot of laughs and showed a much improved skill set. During the closing ceremony all teachers were presented with a certificate and it was with a great sense of pride that I saw both of my groups at the front smiling and waving. I could not have asked for better groups. So inspirational.

Week 2 - Nyungwe

On Monday we travelled out of Nyamasheke to visit the Nyungwe forest for our "weekend." The landscape here was even greener, still as mountainous but the banana plantations were replaced with the lush greens of tea plantations and forest - absolutely stunning. We stayed in a town named Gisakura. There was a slight hiccup with accommodation but everything turned out fine and our host was particularly attentive! During the afternoon we went for a walk as a group through the tea plantations. Strangely, it reminded me of the vineyards - the mountains covered in a patchwork of different greens.

Tuesday warranted an early start; 4am to get into the forest early. It was absolutely worth it. After an hour bouncing around in a jeep watching the sunrise, our ranger, Christopher invited us to get out and explained that we must go quickly as the chimps were not far. We started off on paths. It was humid but relatively easy underfoot. Suddenly he turned off and started cutting his way through the jungle with our group following, desperately trying to keep up. This was not easy. The ground was steep and uneven and branches and leaves were flying at us, apparently from all directions. We stopped, abruptly. Above us was a chimp peering down from a high tree. We were silent, hardly daring to breathe for fear of startling him. Slowly he climbed down and without warning, scampered off into the jungle. After a few seconds we followed. He led us to a family in an idyllic tree. They had made nests for the babies. Christopher said there were eight babies. I definitely saw four. They were playing and stuffing their faces with fruit. We followed the family around for a while, watching them as they interacted. The sound of the family communicating with others in the jungle was phenomenal, piercing through the trees. Truly unforgettable.


We returned to Gisakura and I went to Eagles nest and sat with a soda trying to make sense of the morning. We could hear monkeys around us but, at that time, we didn't see them. Eventually some of the others came back and we decided to go on a tea plantation tour run by Ric. He was so knowledgeable and has led an incredible life. He walked us through forest and tea explaining all stages of tea production but also telling tales of Rwanda. I have no idea how far we walked but it was fascinating.

The next morning my group went further into the jungle to walk the canopy walkway - a series of bridges strung high above the forest. This was scarier than I had anticipated but the views were like nothing else. Our guide sung at us as we crossed to calm everyone's nerves which resulted in a group disney sing off - in harmony.

I think it's safe to say we all thoroughly enjoyed these excursions and the memories will stay with us.

Week 1 - Kigali and Nyamasheke

Week 1 saw a number of challenges. For many, arriving in East Africa was a major culture shock. The temperature, the people, the food, the roads...everything was different. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the road was, then shocked at how poor anything but the main roads are.

Our first day was spent in Kigali, visiting the Genocide Memorial. This gave us all a better understanding of the struggles the country has been through and the struggles it continues to face. It truly is incredible how the country has been rebuilt after such a horrific event. There was a notable sense of sadness and pain as we travelled through the country but this was overshadowed by an incredible sense of optimism and purpose. Everyone was proud of their country and keen to share the successes they have seen and the plans they have for the future.

I was also surprised at just how friendly and welcoming the people were. As our busses drove through town after town we were greeted in the same way. People would stop and stare then a shout of "Mzungu" would ring out. People would wave and children would start to chase the buses cheering, smiles the width of their faces.

Eventually we arrived at our accommodation, Ishara. The view over lake Kivu was simply stunning. Our rooms were simple but we were lucky to have individual en-suite rooms with double beds. I say en-suite: water was intermittent and we regularly resorted to using jerry cans of water for washing etc. But as time went on it started to feel like home. Many people made friends with the local wildlife with fellows sharing rooms with geckos, spiders, frogs and bats! I was lucky to only notice a small cricket.

During our first week we spent time planning, having a language lesson and generally settling in and preparing for the weekend's conferences. We realised that Rwandan cuisine was a little less varied than at home and we grew accustomed to an evening meal of rice, beans, chips and goats. Much excitement happened one evening when peas were served!

Our first conferences went well. Over 200 hungry teachers arrived in time for breakfast of sweet tea and a bread roll. These teachers were so well turned out and cheerful. Some had walked over three hours to be at the conference and had willingly given up two consecutive weekends to take part. Rwanda teachers have a special enthusiasm and passion for their job. Their working conditions are not great with large class sizes (50 or more is not uncommon), little paper and pens and certainly no IT. Teachers work double shifts, often have no lunch and do all of this for a very poor wage. Yet these teachers had walked huge distances to work with us.

We all delivered our sessions, trying to adapt them so they would be as useful as possible, each of us feeling a heightened sense of responsibility to make the project work. Our teachers were thoughtful and receptive and many were willing to challenge us meaning everyone was able to develop. Unfortunately, for some, there was a language barrier as their grasp of English was poor but everyone adapted and found ways to overcome this. My first teaching mentor said that one of the keys to teaching is flexibility - she was so right.

On Sunday night we celebrated completing the first phase. By now the team was very tight-knit and we shared our tales over dinner, keen to get into schools the following week to see our teachers in action.