VSO Education Sector Conference

We’ve just got back from a three day conference in Kigali at the Amani Guest House where we were lodged when we first arrived. All of the education volunteers attended and it was organised by a committee of volunteers. It was very useful and most of the presentations were very relevant to our work. Well done to the organising committee. One of the things we had to do was to arrange for four of our local Headteachers, four teachers and four children from Primary 5 to attend on the second day along with the same from another district and a group of Teacher Training College students. They were looking at Rwandan Education as it is now and how they would like to see it in the future.

Having the students expressing their hopes for the future of Rwandan Education was extremely enlightening and it was humbling to hear that the three desires on the top of their list was for “two to a desk”, “cement floors” and “clean latrines”.

One of the best parts of these gatherings is the opportunity to meet up with other VSOs. All seem to be doing well and surviving the challenges of being a VSO volunteer.

We were the only ones to leave on Friday evening as we felt we could get home so we took advantage of celebrating again in the Dereva Hotel on Saturday night with a steak and chips Rwanda Style, pushing the boat out for our 133 days in Rwanda and counting. You know us – any excuse for a celebration even when it’s not one!