Ah! … Ruvumu!
We waited as of 9a.m. for Yahaya, the driver of the Mercedes 4 X 4. An hour and a half later, the driver finally arrived. We went to two members of My School Bag organization that works with the Foundation Accès-Ecole Pierre Kirandage Duke and Jocelyne’s house to pick up all the notebooks, pencils and other school items planned for Ruvumu, the village of Seth Niyongabo, teacher and current president of the Foundation Accès-École Pierre Kirandage in Burundi.
Corinne, president of My School Bag organization, went to the B.C.B. (Banque de Crédit du Burundi) where Jocelyne works. At the bank, Corinne withdrew the money needed for the elementary school in Ruvumu. On our way back, the vehicle did not start. As we say back home « the car battery has gone dead ». We « boosted » the old Mercedes 4X4 with the van belonging to « Burundi Cleaning Services », owned by Jean-Claude. Once the car started, we filled it up with diesel and finally headed off, around noon, towards the national road 7 (RN7).
On our journey, marked by both a radiant sun and rainfall, we were mesmerized by the beautiful landscapes we saw while returning from Ruyigi : Mugamba a renowned region of the uplands. It was freezing cold, and we wrapped ourselves with warm clothes and tightly shut the car windows.
On our stop in Ijenda, we froze like Burundians in Alaska while eating kebabs and drinking Primus (local beer) and Fanta (a soft drink).
Our driver, Yahaya, drove like a professional, and got us to the tip of the Nile. In this region, the first three presidents of Burundi were born: Michel Micombero, Jean-Baptiste Bagaza and Pierre Buyoya. All three came from the same region and lived only a few miles apart.
At the Nile, not far from German Faults, Claude our guide, explains that we were about 6,735 kilometers from the Mediterranean where this legendary river ends. At a distance, we noticed drops of water flowing from a pipe embedded in a large rock. It was here that several explorers ended up searching for the origin of Egypt’s nourishing river. I washed my face, took some pictures, and included in these pictures Floris, an intrigued young boy who had been following us upon our arrival at the Nile.
On our return, we stopped at the Bamba market, a daily event for the local population. Everyone, young and old, looked at us and slowly approached us. If we greeted them, they started running away while cheerfully laughing. It reminded us of the young people we meet at the Thompson Hall theatre we attend in Trois-Rivières.
Suddenly, everything came to a standstill as if the market had frozen. It reminded me of the movie scenes in which our explorers meet natives for the first time. Ever so fascinating were their attitudes and the bright colors of the clothes they wore!
Some even approached me and tried to caress my arms… It felt like turning back the hands of time. It generated in me emotions of a rare intensity.
I was brought back to the present as Seth, our host, and the person who brought us to the market, nudged us to get back on the road.
We arrived in Ruvumu around 5 p.m. People had been waiting for us. We were greeted, as per local customs, by the leader of the neighborhood, the principal of the school, as well as Seth’s relatives and friends. Then, the teenagers, to the rhythm of a drum and a whistle, performed dances and songs in our honor. They thanked us, on behalf of the whole village, for visiting them and for assisting in the Foundation’s project. The project is headed by Seth Niyongabo who lives in Burundi and is the brother of Berchmans Nijimbere who lives in Gatineau, Quebec.
Through the Foundation Accès-École Pierre Kirandage which Seth and Berchmans direct with the assistance of the villagers, a very beautiful school serving 600 students of the region was built. The bricks are made in an establishment located about a 10-minute walk from the school premises. The bricks are then shouldered by the men and head-carried by the women to the school premises. This work was performed on a voluntary basis and is seen as the villagers’ contribution towards the construction of the school.
In the evening, we gathered in Seth’s house and his wife Médiatrice. They introduced us to some of the local expressions used by principals, teachers, and others. There were many people around a long table. As dawn began to settle in, people started leaving. They had a long way to go before reaching their home destination.
The evening was completed with a wonderful meal prepared, on an exceptional basis, by our hosts. They cooked bananas, beans, beef in sauce, spaghetti, potatoes, and a good, sweet tea with milk from Seth’s cow.
Michel and Daniel