Week 11

It is really busy with the run up to the Performance Contract Review.

The DEO is constantly asking me to help him learn how to improve his documents. I teach him how to insert tables of contents by ensuring text he want in the table is categorised as a Heading 1, 2 or 3. He works with two local headteachers who are very good at suggesting adjustments to his documents.

He asks me to attend the Headteachers’ meeting at a local school on the northern edge of Kabarore, I have not been this way out of town before. I am to talk about the importance of accuracy in the school census. We get there in the Mayor’s car accompanied by the local army commander. They make some initial comments and leave.

The classroom is set up with 29 double desks so that it can take classes of 58. Headteachers keep arriving and they are sitting 2 or 3 to a double desk until finally there are 82 present. This is a high turnout as there are about 120 schools and some of them are remote and a long way from Kabarore.

The DEO and I in turn comment on the census. Hard copy is to go to MINEDUC having been handed into the District Office, whilst the DEO also wants heads to provide him with a soft copy.

I take heads through the four different documents though all of them have common sections. This makes it easier for me to explain. I am provided with a headteacher whose English is amongst the best I have heard as we move into the final part of the meeting which is about finances and resources. It seems that there are two particularly important elements. Schools are reminded that they and not the district pay their equivalent of National Insurance and this needs paying by schools to the Caisse Sociale de Rwanda (CSR). They apparently have the funds delegated to them in their capitation grant. The second key point is that accurate employment records are needed at the district to ensure each teacher is paid properly. They suspect that they are underpaying by about 3 000 000 RwF each month. (c £3 000 pcm) and have been doing so for some time. They want to get this sorted so each head is to collect the forms and return them completed by the end of next week.

This Saturday is our “safari” trip to Akagera National Park. I will have to stay in Kayonza overnight on Friday as I am being collected at about 6 a.m. near the roundabout by the bus park.

I cannot go on Saturday morning even if the buses normally run early enough as it is umuganda (community service) with it being the last Saturday of the month.

I get to the Home Land Motel and check in, couldn’t book by phone as it was impossible to get this from anywhere. Have a nice room with en-suite shower room. I get all excited in the bar as there are beef brochettes on the menu! However, when I try to request them they have sold out (a large conference was at the motel and they had eaten all the beef, as well as all their goat meat). So I settle on two fish brochettes and chips. What an excellent choice as the fish was the best I’ve had in Rwanda so far. Beautifully cooked, moist on the inside with a crisp coating, delicious.