Life in Rwanda

I realized I haven’t given much detail about life in Rwanda so I have decided to give you the top five differences that I have noticed between Rwanda and the United States. Enjoy!

1) Transportation

Getting around Rwanda is definitely not the same as America. The main forms of transportation do not include cars. Many people cannot afford their own vehicles which make buses, mini taxis, Moto taxis, and walking the main forms of transportation. On occasion I use private hires which are way more expensive. I live in Remera, which is a sector of Kigali and about a 20 minute drive into town. The main form of transportation that I use is the bus system. Rwanda has a bus stop but every half of a mile so it is easy to get to where I need to go, for a mere 180 francs, which is around 20 cents or something around that. The bus system does not only include actual buses but matatus, which are much more common. A matatu is a 15 passenger mini-bus, however, on most occasions there are at least 20 people crammed into each one, which makes for a very uncomfortable ride. When I was at orientation in Phoenix, they told us we would have to learn to “embrace the awkward.” I didn’t fully understand this phrase until riding a Matatu. When one row is meant to hold 3 people and 5 people are crammed in, sometimes including women with children on their backs or breast feeding their children, you learn to embrace the awkward, especially when it is the cheapest way to get around! For safety reasons due to happenings in Rwanda, I am not allowed to take the bus after 5pm so on most nights I have to resort to walking or paying way too much for a private hire to go places (Usually around $10-$15). The easiest form of transportation, the Moto taxi, is how I get to and from work every day. Yes, I ride a motorcycle to work every day. They are the fastest form of transportation and one of the only ways to get from point A to point B with nothing in between. Moto’s fill the streets of Rwanda, meaning anywhere you look, a Moto will be seen. And of course, there is always walking! In America, when someone says a place is close, this means it is within a five to ten minute walk and usually within sight. I learned very quickly that this is not the case in Rwanda. “It is close” could mean a 15 minute walk to a 3 hour walk. This is the most common way to get around because many people cannot afford transportation. I have truly come to love walking everywhere!


2) Weather

Because Rwanda is next to the equator and at a very high elevation, the weather is very consistent. There are two seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. The past two months have been the rainy season, but this does not mean it rains for five days straight like Arkansas. A normal day during the rainy season is usually sunny and around 80 degrees in the morning. Around 2 or 3 it will rain for about an hour and then return to blue skies and 80 degrees for the rest of the afternoon. At night, it is around 65 degrees which is cold to me now. For the past few months, this is how the weather has been every day. I have learned to take a rain jacket everywhere, because you never know when it will rain. One minute there won’t be a cloud in sight and the next minute it will be pouring down rain, which can be very refreshing most days. The dry season has now started and it doesn’t rain as often. Most days are between 75 and 85 degrees with clear blue skies and between 65 and 70 degrees at night. It truly is the perfect weather! Rob and I were discussing how spoiled we have been with the weather, and we will have spent at least 3/4ths of our 2010 in summer conditions. I don’t know what I am going to do when I come home to the extreme heat and freezing winters!

3) Greetings

Greetings are very important in Rwanda, yet very awkward. This is an example of a common interaction when meeting someone.

Person: Muraho. (Hello)
Me: Muraho. (Hello)
[A kiss on the left cheek, a kiss on the right cheek, another kiss on the left cheek, and finally a very long handshake.]
Person: Amakuru (How are you?)
Me: Ni meza (I am fine)
[If they are able to speak English:
Peron: How is your family?
Me: They are well. How is your family?
Person: They are well. Thank you for asking. How do you find Rwanda?
Me: I love Rwanda very much.
Person: You are welcome. ]
Me: Murakoze Kane. (Thank you very much.)
The end.

4) Concept of Time

Time does not exist here. The end. Patience has been a virtue that I had to learn very quickly when I arrived. I am so used to worrying about time but have learned that time just does not exist here. It is ok to take your time and go slowly, which has been difficult to get use to after coming from such a fast- paced society. When you tell someone to meet at one o clock, don’t expect them until at least an hour later, if not longer. TIA (This is Africa) is a common expression used here, and when I say common I mean at least twice a day. I have become accustomed to people being late and going extremely slow, as if time does not exist. A few days ago, Aidah, our cook, actually called me an African because I was finally late to something. It took me 5 months, but I have apparently become an African. Thank you, Aidah. TIA

5) Food

Rice, beans, chapatti, cabbage, boiled beef, sweet potatoes, and mattoke with bananas and pineapple: This is the traditional Rwandan meal that I have learned to like since being here. Variety is non-existent when it comes to food in Rwanda, mostly in the villages and areas outside of Kigali. Sometimes, if lucky, I can get a goat or beef brochette with chips (French fries). This is the typical Rwandan meal, although, I have been spoiled by my cook Aidah. I eat the traditional Rwandan meal when I am in the villages and for lunch every day but Aidah cooks breakfast and dinner for our house. She is an amazing cook and has been our house mom as well. We have a pretty consistent schedule in what we eat: Monday is American food, Tuesday is Tree Tomato Tuesday, Wednesday is whatever Aidah feels like cooking day, Thursday is Pizza Night, and Friday is African Food. We are always talking about how spoiled we really are with Aidah, with a home cooked meal every day. She is teaching me how to cook some of her specialties like apple cake and chapatti so I cannot wait to come home and make it!


These are just a few differences between American and Rwanda that explain the life that I have come to love. I cannot believe I only have 2 weeks left in this amazing country. I am trying to soak up every moment of it! More to come soon.

-Emily