A Rwandan Survival Guide

(1) Brace yourself because Rwandans start early.  Expect chirpy 5am phone calls, and for the office to be in full swing at 7:30am!

 

(2) Clear your diary before departure, as it will be filled with weddings, funerals, graduations, presentations, family visits and scrabble tournaments upon arrival.  If you manage to get your hands on some traditional Rwandan costume for the said occasions, much the better, and prepare for compliments and thumbs-up at every turn! 

 

(3) Enter the minefield of Rwandan greetings.  What will it be this time... the handshake?  The hug?  The half-hug?  The wrist-shake?  The cheek-touch repeated three times?  The cheek-touch repeated twice followed by the forehead press...?  Pray that you are behind someone else so you can copy what they do!

 

(4) Buy a Rwandan SIM card (approximately £1) and brush up on your Rwandan-mobile-phone-use-etiquette: if someone rings you for a fraction of a second before hanging up (known as "beeping"), they want you to ring them back!  Likewise, don't expect protacted, gushing goodbyes (or even a goodbye at all) once the reason for the call has been established.  Its all about saving airtime!

 

(5) Prepare to marvel at the gravity-defying acts of the locals carrying items on their heads.  Tree branches, eggs, crates of glass bottles, sewing machines...  how do they stay up there??

 

(6) It's time to learn some of the local language.  Muraho (hello), amakuru (how are you), ni meze (I am fine) and murakoze (thank you) should get you started. 

 

(7) Pack your bags (squeezing in some office stationary if you can - blu-tack proved particularly useful at my placement!), and brace yourself for a trip of a lifetime.