Post 3: A Memorable Week of Food & Fun

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The Week at a Glance: 

These last few weeks have been filled with many new learning experiences and adventure. Before I get into the extracurriculars that we have been involved in the past few weeks, let me first catch you up on the status of the probiotic yogurt implementation. We have been working on sourcing material prices so that they can be purchased, and the production can begin. This has been a more difficult task than expected due to the wide variety of prices out there for similar materials. Additionally, it has been slightly more challenging than expected because we do not necessarily know which product vendors are best suited to ship such materials not only in a timely manner but in one that is still cost-efficient. To combat this issue, we have been seeking out multiple vendors for the same or similar products so that there are options in terms of how to receive the products either locally or through means of shipping. This is especially the case for larger bulk items which require more cost-effective methods in order to have a sustainable amount of income left-over after purchasing material. This left-over funding is necessary for items such as purchasing probiotic fiti yogurt packets and to have a start-up amount to jumpstart exterior fundraising options. 

New Food On Friday: 

Food. This is definitely a good place to start in terms of new experiences that have occurred this week. I have been introduced to jollof rice, which before meeting a new friend I had not heard of before. Our new friend is a chef and offered to cook jollof rice for us which is a traditional dish for her and her family from Nigeria. She cooked the rice separate from the meat so that I could have it, and additionally served it with the most delicious fried plantains. Being vegetarian has made it more challenging for me to try new foods while I’ve been here as often-times the vegetarian options are foods which I have experienced before. This made trying the jollof rice a really exciting experience and is it certainly something I will be searching for in Canada upon my return! 

Jollof Rice & Plantain Chips.

Run For Peace Marathon: 

We received a text message earlier in the week which told us about a marathon that would be happening on the Saturday. When we clinked the link to explore the site, we discovered that it was happening only a thirty-minute walk away and decided to sign-up. However, when we signed up, we were not aware of the marathon significance. Upon arrival to the marathon, with over 10,000 people in attendance we knew this had to be an event bigger than our original understanding of the event. It turned out to be an international marathon that was occurring in Kigali, called the International Run for Peace. There were participants from 48 different countries all participating in the range of running events from a full marathon, half marathon, to the peace run which was ten kilometres. It was a very inspiring event as there were such a wide range of skilled participants including children and families. Everyone involved helped to promote physical fitness among locals and the participants from abroad. Without training we opted to run the International Run for Peace, with our pictures even featured on the BK arena venue Instagram page! 

Pictures from the Kigali International Peace Marathon.

A View to Remember: 

Another spectacular experience was hiking Mount Kigali. While Mount Kigali is not what is expected when one says they are hiking a mountain, the views were absolutely breathtaking. Mount Kigali can be more accurately described as a very large hill which overlooks the bustling city on one side and rolling hills on the other. Although we have experienced varying levels of viewing the city, this outlook offered a perspective like no other. When hiking up the hill, there are so many places to begin the journey with all routes providing a slightly difference experience of the hike. Before we had left, we were reading about other visitors who hiked Mount Kigali and even read about a few that had gotten themselves lost, ending up on a military base situated on Mount Kigali. While hiking up the hill, there were houses scattered all along the way and even a horse ranch at the top. We were even told the horse ranch is the only place where horses can be seen in Rwanda with option of riding them at this establishment! Only Naomi and I were completing the hike together, which made it our first real activity without our friends help—we were quite proud of ourselves for our navigation of the city and for completing the hike without any hiccups. And luckily, we did not find ourselves lost on a military base being yelled at by soldiers.  

Pictures on Mount Kigali overlooking the rolling hills of the country.