Rwanda - Day 8 & 9

I know I didn't blog yesterday.  I was gone to church and then to my daughters house all afternoon.  By the time I got home and did chores I was ready for bed.  So today you get two days.....

January 30
I got up this morning at 6:45.  Jemrose made me couple of pieces of toast and a cup of tea.  Got all my goat books ready and also my ice water and some bread slices.  I worked on a projection for the Sanctuary for 10 years.  I figured Jodi would start with 10 does and by the end of 6 years she would have about 70 does and producing a substantial amount of milk for cheese.  I think I revised this chart about 5 times, each time adding another calculation on the milk production. I also gave Gashumba,    ( co-op organizer), a copy of my rough draft so that his organization could see what was a possibility for the Dairy. 
Jodi was here at 8am  we drove to pick up Gashumba so he could help us translate the idea with the women's co-op.  We also picked up Zilvana (the Russian horticulturist).  She is going to work with the guys at the sanctuary and the veg. and banana plants today.  We left her at the Sanctuary and left for our meeting with the women.
We have a meeting with the Women's Co-op today.  We met at the Women's location rather than the sanctuary.  There was a big garden area next to us that isn't in the pictures.  I think the ladies understood what the proposal was, but they still didn't like the idea.  So we explained another alternative.  In the end I think they all understood what we were trying to propose and they will let us know after they talk to their families about this idea.

Some of the Women's Co-op under the tree for our meeting

It was a long meeting and as you see one of the little boys took his nap

One of the women from the Co-op. 

 This is how we met several times with the women.  Jodi is in the background too.

We went back to the Sanctuary and picked up Zilvana and went back to town.  We dropped the two passengers off at their stops.  Then headed to  Jemroses house so I could change clothes and go out to Pizza with Jodi.  She is the Quiz Queen at this restaurant on Monday Night.  Its a fun evening to answer questions and see how much you know.  If you get the most questions right your whole table gets a free dinner and second place gets the whole tables drinks free.  This restaurant uses Jodi's tomato sauce on their pizza's.  We had a fun evening and I was home by 10:30pm.  I was ready for bed.

January 31

Got up this morning at 6:45 am, made myself some tea and toast.  Jodi got here with the tomatoes tat needed washed, cut and  mashed for the sauce.  She brought some of her workers to do this task.    Jodi left the tomatoes here at Jemroses house and took the workers to  go with her to the freezer where she had some more sauce. So Jemrose and I got into working on the tomatoes, cleaning and cutting.  Jemrose had to take her daughter back to the dentist and had to leave, so I just kept working.  Jodi got back and her workers took over the job.  I went out to the front porch and started revising my spreadsheet.    When the sauce was done, Jodi took it and her workers to deliver it to the restaurant.  I thin had some lunch and the girls showed me how to wash my clothes.

I am sitting on a traditional Rwandes chair for  doing laundry

Claudine is in the pink shirt, and Marie Claire, and of course me

Marie Clair

                                                        Claudine


Now the truth is this was all staged... cause they said I didn't do it right.  The girls washed my clothes and I sort of washed cause they said I didn't get everything clean enough.  I was so surprised that the whites were white and the socks were spotless.  Its crazy how clean everything was.  Thanks girls.  I never washed again the whole time I was here.  The girls were great.  They even wash their shoes and sandals about every 4 days.  My tennis shoes were so white.
When we got done washing clothes we hung them on the clothes line.

When the  laundry was done we were just hanging around visiting when we heard a swam of bee's.  They came into the back yard area by the clothes line.  It was huge.  We all ran into the house, shut windows and doors quickly so the bee's wouldn't come into the house.  We watched the swarm through the window's.  Its illegal to kill honey bees in Rwanda.  As we watched the bee's left between those two buildings in the  back there.  Then we went back outside.  I got onto the Internet this afternoon.  Checked my emails, put alittle bit on facebook. 
We ate dinner: cauliflower, broccoli, boiled pumpkin, fryed banana and potatoes and beans.  It was very good and filling.
Then we had prayer and to bed by 9:05pm.  I have to be up by 5:30 because tomorrow is "Hero's Day" and Faustin is taking me to the Stadium where it will take place.

I want to throw a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my eldest daughter, Jami.

The Farm Report

Yesterday we didn't have any new babies born.  We let the boar mom's and kids out of their pens.  They were so cute running around in the field.  Ali and I went to church yesterday in Longview, about 45 miles.  Then we went up to Heathers, my #2 daughters for chili lunch and Ali and Jamie worked on her college applications for financial aid.  Jonathan came over and helped with chores in the morning and then went with us.  He also helped us with evening chores.  We reheated up left over spaghetti for dinner. 
Today we had a photographer here to take pictures of me and the cheese for the article they are putting together about the Rotary Club Benefit.  The Chronical.  I packaged all my restaurant cheeses and cut up a round of Grande Rosa for the photo's. 
Have a GREAT Day.. Its sunny, windy but no rain!!!)