The deed is done

We launched 'our' telecentre last Friday. Huge excitement. Everything fell into place at the last second, according to classic project management theory. They know how to celebrate here; with great food, fantastic traditional dancing, tons of visitors in fancy suits and big-ass cars (driving down those bumpy country lanes, getting their tires all dirty), TV crews, reporters. Apparently, the launch made a 10-min slot on the national news (which we sadly didn't see).

The minister for ICT made us chuckle a couple of times; in his speech to the people at the ceremony. He first promised to have us 3 students back, coz we had done such a good job. Fine by me. Then he addressed the US-AID representative Ryan directly, asking for more money next time, "to make the place look nicer". That was when Tim, our project sponsor, turned around to us, smirked, and said "but we like it that way"... I'm still not used to the fact that people don't believe in euphemisms as much as we seem to have become dependent on. Our Rwandan friends cheerfully explained why another student was called 'sweet potato'; because she was so big. She didn't seem to mind at all. People just call a spade a spade.

I got very emotional when the 3 of us handed over the certificates to the girls, or I should say, the ladies who will be working in the telecentre (TC) every day. It's apparently a big thing to receive a training certificate, with signatures from all of us (yeah, those names will ring bells with the big guys..) and from the project sponsors. The girls looked intimidated, as they had so often during our 5 weeks together. But very proud, and very very happy. And we had established a connection with them, which is all that matters. 5 weeks ago, they didn't know what email was. They now send all of us emails pretty much every day. It's when they ask questions from us (are you married, do you want children, how do you like Rwandans..), and when they tell us they're happy. It's huge - they're going through this crazy roller-coaster of basic computer training, more training on how to run a TC, yet more training on how to behave like a businesswoman, then skills assessment and selection of the final 2 who made it as staff members.

It's over for now. All of us, Kylan, Ashley and I, are worried, like parents whose kid is going to school for the first time. The TC is our baby, from beginning to the end. Everything here is relationship-based. No wonder we got so attached. It's going to be tough, turning it into a sustainable bizniz, shreeking high infrastructure cost and little understanding of French, let alone English, let alone computers and all. Have tried to enrol all human and institutional support for the TC managers we could get our grubby hands on (often by shamelessly exploiting our status as young inviting buzungus). Will see what happens.

I'm at the National University now, at NUR, trying to organise research contacts, to make sure it's not the last time I'm here. That would be aweful.