Frequently Asked Questions

I wanted to take some time, since I have no school these days, to answer some of the common questions I hear about my life in Rwanda. I also wanted to clear up some misconceptions about how I live and do daily tasks. Please remember, if I don’t answer your question or this lists sparks more questions for you can always contact me by clicking the Get In Touch button at the top of the page. Since there are so many questions that people want me to answer, this will be a 3 part post over the next 3 days.

So lets get started.

1) Do you have electricity?

The simple answer is yes. I do have electricity, like almost everyone in my village. This being said any wind or rain turns my power off, but it’s never off for more than 4 days! So, its really not a big deal. There are a few volunteers in Rwanda that have no power at all, or only solar power, but I got lucky. I pay about 2,500RWF (~$2.5) a month in a prepaid box on my house using my phone. Like I’ve said in previous posts, people are always willing to help out if your neighbor doesn’t have power for a few days.

2) Do you have a toilet?

Honestly I don’’t fully understand this question, but I receive it a lot. I do not have a traditional western toilet, but I have a latrine behind my house. Personally, I am very happy with my latrine and prefer it over having a toilet. I put my trash down the hole, and it all stays outside making things much cleaner. Also, in my village you need to walk to the valley to fetch water the majority of the time and in dry season sometimes up to 1 hour each way. Soooooo, having a toilet would mean sometimes you are choosing between flushing your toilet or having water to cook and drink. There are volunteers in Rwanda with traditional toilets, but many would prefer a latrine for this reason. After I hurt my ankle, I couldn't bend to use my latrine so I had to cut a bucket to place over the hole in order to use it.

3) How do you shower?

Again, I don’t fully understand this question either, but I do understand that if you have not traveled a lot you wouldn’t know how to bathe. I bathe by bucket bath. This means I have a bucket and a cup. I boil some water and mix it with cold water until I like the temperature. I then use the cup to pour water over myself to wash my hair and body. It’s not as difficult as some people I’m sure are thinking. My bathing habits definitely have changed since being in Rwanda, but I try to wash my body everyday (especially since I started running again) and I wash my hair about twice a week (thank god my bangs grew out!). I view my daily bath as a luxury in village and truly live it up, meaning I use way more water than necessary and always warm up water for it. I have come to love my bucket bath and I know I will never go camping without bathing anymore.

4) Where do you buy food? What food do you buy?

I know, I know! Everyone has been waiting for a video of my market. It’s coming, I promise, but it hasn’t been as easy to film as I would like, so I’ve attempted and failed about 5 times now. That being said, I have a night market in my village that happens every night. While this is limited I go to buy potatoes or tomatoes when I need something for dinner. Twice a week, there is a large market in a town about 30 minutes walking from my village. This is where I buy fruit, veggies, and other necessities I need for the week. There are also more robust boutiques in my market town, where I can buy houseware and other pantry items, like milk and oil. I also don’t even leave my house for somethings. Since, all of my neighbors are farmers I can often just ask and someone usually has what I need. Everyone now knows I eat a lot fo avocado and eggs and neighbors will come sell them to me (usually sending their children) right at my door. As for what food is available in Rwanda, its basically the same as in the US. While where I live has a small selection of vegetables than other places (i.e., carrots, peppers, green beans, and cabbage), zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, and all sorts of vegetables are available year-round. A lot fo tropical fruits are available at all times, I eat for much pineapple, passion fruit, bananas, and guava you would be disgusted, but apples and oranges are also imported to be sold (I buy these as a luxury, as they are pretty expensive). The one thing I miss eat regularly is yogurt and cheese products, which are difficult to find since refrigeration is very limited. That being said, you can find almost anything in Kigali if you’re willing to pay (usually I’m not since I barely get paid). I’ve found grapes, kiwi, fresh mozzarella and even different types of fish in Kigali, these just come with a pretty hire price tag.

5) What is the name of your village? How big is it? Where exactly is it?

I have mentioned this before, but I will say it again. I will never give the name of my school or village for security reasons. Because this is a public platform I will keep my immediate location private to ensure my safety and the safety of my community. That being said, if you ask anyone within about 5 miles of my house where Ivey lives, they’ll know. I do live in a small village with no more than 300 people (total guess) in it. My area doesn’t just consist of my village though, so my students can come from about 20 different villages around us.