During Umuganda every able bodied person is expected to participate in this unpaid community service. Businesses are closed and no public transportation operated during this time.
Projects might include digging ditches, sweeping the streets, building houses, clearing land or any other activity that is helping to improve their country.
Here at Urukundo our day started for everyone at 6:30am to participate in Umuganda. Yes I was up too. The choices were to use a machete to cut the grass (too dangerous and a real talent), sweep with small brushes (not good for my back), pick up trash (that's for little ones), muck the stalls (not before my coffee), prune banana trees (again too dangerous) or garden. Now that's just right! So I headed off to the gardens with 3 girls and 6 boys for an hour or so.
At 9:30am, camera in hand, I walked into the middle of the deserted street which on other days would have been bustling with activity. Not even the market would be open until 11am.
Did you know you can't bring plastic bags into Rwanda? They are banned. Umuganda is part of making Rwanda one of the cleanest countries in Africa. Anyone who know about Rwanda will tell you it's a beautiful country and it is!
No comments:
Post a Comment