Self help Program

Self help Project visit by Travis Slack

On March 5th and 6th, I visited two Self Help Projects that are located in the southwest corner of Rwanda.  Although these projects were a five hour drive from Kigali, the experience of these visits was well worth the drive.

The first project that I visited was a soap making project in a small village called Nyamasheke.  In addition to having a very cool sounding name, Nyamasheke is located in one of the most beautiful areas of Rwanda.  I was amazed at the stunning scenery and wished that I have discovered this place much earlier in my posting to Rwanda.

NYAMASHEKE....more than just a cool name

The Nyamasheke Association had already been manufacturing soap before they requested assistance from the Ambassador’s Self Help Program.  With the funds they received, the Association purchased additional tools and supplies to increase their output.  After the procurement of the extra material, the Association increased its output from 1,500 bars of soap to 6,000 bars of soap per manufacturing cycle.

Speaking of manufacturing cycles, I was given a brief tutorial on the making of soap, the Nyamasheke way.  In order to make soap, you will need the following ingredients: 19 Kg Palm Oil, 4 Kg Caustic (Wood Ash), 100 grams of wood alcohol, A dash of cassava flour and a A pinch of salt.
You combine all of the ingredients into a big tub, then you commence stirring and you don’t stop for thirty minutes.  Due to the fumes created during the soap making process, soap-makers must wear masks for protection.  One note on stirring:  When you begin stirring, you must pick one direction to stir (clockwise or counter-clockwise) and stick with that direction the entire time.  If you change direction, the soap will be ruined.

Soap manufacturing in Nyamasheke Self Help funded project

After the stirring is complete, the liquid soap mixture is poured into a wooden mold and covered.  The soap must then sit in the mold for 48 hours before it is finished.

With their increased soap output, the Association is now venturing into other areas.  One example is basket making.  I had the opportunity to watch one of the Association members making a peace basket.  It is a very tedious and time consuming process that takes two days to make one basket.

Nyamasheke association member  making a peace basket

Due to the long drive to reach these projects, I had to stay in Cyangugu for the night.  I stayed at a wonderful little place called the Peace Guest House.  For only RWF 40,000 you get breakfast and accommodation in a thatched roof bungalow.

Thatched roof bungalow at Peace Guest House, Cyangugu

In addition to good food and authentic lodging, Peace Guest House has exceptional views of Lake Kivu and Bukavu, DRC.

The next Self Help Project that I visited was a bread making association located in Cyangugu.  The Association members used the funds from the Ambassador’s Self Help Program to purchase a huge bread mixing machine.

Cyangugu Association President with a new bread mixing machine

After learning how to make soap, I wanted to learn how to make bread, so I was given a short lesson by the Association President.  Much like making soap, making bread requires the mixing of various ingredients.  In order to make bread, you need flour, yeast, eggs, and vegetable Oil.
The Association had been mixing the ingredients by hand, but now with the purchase of the electric bread mixer, they will be able to mix larger batches of bread dough and thus increase their output.  After the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together, the bread dough is kneaded and formed into the desired shape, and then placed on a cooking sheet.  The cooking sheet is then put into the Association’s oven.

Cyangugu Association member placing bread into the earthen oven

This is no ordinary electric oven though.  It is a handmade earthen oven.  The oven was constructed by first building a sheet metal fireplace and chimney.  The fireplace is located at the very bottom of the earthen oven and the chimney extends above the top of the oven.  Next, red bricks and clay are used to construct the physical earthen oven structure.  Two metal boxes with doors are inserted as part of the construction to make the oven complete.  Because the earthen oven is constructed mainly of mud, smoke rises from all sides of the oven and not just from the chimney.
In addition to baking bread in the earthen oven, Association members also make tasty biscuits by deep fat frying the bread dough in a pan over an open fire.  These biscuits, which have the taste of a doughnut, are the big seller at the Association’s store.

Although the Association’s bakery was functioning while I visited, it did sustain some damage during the February 3^rd earthquake.  A portion of the brick cladding fell off the Association’s building and cracks had developed on the interior walls.  Due to this damage, the Association stated that they wish to relocated to another building; preferably one that has electricity so that they can use their new bread mixing machine.

Building damage caused by the February 3, 2008 earthquake

All in all, my visit to these two self help projects was successful and enjoyable.  I learned how to make soap, make bread, and construct an earthen oven.  I also had the opportunity to meet some interesting people and to see a part of Rwanda that was new to me.  During my two years in Rwanda, I have always looked forward to and greatly enjoyed all of my visits to Self Help projects.  I hope that at my next post, I will have the opportunity to sponsor other projects.  It is a worthwhile and fulfilling activity and I encourage others to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.