You may be wondering why my blog posts have been petering out lately. It’s because, over the past few weeks, I’ve spent a great deal of time working on some of IPHR’s internal initiatives and on the IPHR website (I will send more information about this soon!).

However, during this past week, I did have the opportunity to travel to Gishamvu (located in the southwestern part of Rwanda) with IPHR’s Yves. At this event, Yves sat with many poor Rwandans who have heavy legal matters on their shoulders. He listened to their stories, heard their concerns, and offered free legal advice on their best course of legal action.

(You can view more photos of this event by selecting the photo below. This will take you to my Flickr album and, from here, you can scroll through the other photos taken in Gishamvu.)

Gishamvu – Free Legal Aid

Also during these past few weeks, I’ve had plenty of time to get used to the local cuisine!

Food is a big part of any culture, and Rwanda is no exception. So, I wanted to share some of this culture with you.

Breakfast: From what I’ve experienced, people aren’t big on breakfast here. At most (and depending on what people can afford), a typical breakfast may consist of eggs or some form of bread, such as amandazi (fried balls of dough – see below). Coffee or tea is also standard!

Amandazi

Lunch and Dinner: Foods that can be commonly found on a Rwandan lunch plate are also fair game for dinner cuisine.

(Select the photos below to read the descriptions of the food.)

Imvangae, Isombe, and Inagaa

Full Rwandan Meal(s)

However, it should be noted that many Rwandans only eat one of these two meals  — and, in fact, it’s common for Rwandans to only eat one meal a day.

Interestingly enough, I’ve talked to many Rwandan men (okay…at least 5) who have told me that they don’t enjoy eating. They prefer to eat one meal a day and only because they have to. I’m not sure of the reason behind the phenomenon, but it may help explain why many Rwandans are very thin!

Fruit: The fruit here deserves a section all to itself. The fruit in Rwanda is SO. GOOD. – especially the mangos and pineapples. Fruit is often eaten here in place of dessert, at the end of lunch/dinner.

Mmmmmmm…I shall really miss these when I return to the US!

Fruit in Rwanda – So Good!

Bon Appetit!