It's been a few days since I wrote anything (I wrote this 6 days ago...so...it's been even longer). We had our first weekend and it was lovely. We met several local people that Katie was put into contact with, thanks to her connections. It was a fun and informative weekend. I'm starting to grow a long list of things I want to talk about, so I guess I have material for several more posts.
Golf
Labor force and the living wage
Futbol
People we've met
The language
Adjusting (or not) to the ever-present time difference
Death of a fish
Security
Blackouts
Government structure.
I think today I'll talk about the haves and have-nots. It will involve several of the ideas above. :)
Our whole family had a lovely lunch at Lambert's house with his good friend, John. Lambert is Katie's colleague who runs the Bridges to Prosperity project. John is an economics guy. (can't remember if he teaches or what). While he gave us a lesson on the local economy, our delicious meal was prepared by Lambert's house helper. (I don't know their titles, actually) He is in charge of the landscaping of the home, security, house cleaning, and apparently cooking. Lambert pays him 50,000 RWF per month, which equates to roughly $45 USD. According to John, this is right about at the poverty line. I believe it was 1.20 USD per day. So, Lambert's house helper makes enough to be just above the poverty line EXCEPT, he has no bills. No rent, no food, no utilities. So, he gets to save nearly every penny he makes. I think he buys his own clothes, but certainly not cleaning supplies or food. So, he's pretty well off. This job is highly sought after by people without formal education.
The caddy that walked with me last week, Moses, makes 7,000RWF per round and he usually gets 1 or 2 rounds per day. That's roughly 300k per month, which puts him well above the poverty line. This was interesting news to learn, since a week earlier I thought, "how does this guy live off of $7.00 a day?" Food is cheap (if you buy it in little shacks or markets around town, not the grocery store), transportation is cheap, (you can walk everywhere or take very inexpensive motorcycle taxis), housing is cheap, ($30/month). So, I guess one can sort of get by.
THIS IS HOW 70% OF RWANDANS LIVE. 70% are at or below the poverty line of 40k RWF per month. However, I write this as I sit at Question Coffee that charges 3,500 for an Americano. We're renting our place (4bed, 2bath) for 1,700,000RWF a month. Golf costs $100USD per round (I bought a membership, so I get unlimited "free" golf). We went to a fancy dinner at Meza Molango and it was $315USD for the two of us. (most expensive dinner I've ever had...in my life).
So how is it possible that I can sit at a 6-star restaurant, while being served by people who make 10 times the poverty line, while I look out onto a hill that has lost power for 45 minutes, whose residents make $1.00/day? The disparity between those who have and those who don't is staggering. There are nice cars here that cost as much as they do in the US. So there are people who live here that can afford a 45k car and others that make $600/yr. No one is homeless though. (Or at least I haven't seen people sleeping on the streets or begging for money)
I don't really get it. It is a society of two totally different worlds. I'm not sure how to walk between them, especially when you add on our foreign status and our skin color. I will say that it seems so normal here that the resentment is not palpable. I cannot palp it. When we pull our rental car into the gate of our nice home, no one seems to be bothered by that, even while they clean their clothes by hand and dry their socks on our patch of grass that is outside the gate. I can't know what anyone is thinking, but I don't get the impression that there is a class war.
I guess one thing is that mansions with gates and servants are 20 feet from huts with no doors. I haven't quite found a slum yet, where there are no gated homes with landscaped yards. I've got some more learning to do, but I'm very confused right now.
This post was not funny. I am still funny. At least I didn't talk about the death we saw on Saturday. You're welcome.
3 comments:
Thank you to you both for these posts! You're brilliant when you're funny, Caleb, and here is your brilliance and compassion on a subject that is not funny. Also, sorry for the rough night and glad you're back in action!
I was touched by your statement “I don’t know how to walk between them”
Seems that to walk “between” is not even imaginable as the gap is so wide. I wonder if those who “have” just get further and further away so as not to see the struggle or hear the echoes of their own days of being the have nots.
I admire your acknowledgment that there is some learning to do and that you are confused.
I’m confused to, but there is an answer that likely has been waiting for someone to find and the sooner the better.
The previous comment was from Nana
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