Burritos, Art and a Fundraiser for the Kigali School of Music!

A new burrito place opened on the road that takes Bruce to work each day.  We tried

it out last Sat. and it is very good!  So, when Crystal called and said... "Wanna go to lunch and get a burrito" you know what i said!  Susan came too, but Lillian was not feeling well.  We had a great lunch and then headed to the Ivuka Arts Studio.

                             

Ivuka is a Kinyrwanda name meaning rebirth and this place has indeed 
seen a rebirth of art. This studio has been open for about 5 years.
Susan and Crystal posing in front!  I asked them to!
The studio is willing to allow CMU/Rwanda to display art pieces
throughout the 3 wings ---free of charge ---in hopes people will
want to buy them. We went to check them out to see if any would
work on the walls of CMU/Rwanda.  Several will!

I love this painting!  It is so typical of all the "motos" here in Kigali.  I think
this would look awesome in one of the student classrooms or the lounge.

Not to worry that is just a wall behind Crystal!
The artist in front was working on a piece that would be great
on display, too!

Both Susan and I loved the one will the yellow line to her right..
 It isn't finished yet, but when it is...it will find a place
on the walls, as well.  Innocent, one of the artist said we
had inspired him to get back to work and complete it.   

Debby from Colorado then took us to where the women were working. 

In this area there were necklaces being made, bags, wine bottle covers 

and coasters, etc.  She is helping these women get started on creating 

things that others in town aren't already creating. 

They will have their Grand Opening on July 14th.

 As of a few weeks ago only one of the women knew how to run a
sewing machine.  She is now teaching the others.
This seemed to be a little machine.. but they had about 4.
We had a great time visiting here and I'm sure I'll take some
folks back to see it again soon. 

 Following this I had a meeting with the lead fundraising team from AIC
 (Africa International Club)
 to organize the upcoming event for the Kigali School of Music.
We met here at the US Ambassador's residence before going downtown.
 Cindy, the ambassador 's
wife has been landscaping the property and it is beautiful!  

Apparently there had been so  much undergrowth or (over growth)  
that you could barely see the light posts before.

The view of downtown from the side of their yard.
Lionel came and picked us up and drove us --Cindy, Maria,
and me to the French Cultural Center.

 In the parking lot of the Center... stood this HUGE
Rubber (plant) TREE! It could hardly be called a
plant, but i guess it once was.   

One tiny little branch-- That we would call a rubber tree.

 This gives you an idea... of how big the trunks of this tree were.  
Our meeting held here consisted of:  Cindy, Maria, Machiko, the Japanese 
Ambassor's wife, the Director of the Kigali School of Music and the Director of 
the French Cultural Center and me. ( Yes, i felt a bit out-classed. ha!)


We were meeting to discuss the details of a fabulous concert that will take place Oct. 25 and will feature..Jacques- Greg Belobo!  He is gifting his performance and all the 
proceeds to the Kigali School of Music.  The ONLY school of Music in all of Rwanda! 


Below is a very brief description of who he is!  
I can't wait to hear him sing...

Jacques-Greg Belobo is an opera singer with the Semper Opera in Dresden, Germany. He began singing in his hometown of Yaoundé in Cameroon, where he won the first prize at the National Classical Music Competition in 1996, the first prize at the Aguimucla Competition of Yaoundé in 1997, and the first Medal in the International Diapason Competition in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Jacques-Greg Belobo’s performance at the International Diapason Competition in Abidjan earned him a scholarship to take singing lessons at the Summer Academy of Nice, where he worked on improving his performance techniques under the tutorship Michel Piquemal.

Our meeting was short, efficient and not finished....
More meetings to follow but we covered a lot of ground...
in French, Kinyrwanda, Spanish, English and Japanese.
The discussion ran.. mostly in French.  But amazingly
we all seemed to understand one another.  After the meeting
i had to take another picture of the tree from the other side.

 Cindy, Maria, the Music Director (I'm sorry.  
I have never gotten his full name.)
and Machiko.

The French Director we took leave of in the Cultural Center,
 so he is not pictured.  If you are reading this and you live
in Kigali or anywhere near, please save the date and plan
to come to this great concert on Oct. 25th... 

Stopped for some groceries on the way home and these are some
of my friends from the store. They always want me to take their
pictures.. so i do.  Copies of them are made on the computer and
given to them.  Then they REALLY smile!

Don't you just love it?

I am now, at this writing waiting for the last 10 minutes before the flight with
Nelda, Kristi, Amy and Bruce arrives from Brussels.  I couldn't write this before....
because it was to be a surprise.
Bruce met the girls in Brussels.  He just happened to be booked on the same
flight they were on.. so he was going to just find them at the airport and
surprise them!  Telling them that he came to meet them so they would make it to Kigali with no problems!!!!  I wish i could have been there to see their faces.

Soon I will hear the story....
in the meantime.... I will close but

today, Friday June 29, couldn't have been any better.

The VBS kids and staff from Hebron Church skyped and I was able
to see and talk to some of the kids.  They sang 2 of their VBS songs and it was all
totally wonderful.  Of course, it brought me to tears.  I miss them all so much!
The highlight was getting to talk to Wyatt, my grandson that was there.

Thank you kids, teachers, Ellen, Tami, Beth and especially, Barrett!

Love you all,
margie