The Kroghs in Kigali!: The Essential Oil Fields of IKIREZI and the Village of Hope

Last Tuesday was an AIC outing to the fields where they grow and distill

essential oils. They've been doing it a long time here so we drove about 45 min.

out into the country and hills until we arrived.

This was the beginning of the incline.

We all started the hike up. Not as bad as the gorilla hike
but it was certainly more than we all anticipated.

This was the first leg before we turned the corner
and went on up!

Still climbing!

This guy was really bawling and running in circles... (not penned)
with one leg tied to a stake... thus the circles!

Still going up... Some of the women were popping open their
umbrellas to shield the heat.

Just turning the first corner...still climbing steadily!

Along the way were several little houses and lots of kids...

This is Naho... She works here with the NGO
and she is the one who told us about it.

We reached our destination but still not quite to the top of the hill.
You are looking at a field of geraniums here.
The workers were busy cultivating.

Checking out things while everyone else got up the hill....

Many of us greeted some of the workers that were taking a break.
They seemed very glad we had come to see what they do.

Still only about 1/2 the group has arrived....
In total there were about 40 of us. Some came a bit late.

Better shot of the fields. They spread out for acres and acres.

Still waiting for some of the stragglers. And the kids are coming up too,
to find out what we are doing.

This is Nicholas... the director of the place.
He was so informative. I will never remember all that he told us.
But I do remember him saying that about 400 workers are employed
on these fields and others in the area as well as the distillery and
the Village of Hope.

And these must be the workers children. They loved being photographed.
This is a typical picture of children caring for and carrying younger siblings.

As you can tell all the kids have their hair cut the same way..
but i do believe that this little
smiling child is a girl and the others are boys.

They seemed to be welcoming us and saying hi,

while these guys were putting on their tough faces....
at least for a couple minitues.

These eyes... aren't they soul searching?

This is the tough guy from above... melting! I love this picture.

These little loves were very hot and little britches had very wet britches..
Most of the babies out in the country here don't where diapers so they just
change their outer clothing... if they have another pair.

He loved it when i tickled his chin!

Ok.. we are all here. Amity... in brown has recently returned to
Kigali for a visit. She and her husband ran a tea plantation
here for 20 some years but they just retired and moved back to Sri Lanka.
Everyone here misses her!

Nicholas is teaching us all about the fields. All
the leaves are gathered from the plants and dried and then taken
to be processed.

This is the geranium they grow here. It doesn't smell like ours at all. It has a very soft lemony smell and is apparently a great mosquito deterrent. In some ways it looked and smelled a bit like citronella.

Nicholas said this particular plot of ground is extremely productive.
The light and drainage must be just perfect for great growth.

The plants right above the geraniums are "cow grass", a plant grown for the cows to eat that really does just look like grass!

Coming up higher into the fields

and looking down into the valley.

The boys: checking things out! Love this picture.

As we continued up into the fields we found the lemon grass.

Acres of this, too! You can distingush this from the cow grass because it is
a smaller plant and it actually looks yellowish.

Just the fields.

Some stayed in the shade...

Others took off to see all the plants.

Looking over the fields.

Chillin' on the level ground.

Just talking!

This little beauty was along the wayside on the way down the hill.

Finally Freedom and cow grass for the cow!

Almost back down to the cars before we go to the distilling place.

We drove about 2 miles down the rode and started up another hill.
Check out the size of the bananas growing on these trees.
Can you find the big bunches?

Jan leads the charge.

Here we go up again.

A long ways from the cars again.
Good thing Naho had told us to wear walking shoes.

And THIS is how the oils go from dry plants to oils.

Just a small pile of dried geranium. Only one oil is made at a time.

All of us listening to Nicholas explain how the process works.

The heat source or furnace, which is used to boil the water. Direct fire, a fire built under the retort is the oldest method for heating the still. Today, we can also use gas, such as propane or butane, and electricity. Fuel costs are a major factor when considering a heat source for you distiller;
The holding tank or retort, which holds both the water and, just above the water on a grate or false bottom - picture a vegetable steamer - the plant material to be distilled;
The condenser, which collects the steam and cools it, usually by piping it through a tube immersed in cold water, and...
The separator, which separates the essential oil from the water vapor. The separator, or Essencier, is one of the most important pieces of apparatus a distiller can have. This enables the distiller to separate the essential oils from the distillate in a passive manner and after this they are bottled.

A pile of eucalyptus leaves.

A worker had just thrown in a huge pile of leaves and more tree limbs
to make the water boil.

Now off to find the finished product!

The barn behind the house that was being built as we
made it back to the road... Now we carry on to the Village of Hope.

These little homes have been built for adult
Genocide Survivors and their children.

This whole little village is so tranquil and serene. It was designed to
not only help the women but to give them dignity and pride again.

Built in a beautiful location these homes all have water and electricity.

Nicholas again, telling us all about what happens here in the village.
And just behind him, was Michelle.... selling the essential oils.
Eucalyptus, Lemon Grass and Geranium.

Nalini snatched Naho's little baby and
I took pictures...

A little Japanese doll baby!

This is the inside of one of the village houses. They are really very nice.

Maria gave the ladies a little tour of her house.

One of the outside kitchens!

And then Nicholas took us down to where the women were
making baskets! This one is almost completed.

The lady on the right is just starting to make a basket.

This is the thread being sewn around the grass.

The black thread made of something called **sisal is wrapped around
every piece of grass. These things should cost 20 times more than they do.
**Sisal is an agave that yields a stiff fibre traditionally used in making twine and rope.
This holds the entire basket together.