Back in Africa! That is how it feels for both of us, always an interesting mix of old déjà-vues and new impressions. Welcomed by expected ambiguity and an immediate test of our patience, we feel like we are waiting around for something out of control to happen. In the meantime we have enjoyed some great African hospitality and we are finding our way around the capital city.
Our plan was to move as soon as possible to Gitega where Henk will be conducting his research with the hope of getting an early look at the real life situation so that Henk can finalize his research plans. However, there was a small problem: the board of our host organization, Reseau Burundi 2000+, had not yet given official approval of Henk’s study plans. This meant that we could not yet ‘officially’ make contact with the staff of the organization, visit the project, or even pass by the office. And so we found ourselves feeling stuck on our own. Fortunately, upon arrival we found a Dutch couple willing to host us the first few days.
Unable to move forward on the project, we put our frustrations aside, determined to make the best of our unexpected free time.
In the first few days we made daily trips into the center and took care of the basics. We hunted for a bank that would except foreign cards, picked up a local sim card, and located and sampled the fresh fruit and vegetable market. Our hosts were used to taking the taxi, but we soon discovered the local ‘bus’ (minivan), and thanks to our time in Uganda knew how to navigate the tight spaces. Compared to Kampala, Bujumbura feels small and easy to oversee. The center is all within easy walking distance, and the bus station is quite tame compared to the complete chaos of the Kampala bus station.
As for the people, we found them very open and friendly as expected, though a bit more laid-back and seemingly shy than we had experienced elsewhere in Africa. Many people greet quietly or not at all, simply lifting their hand with a smile on their face. Also, when we've ask people for directions, we have not yet been asked for a tip. In contrast to what we saw in Kampala, though the evidence of poverty and conflict is present through the beggars on the streets of the city center, there seems to be less rural-urban migration of the poor. From our impression, the result seems to be that there are fewer city slums and quite a few wealthy neighborhoods. Also, the only presence of ‘mzungus’ (white people) is from the numerous NGO’s and UN personnel stationed in Bujumbura. Most mzungus can be seen hide behind their compound walls or in their 4x4 trucks. Many local people have seemed very surprised to see Henk and I walking around and taking public transport. And thus we have had a lot of opportunities for fun, interesting conversations, which often end in sharing phone numbers.
We also had to look for a place to stay a little longer, since we were told it would take around a week and a half for the organization’s permission. Through a friend of our Dutch hosts, we found an African couple willing to host us as long as needed. Our hosts, Giscard and Chanelle are a friendly Christian couple who were married recently just like us. Giscard is from Congo and works for an NGO promoting sustainable coffee, and Chanelle is from Burundi. Though they have a small apartment, they have opened their home and their hearts for us. We have been spoiled with two nice warm Burundian meals per day, good company of friends and family, as well as some good opportunities to practice Kirundi.
We have definitely noticed the cultural difference between the Dutch and Burundian model of hospitality. Our interaction with our Dutch hosts was about as much as with our Dutch neighbors in Amsterdam (not a lot). Where as our Burundian hosts feel completely responsible for every detail of our day. For example, when we took a trip to a nearby national park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, they were very concerned and were only OK with us going when we had called ahead and made sure there was a local guide. They were also worried about us traveling there by ourselves and called every few hours to make sure we were alright.
In the meantime, we are trying not to lose sight of why we are here: Henk’s research. We have been working on his proposal, and met with a person from the organization who is trying to arrange housing for us. On Friday morning, we finally received word that the organization has officially accepted Henk’s research, and so we passed by the office and met the head of the organization. After some polite introduction protocol we finally understood that we would have to spend another week in Bujumbura because of a training being given to all of the organization staff; at best, we would be able to make a short one or two day trip ‘upcountry’ on Tuesday. Once again, we need patience, perseverance and tact to handle this situation and move forward with our goal of coming here!