With some of the people(many who have walked for miles) at the free legal advice clinic run by the law facultyat Butare University.

The advice is also given alfresco:-

You can now visit www.umubanojusticeproject.org.uk

A chance to see what progress there has been on  the programme of community service for those guilty of genocide crimes:-

A bi-lingual presentation is required and Suella Fernandes and Rob Jenrick obliged:-

With over 60 adult teachers in her English class, Eve certainly has her hands full:-

But she has risen to the challenge and received proposals of marriage!

Hear more about hippos, crocodiles and Bill's helicopters! But first see the pictures.The Rwandans are very keen to promote their country as a safari location and develop ecotourism. Cecille(pictured below) was our excellent guide to the Akagera National Park.

 We were lucky enough to see many animals and birds.

And crocodiles were not the only dangers awaiting us!

Don't worry - it was the very large bed in the pre 1930 palace of the then King!

The palace:-

The bed:-

The post 1930 palace:-

A frantic schedule and lack of computer/Internet access is severely hampering my ability to keep my blog up to date this year. What I plan to do is set out a framework which will bring us up to date and add the photos or text as soon as I can.Please bear with me and watch out for updates of specific entries

Monday morning sees a 6.30am start for those based in Butare. Whilst I will be staying in Kigali, I am travelling down with the members of my Justice Project Team who are to be based at the newly opened Institute of Legal Practice and Development at Nyanza, which is the former capital of Rwanda and about 40 minutes from Butare, where my team will stay. Our bus is packed, using the jump seats which fold down into the middle aisle, but the journey is uneventful. Rural Rwanda is as I remember it, with people everywhere on the roadside; in the fields and plantations: at the doors of the shacks that can be anywhere; and thronging the streets of the towns we pass through. It is a  mass of colour and bustle against the lush green backdrop of the countryside or the dusty streets. I am still fascinated by the amount and variety of things which people carry on their heads here, particularly women. I tried briefly to carry some bricks myself last year and getting the right balance is really difficult. At the end of the trip, I will try and identify, the most unusual thing I have seen carried by head!

Our first stop in Nyanza is a false alarm! We see a banner for the Institute on a brick building in the centre of the town and instruct the bus to stop. As soon as we are off the bus and it has promptly departed, we realise that we have made a mistake and frantically call the bus back. Eight muzungus in the centre of Nyanza certainly creates plenty of interest in an area where white people are not regularly seen.

Our second effort to find the Institute proves more productive and we are welcomed by Rector Vastina Nsanze  and Dr Roelof  Haveman, Vice Rector Academic Affairs and Research, both pictured below with myself and members of the Justice Project Team.

There is a new Institute building under construction, so one of our first actions is to view the site next door to existing premises. Roelof shows us the plans for the new building, which are impressive if the whole structure can be completed..

…  And then around the site.

I am still always struck by the sight of women carrying out hard manual work as you see so often here. As one of my colleagues points out, as I take a photograph, we look as strange to these ladies as they do to us.