Imbabazi Pictures

Here are a few pictures from our time at Imbabazi and Roz' memorial service....

It was extremely difficult to do tile work in the steady rain but several people worked admirably to get it completed for the memorial service. We're sure Roz' would have preferred something a little simpler but for the Rwandans she deserved a fitting grave marker so they worked hard for that. Her grave is located in one of her flower gardens near her farm house.

Mark, Terri and I grabbed the very left back corner spot under the tent for the memorial service. It was very close quarters in order to allow as many people as possible to get out from under the rain. We took turns sitting and I often held my digital camera above the crowd to get pictures. Then I could share the view through the camera with Mark and Terri sitting and who for much of the time they had completely blocked views of the service. Come to think of it, we traveled a long way to get only partial views of the service! It was great just being there though. Hope you've recovered, Terri, from those stepped on toes!

Here are a few shots of the traditional dancing after the service. The rain finally let up enough to allow them room to move. Roz often hosted times of traditional Rwandan dancing throughout her life on the Mugongo farm.

A view of her house from the gate by the road. And then a view from her house looking towards her gate with some of the children waiting for the memorial service. Off in the distance is Lake Kivu. Rising behind her house are two of the towering Virunga volcanoes.

Here is the flower drying house from the days of the pyrethrum farm. When Roz returned immediately after the genocide it was the only building she had to keep the many orphans she began taking in. Due to safety concerns it is not used any more but the building holds a special place in many childrens' hearts as the initial place of rest, hope and prospects for peace after the war.

I didn't have a wide enough angle to get the whole of the new orphanage buildings but here is a partial view with the clouds covering Mt. Karisimbi in the background.

We shot a few baskets with some of the kids and Adam and Mark struck a pose by the Imbabazi truck.