We don’t do much this Friday, my last day with SNV. I write my internship report and give all documents that I have to Fernanda. Now she has to organise the next week herself. I am a bit jealous because next week there will be a lot of things to do. A field trip to Kirehe, a training, a long evaluation in the north where Fernanda can participate. That would be an interesting week. On the other hand, I am ready to go home. I know that during the last days, I have grown tired of this work because there is no progress.
Evelyne has organised a small get-together for everyone to say goodbye to me. We meet in the tearoom where they have prepared some snacks, tea and coffee. Antoinette has come although she is on holidays. At first, Evelyne says a few words about having me as an intern. I answer directly and thank everybody for everything, but they tell me to wait and let other SNV colleagues talk first. Antoinette is the next one. She says she has got to know me as a bright person, that I picked up easily on feedback, that I learned fast, am hardworking and that it was great working with me. If I want to come back, they will be happy to take me. Nobody else wants to say anything - of course, because I did not really work with anybody else who is here - , so it is Beatrice’s turn. She tells how she was about to take her acceptance of hosting the intern back, because she was not sure about this anymore, after the first fast agreement. Now, however, she enjoyed having me. As usual, these talks make me feel awkward and I don’t really know how to respond. We have some food, I talk to various colleagues. Our country director joins us for a while. I am glad when Fernanda and I go back to our office, but then she also says that she appreciated working with me and that she learned a lot from it. We will stay in contact for work that is to come, especially for my one last work day.
Beatrice tells me that we will shortly go to town and one of the drivers gives us a lift. She wants to buy a present for my parents. At first we go to a souvenir shop and Beatrice buys these Rwandan style plates. She wants me to suggest something to her and I am glad she does not buy a picture in a big, probably Chinese-made frame the way she had thought about at first. These plates are much more original. We also buy coffee and honey in different stores. I am always surprised about how little interest these vendors show towards their customers. Michiel texts and calls Beatrice. There is work to do and he wants to know where she is. We go back to the office and although it is Friday, Beatrice stays long to work.
When we reach home, the kids of our visitors today are already there. The parents Evode and Elena arrive soon after them. The kids don’t talk to me, but the parents do. We are lucky to have power. The last days there was no light, but today it is working except for some moments where we simply use candles. We, the adults, sit on the couches and talk, while the kids, two girls, a small boy and Emmanuel, are gathered around the computer. Dinner is not ready until long after 9 pm. However, the conversation seems to go well. Beatrice shows them Emmanuel’s small folder that documents all his results for the last two terms. Eventually, the food is ready and we eat. The adults and me around the table, the kids outside. Beatrice opens the bottle of wine we bought in town today. Apart from that, we have the usual soda and water. At 11 pm, we have finished eating and our visitors depart. I think they must be quite wealthy. In their car, the kids watch a movie on a small screen. I just hope they enjoyed the evening, but I can’t really tell.
Beatrice and I had planned to go out despite the visit. This morning she was not feeling well, but now it is better and we decide to try and go out. At 12 pm we leave the house. The guard accompanies us to the main road, where a neighbour passes and gives us a lift to the next junction. From there, we take a taxi. We enter the nightclub at 00:30 am. It is almost completely empty. Nobody is on the dance floor. Some individual guests sit on the bar and a couple sits at a low table. We are surprised. If not on a Friday night, when do people here go dancing? We decide to sit at the side and wait a bit. The music is not good for dancing now anyway. Beatrice dozes of. Then suddenly, a song I know from the radio. I get up and dance, Beatrice joins me. Nobody else is dancing, but we have come for dancing, so we do so. The music is good now. Songs even I know. Chameleone, P Square, even my favourite song from Ghana ‘I love my life’. Some more guests have come and enter the dance floor. We were dancing next to the empty sofas and chairs, but now we also go to the dance floor. The couple dances, too. After a while, we break for a moment, but soon the DJ plays a song that makes us dance again. I check the time and am surprised about how little time has passed. I dance for myself, just with Beatrice, and watch others. Sometimes I wonder if Beatrice is enjoying herself, but some songs make her laugh. A big screen shows the music videos to each song. At some point, the DJ starts playing songs that are really not danceable. Beatrice and I step down from the dance floor. By now, some more dancers have come, especially noticeable is a group of white people. Some of the girls are really good dancers as well. It is 3 am. We decide to go home and sleep.
