During the Tour of Rutsiro, I spent a day in a remote village found in Kigeyo Sector. While in the area, I experienced life in rural Rwanda, developed new skills and expanded my horizon.

I arrived early in the morning and got busy right away. My first order of business was to milk a cow. Then I boiled sweet potatoes for breakfast. Fresh milk and potatoes from the backyard kick-started this unforgettable day.

After breakfast, I went to the farm to harvest all the ingredients I needed for lunch. Under a watchful eye of my instructor, I used traditional tools to wash and peel food components — pounding and grinding them the way my grandmother used to do it. Finally, I prepared my own meal.

The fastest boy in the village was tasked to catch a chicken that ended up on my lunch table. As I stood there witnessing the poor roaster trying to outrun its predator, I hoped we will not trade positions with livestock in the afterlife.

After lunch, I went back to work. This time, I collected bananas and leaves. Then I dug a hole and buried the gathered fruits. According to the aforementioned instructor, it would take four days for the raw bananas to be ready for extraction. Since I didn’t have four days, I was allowed to dig out previously buried ripe bananas before completing the process of brewing my own wine.

Tour of Rutsiro is a 12-piece series scheduled to be published right here. As usual, the ensuing book will be donated to community libraries through Exposure’s Give Back initiative.