Participants Blog

My host mom!

She is the one who speaks the least amount of English and by least amount I meant absolutely none!

The most challenging relationship to attain would have to be with my host mom. She is the one who speaks the least amount of English and by least amount I meant absolutely none. Despite this I would still go to the kitchen when she was cooking to help out the best I could. I would peel potatoes, or carrots, or tomatoes and fetch water and such but I am slow at doing these small tasks when she is much faster from years of practice. So I was never really sure if I was much help and since her and since I can’t communicate much I couldn’t really tell if she enjoyed the attempt at helping that I gave her. However, a couple weeks ago I had been coming home late a few nights in a row so I wasn’t in the kitchen with her. When I finally did get home early I went to see her in the kitchen and she said in English “long time” and handed me the knife. That really showed me that even though there isn’t much communication and I’m slow she appreciates the help.
I was still curious though is she enjoyed having me around because really I am an extra mouth to feed and someone for her to worry about. Then just the other day at supper she said “you will miss you”. She meant “we” or “I” but I knew what she meant. She must have had to ask the others how to say these things in English. When she can communicate with me in English or me in Kinyarwanda her face lights up. So even though our relationship is challenging her and I are both making an effort at a relationship.