Life in Rwanda through the eyes of a Greek woman

Kelly Heracles is one Greekmother of two, who was found in Rwanda, starting a whole new life and career. She is one of only five Greeks living in Rwanda and on Monday (12/9) she described to Marion Michelidakis and her show Open “Mera Mesimeri with Marion” how from Thessaloniki he found himself in Africa, but also what life is like there.

She herself was a military nurse in Greece and resigned so that they could live as a family in Munich, the first stop of their journey, before Rwanda.

She moved from Munich, Germany, with her family, to the capital, Kigali, in March 2020, just before the big lockdown in the country. The reasons are financial as she mentioned, as she wanted to create her own business. She is now employed herself at tourism sector organizing trips from Greece to the African country.

Rwanda, is a small state of 12 million, (about 1/5 of Greece) in the southeast of the continent and borders Uganda, Tanzania, Congo and Burundi.

Everything is green and the pace is relaxed. The country is in the top 10 internationally in the equality of the two friends – along with Sweden, Denmark, etc. And the crime rate is lower than Greece. In fact, it is now the safest country in Africa. Safety and systematicity plus the fact that it is a country in a developing phase were the reasons that led it to this particular destination.

Rwanda has no tall buildings and you always have a view from everywhere. The nature is beautiful, it is green and the countryside is a bit like a tropical Switzerland with banana trees everywhere.

Music is an integral part of the culture of its inhabitants. You can’t walk very far without hearing music coming from somewhere. Many times they put loudspeakers outside their shops and play loud music, you walk and want to dance.

The easiest, cheapest and fastest way to get around is with moto taxis. At the same time it is probably the most dangerous thing to do in Rwanda. Although much better than other African countries, they don’t have proper driving education and you often see crazy things on the roads.

Everything is transferred to the head. They carry incredible things on their heads. From fruits and vegetables which are the most common, to mattresses, chairs, socks, shoes, bricks, tables and other furniture… If they can balance something on their head they prefer it to carrying it in their hands or on their back. This is a skill they have acquired over the years and with training from an early age. The key is in balance.

The weather is ideal. It is never cold, nor too hot. The temperature is constant throughout the year with a minimum of 17 degrees and a maximum of 28. It reminds of an eternal, cool summer. Everything is spotlessly clean, there is no litter on the streets. Plastic bags have been banned in the country since 2008.

All local products are cheap and only anything imported is very expensive. They love strangers very much. They are very hospitable people. It is a poor country, but in recent years it has made leaps and bounds. It went from the absolute zero of genocide (1994) to a country with rapid development in just 2 decades. And as Travel Planner Kelly Heraklis reports, it is now also about an up-and-comer tourist destination.