The Market – Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Pearl and I decided to try our hand at navigating the Nyamata marketplace on Wednesday, Market Day. Paul drove us in the Maranyundo van and steadfast Sr. Jacinta was our guide. The market is an amazing collection of sights and sounds, but what is most memorable, is the smell of the market. It is a blend: the essence of ripe fruits and vegetables of all types mingles with the smell of many people from all walks of life; old farmers' wives, young mothers with their little ones strapped to their backs, their fronts, or clinging to their legs. Men and women from the surrounding agricultural areas are displaying their array of produce on straw mats or woven bags. Buyers from the surrounding district, some in business clothes, others in bright regional dress, stroll carefully through the narrow aisles, searching for the freshest and most affordable food.


As Paul pulled into a parking space at the entrance to the market, young boys about 7 to 10 years old crowded around Sister Jacinta as she got out of the van. They were hoping that she would pick one of them to follow her around the market, collect the items she purchased in a large shopping bag and then bring them out to the van. She chose one young man, and he followed her into the crowd. There are so many school aged children among the crowds in the market, most of them probably hoping that the day in the market stalls will be more profitable for them than a day in the schoolroom of the local primary school. In the primary schools, there are two sessions for each grade, a morning and afternoon session. There are usually 50-60 children in a class, sitting in 3s and 4s along benches at a common desk. Perhaps the opportunity to take in the education that a day at the Nyamata Market may offer is an attractive alternative to the classroom scene. We were amazed by the agility and skill that Sr. Jacinta used as she navigated the many vendors to find the best deals for some of the weekly perishables enjoyed by the girls at the school. On her list were bananas, corn, avocados, tomatoes, green beans and pineapple.



The food for the Maranyundo students is prepared in a kitchen that is simple and well designed for cooking meals for 180 girls. There are three enormous vats heated by wood. One vat cooks beans, one vat cooks rice and one vat is always cooking meat and vegetables. The workers employed as kitchen staff are from the surrounding community.