Staff Spotlight: "Rasta" Uwindependansi Leodomir

A conversation with Rasta, Farm Technician and Staff Spotlight for May 2018!

Rasta smiles for a portrait at the Ndera farm.

Where are you from originally?

I’m originally from Musanze District, Northern Province, Gakenke District.

What’s your favorite vegetable? 

I like Amaranth.

What do you like doing outside of work?

Since I was in primary school, and even after finishing senior six, I liked football (soccer) and doing sports activities. I like athleticism - football, basketball and volleyball. I like those things in my life!

Rasta participates in GHI farm day in October, 2017.

Do you still do that?

I still do that when I have time. 

How did you begin working at GHI?

I was here when GHI first began. I worked for the landlord and GHI came to rent the land. They came when I was finishing the construction of the main office house. After I finished the main house I continued with the smaller annexes, and the GHI entered the picture. Brad and Julie were the first to come, they even lived in this house. Brad would wear dreadlocks and necklaces, and when he heard that my nickname was Rasta, he asked me the reason, being that I no longer had dreadlocks and necklaces like him. I told him that I also used to be a Rasta, that I had dreads and necklaces, but I had left the Rasta life. Then he asked if I had a picture of myself as a Rasta to show him, I brought it to show him, and after showing him the picture he liked me. He said he would call me for some job vacancies. After a couple of days, they called me for an opportunity, I came and worked, they paid me, and I returned home in my normal life. They continued to call me every time they had an opportunity. After they appreciated my work they asked if I would accept a a monthly job. That is how I started working here, and they kept promoting me each year. I lived well in GHI and I continue working well with the workers who came later. We are working well together.

Rasta shows his Earth Enable certificate that confirms his certification for learning how to build the Earth Enable floor. He built an earthen floor for our farm Early Childhood Development program.

What’s your favorite part of working at GHI?

I am technician here, that is my responsibility, but I can even perform other duties that are available apart from that. I also sacrifice myself for my job, because even on a day off when others are off, I work when there are some duties that must be completed.

What’s something your coworkers might not know about you?

One thing my coworkers might not know about me is about my life before meeting GHI. For instance, they know that I am nicknamed Rasta but they do not know how it started. When I was a Rasta, you know that most Rasta men smoke, I used to smoke and I had dreadlocks, but I also had love. You know that Rasta men work in one love. I loved everybody, I could see myself in everyone, and I saw that everyone is a good and that all people are similar.   

Anything you’d like to add?

I am thankful to GHI. In the eight years that we’ve spent together, I have lived well with my coworkers and we’ve learned a lot of new things.

Translation by Jasmine Umubano, Photos by Maggie Andresen

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Uturuka hehe?

Mu karere ka Musanze, mu ntara y’amajyaruguru. Mu karere ka Gakenke.

Ni izihe mboga ukunda kurusha izindi?

Nkunda dodo. 

Hari ibindi bintu waba ukunda bitari ibyo mu kazi?

Ibintu naba nkunda bitari ibyo mu kazi? Mu buzima busanzwe ibintu nakunze, nkiga muri pirimaeri, nkinarangiza siziyemu, nakundaga gukina umupira nkora ikintu kitwa siporo, nkunda atiletisime, kwiruka, gutera imihunda, gukina futu, basketi na vole. Ibyo bintu mu buzima bwanjye narabikundaga.

Nanubu uracyabikina?

Nanubu iyo mbonye akanya ndabikina.

Ni gute watangiye gukorera muri mu murima w’ubuzima?

Gute natangiye gukorera mu murima w’ubuzima? Umurima w’ubuzima waje hano unsanga hano, nakoreraga nyir’iyi sambu, baza gukodesha hano, ndi kubaka iyi nzu ya nyir’iyi sambu, baje kuyikodesha ndi kuyikorera finissage nkorera nyir’iyi nzu. Noneho ndangizanyije nawe gukora finissage, nsohokamo mu nzu, nza hanze ku ma teritwari n’ariya ma anegisi, umurima w’ubuzima uhita wijiramo, ba Brad na ba Julie nibo babanje hano, binjiramo babaga no muri iyi nzu niho bararaga. Noneho, kubera Brad yari afite amadiredi,n’amashenete ku mutwe akajya yumva bampamagara rasta. Noneho nanjye naje kubaho rasta mfite amafiredi ku mutwe nambara n’amashenete, noneho Brade arambaza ngo kuki bakwita rasta udafite diredi nk’izanjye? Ndamubwira nti rero nanjye nabayeho rasta nari mfite diredi ku mutwe, mfite n’amasheneti uretse ko naje gukizwa uburasta nkabuvamo. Ati nonese waba ufite ifoto ui rasta ngo uzayizane uyitwereke? Ndavuga nti mu rugo ndayifite nibwo nayimuzaniye nyimweretse aba arankunze. Ati uri rasta nkanjye ati noneho kuberako ubaye incuti yacu, hano nihajya haboneka akazi, tuzajya tugutumaho uze gukora ikiraka. Noneho bansaba number zanjye ndazibasigira. Nzibasigiye hashize igihe gitoya numva barampamagaye bati turagushaka hano nraje rero bampa ikiraka ndakora turarangizanya barampemba nsubira mu rugo mu buzima bwanjye uko ikiraka kibonetse nkumva barampamagaye nkaza ngakora bakampemba ngataha. Nyuma baza kunyishimira imikorere barambwira bati ese tuguhaye akazi k’ukwezi wakwemera kugakora? Nti nagakora ariko mbonye amafaranga mumpaye ashoboka ubwo nakwemera nkagakora. Barambwira bati rero tuzaguha amafaranga 1500 ku munsi tujye tunakugaburira urye hano. Noneho ndebye ndavuga nti ko ari akazi gahoraho akaba ari hafi yo mu rugo, reka nemere ngakore. Akazi ka hano ngatangira gutyo ndagakora nkorana nabo bampemba ayo mafaranga icya tanu, noneho uko umwaka ugiye ushira bakajya bampromotinga banyongerera agafaranga kugeza ubu aho umushahara ugeze kandi umurima w’ubuzima nawubayemo neza mbega n’abakozi bagiye bansangamo twakoranye neza nta kibazo kugeza nanubu dukorana neza nta kibazo.

Nonese ni iki ukunda mu gukorana n’umurima w’ubuzima?

Icyo nkunda mu gukorana n’umurima w’ubuzima: akazi kanjye nshinzwe hano ni akazi k’ubutekinisiye, ariko n’akandikazi kabonetse katari ak’ubutekinisiye ndagakora kandi njyewe akazi nkora ndakitangira kuko niyo habaye conge abandi batakoze ariko hakaba harimo akazi kanjye kandeba kuri conge nditanga nkaza ngakora.

Ni ikihe kintu kimwe abantu mukorana bashobora kuba batakuziho?

Ikintu kimwe abantu dukorana baba batanziho, ikintu baba batanziho ni imibereho yanjye ya kera tutarabana muri GHI nicyo kintu batanziho. Nkubu bumva ko ndi rasta ntago bazi uburasta bwanjye ukuntu bwaje ariko njyewe ndi rasta, nari umuntu, uziko abarasta benshi banywa itabi nari umuntu unywa itabi mfite n’amadredi ariko nkagira urukundo uziko abarasta bakora muri one love ngakunda abantu bose buri muntu nkamubonamo nkamwibonamo mbega buri muntu nkamubona ari umuntu mwiza nkabona abantu bose ari bamwe. 

Hari icyo wakongeraho se?

Icyo nakongera kubyo mvuze, ndashimira umurima w’ubuzima mu myaka umunani maranye nawo ko umurima w’ubuzima tubanye neza n’abo dukorana kandi umurima w’ubuzima watwigishije byinshi tutari tuzi.

Byashyizwe mu Kinyarwanda na Jasmine Umubano, Amafoto na Maggie Andresen