In a country where the average life expectancy is just 50 years old and at least 40% of the population are under age 15, it is a rare occurrence to sit down for lunch with an Octogenarian. So I thoroughly enjoyed the visit we had last week with a Rwandan couple in their eighties who have lived their whole lives walking up and down Rwanda’s abundant hillsides.
At 88 and 82, Baba and Mama Nicholas (It is simpler to call them by the name of their son since Kinyarwanda names are hard to pronounce) are still full of life, physically active, and mentally sharp. During a heavy lunch of cassava, matoke, beans, and chick peas they recounted stories from the days when missionaries first came to their area and the locals were astounded when they toppled cows without even touching them (they had used guns to shoot them). I cannot believe how much they have seen in their lifetime.
