SORWATHE

Processed tea.
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Through their involvement in the Rotary Club in Kigali, Jill and Neil have many connections amongst the business-people of Rwanda. One of these is the manager of the Société Rwandaise de Thé (SORWATHE) (Rwanda Tea Company).

SORWATHE's tea plantations and factory are located at Kinihira, Byumba Prefecture. We stayed on location at the guest house, from which there is a breath-taking view of the hills, valleys, and tea plantations that cover the northern region of Rwanda. We were told that General Romeo Dallaire stayed in this same guest house during his UN mission to Rwanda.

The guest house at SORWATHE.
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We were eating brunch when we felt the first of two major earthquakes that rocked this region of Africa on February 3. We did run outside, but by the time we realized what was happening, the quake was over! We were far enough from the epicentre that we didn't see any damage, but there were deaths in Cyangugu when a church full of people collapsed (it was a Sunday).