‘I've realized that “sustainable” doesn’t really mean the same thing in every context.’

As an architect, I completed my three-week internship at a trainingschool, specifically the Lycée de Ruhango in Rwanda, in the field of construction. Together with the SES expert, I was assigned to the teachers of ‘building construction’ and our task was to train them primarily in CAD programmes so that they could keep up with technological changes. During the computer-aided drawing sessions, we were also able to discuss the basic principles of architecture, such as: What determines a consistent rise-to-run ratio for a staircase? How do you locate the point where the section cuts through on a floor plan? Or: What does it mean to draw “to scale”?, such as: What determines a consistent rise-to-run ratio for a staircase? How do you locate the point where the section cuts through on a floor plan? Or: What does it mean to draw “to scale”?

Together with the Senior Expert, I attempted to incorporate sustainability into the project. As a country experiencing economic growth, Rwanda is making significant progress in reinforced concrete construction, a practice that Europe is already trying to move away from due to its negative environmental impact. We introduced wood to the teachers as a naturally renewable and versatile building material, the static load-bearing capacity of which in industrially processed products was unknown to them. However, it remains to be seen whether wood can be used in Rwanda on such a large scale as it is here, given that the location factors are different and there is not enough wood to meet construction needs. ‘I've realized that “sustainable” doesn’t really mean the same thing in every context.’

As the title of the project suggests, I was very taken with the idea of forming teams with people of an African country in order to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

I was most surprised by how “tough” the training was. The young people spend the whole year at boarding school. They didn't even go home at the weekends, and instead their parents came to visit them once a month. Lessons start at 8 a.m., and the pupils are already in the classroom before then. At 8 p.m., they were still in the classroom!

On the one hand, the Senior Expert had selected some wonderful project examples built in Rwanda that are both sustainable in terms of their social approach and use local aesthetic materials. This broadened my professional horizons and gave me the opportunity to see some great projects in my host country. On the other hand, it proved very interesting to hear about the SES expert's previous experiences in other countries where she had worked.

Just go there with an open mind. The people there will welcome you with openness and curiosity! And of course, it's always helpful to learn about the culture and history of your host country in advance.

1. The concept of time is different in Rwanda.
2. You have to lower your expectations of yourself and engage more with the culture of the host country.
3. Unfortunately, my internship was only temporary, so in some areas I could only scratch the surface.

In Rwanda, you need to allow yourself time. I learned this quickly on my very first evening there, when the director invited us to a restaurant for dinner with the other teachers. The first thing he did was pull out a pack of UNO cards. At first, this seemed a little strange to me in that context, but I quickly realised that the Rwandan concept of time is different. And so we enjoyed a social evening together.