Aime Outside the Office

This week, our (awesome) Training Facilitator, Aime, shares a little about his life outside of work.

When you leave work in the evening, what do you usually go do?

Now that I’m in school, I go over my class materials, revise, and do assignments. I talk to my housemates and I go to bed at 10pm.

What does a typical Friday night look like for you?

Most of my Fridays are not organized. Someone calls me, “I’m at this place, can you join?”…“mmmmyup, why not?” I never go to bed as early as the working days, I go a bit late, around midnight. Because…it’s the weekend, you can have fun, meet friends.

What is your favorite meal or food? Beverage?

I like milk, ugali (cassava bread)…you know…typical Rwandan food, potatoes, beans, whatever is available, when I’m hungry. But when there are many options…I can’t miss the peanuts.

How do you spend your weekends?

Before I started school, on Saturday I was going to church until midday, in the afternoons I would go home and have a nap. In the evening I would go visit some of my friends, my relatives, or my neighbors. Or, I would spend the whole Saturday with my mom and my siblings. So Sunday, I would do cleaning at home or maybe do some sports or running, sometimes. But every weekend I have to make sure I have internet, because I like surfing a lot.

Do you play any sports or have any interesting hobbies?

Um…I like information… that means I talk to people, I interact with people to get updates on what’s going on. I also like meditation, I like having my personal time at home…for self-reflection, inner peace, to really meditate about myself. I love going out hiking, spending time in rural areas, climbing those mountains....

How would you describe your social life?

I’m neutral…I don’t have to be extreme. If I’m with my peers I can be out of myself, and be really relaxed …another Aime. If I’m with the older people, I can be calm, be more thoughtful on whatever I’m going to say, I can be wise enough…I love kids, yeah, please mention, I love kids and they love me as well.

If you had 50,000 RWF (~$65) to spend only on yourself, what would you do with it?

Ok, well. For me the value of money is how this money can help me in social life. I would invite some of my friends, people whom I would like to get some ideas from…we share… whatever drink, and then I get ideas from them. Of course, I like savings, so I have to save a portion of it…Well, I would buy something I like, if I see I don’t have a nice watch like now, and I really want it, I can buy it…But though it was a must to not use this money in other things, I wouldn’t really spend it without helping someone…I will lie to you saying I have spent it, but I will have helped someone.

What is the funniest thing you’ve seen another TWB staff member do?

So…its funny and really good to see how you are all “hey girls” … there is no boss, there is no superior. Its really social, its small…and also a way of (hand motions) getting open to each other, so yeah, for me when I came for the first time and seeing an email saying “Hey girls” it was really funny…Aime came in, but still “Hi girls”…oh, am I a girl?

Hmmmm…..It’s funny where we’re in the office, the things we say in the office, the jokes we make sometimes, people might think what is that? But we know what we’re talking about, it’s a jargon some people might not know.

Ok off camera. (He was not “off camera”)

Favorite Aime sayings from other TWB staff:

“If you don’t see me, I’m gone.”

“If I don’t know them, they don’t know me.” (referring to dogs)

“Hold your nose.”