Chitenge

Today, I am "smart" and I am "Rwandan," or, at least, that's what my Rwandan coworkers have told me. They're not saying this because I've become any more intelligent or changed my nationality; they're saying this because instead of wearing my usual uniform of kakhis (or similar pants/shirt (usually a plain t-shirt or polo) / denim jacket, I'm wearing chitenge.

Chitenge is the brightly-colored, boldly-patterned fabric that is so completely prevalent here. The women wear it daily, either tailored into a beautiful dress or wrapped as a sarong; they use it as an elaborately-wrapped headscarf; they tie it around themselves to hold their children to their backs. Chitenge is an integral part of Rwanda and of Africa.

I've bought several pieces of chitenge in the markets over the past months, but it's only this week that I've had any of it tailored into a wearable form. A tailor who several of the nurses at the project use came about a week and a half ago, and I decided to have her make a skirt for me with one of the pieces of chitenge I'd bought. After describing what I wanted the skirt to look like, I remembered that it's unthinkable in the Rwandan mind to wear a skirt without a matching top. Since the nurses were also insisting that I have a top made, I let them discuss in rapid Kinyarwanda what it would look like, and my order was placed.

This Wednesday, the tailor returned with the finished product, and I must admit, I was very impressed. She had obviously paid close attention to detail - aligning the pattern of the fabric so that it was centered and fit with the design of the pieces, covering the zipper, lining both the skirt and the top - and everything fit almost perfectly.
I showed a couple of the nurses who were nearby and they were thrilled. They made me turn in circles so they could see all sides and insisted that I wear my new clothes to our weekly clinic meeting on Friday (today). So here I am, brightly dressed from neck to knee in chitenge - "smart" and "Rwandan".