Beans, cassava, plantains, tomatoes, onions, tea, corn, potatoes, green beans, carrots, peanuts, cabbage, mangoes, pinapple, tree tomatoes, passion fruit and many other foods are all grown here in Rwanda. All of these crops grow better in parts of the country where there is more rain. The hot sun helps dry different foods and people's clothes after they are washed.
The animals here also help people live. Meat from cows, chicken, pigs, goats, rabbits and turkeys all help feed people in the country. The goats and cows also eat grass in various parts of Rwanda. The grass sustains the animals, and it also helps reduce the population of insects that carry diseases that may live in tall grasses. Reducing the population of various insects helps prevent people from getting sick.
The biggest challenge, especially in the area where I live, is maintaining a water supply. In the dry seasons, I can go without water at my house for months at at time. In the western part of Rwanda, in the rainy season, mud slides and floods are very common because of the abundance of rain in that part of the country. Many people lose their houses because they are washed away and destroyed by the rain. Roads also flood, so people cannot travel to or from that area for some time.
Many people in the east have many jerry cans at their house or shared among neighbors so that water can be stored. We have a large water tank in our compound that collects rain water. The gutters on our houses lead to the tank, so when it rains, water is collected and saved for the dry season.
