Upon arrival, my host gave me a tour of her property: Rutete Eco Lodge. Then we sat down and had a conversation over coffee. As I listened to the story of her emotional attachment to the community and the legacy of her father, I felt inspired.
Julienne Toch is a Rwandan woman of Belgian descent. Before coming to Rwanda in the 1930s, her father worked in the former Zaire as a mining engineer. When he was transferred to the Rwinkwavu cassiterite mine, he got along very well with members of the local community. The people nicknamed him Rutete, which means big basket. It was his generosity during famines that led to the coining of his nickname. To date, old people in the area speak fondly of him.
After his retirement in 1977, Rutete settled in Rwinkwavu permanently. However, he spent his last days in Belgium for medical purposes. Although Julienne studied and worked in her father's country of origin for a long time, her birthplace has always occupied a special place in her heart.
In 2022, she decided to transform the ruins of Rutete's old home into a luxury eco lodge. With help from family and friends, she managed to mobilize the resources needed to renovate the main building. Then she added several cottages in the backyard.
Found at the entrance of Akagera National Park, Rutete Eco Lodge is strategically located. Since most activities in the park require tourists to enter the protected area before sunrise, it is advisable to spend the previous night near the park.
Rwinkwavu Stadium is in the vicinity. It is in this facility where the first-ever organized soccer team was formed in Rwanda. The stadium will go down in history as the venue of the first-ever official match in the country. One of the spectators of the earliest tournaments, hosted by the famed Rwinkwavu Stadium, was King Mutara Rudahigwa III.
While touring Rutete Eco Lodge, I was shown the farm from which fresh supplies are sourced. Rutete's upcountry atmosphere and the creativity of its designer, not to mention its culinary delights and the allure of the surrounding attractions, will make me return to Rwinkwavu sooner than initially planned.