The more time that I spend in Kigali, the more this city surprises me. The city has a diverse population, with many expatriates from countries like Belgium, France, the United States, Korea, and Great Britain. At any moment you never know who you'll meet in Kigali.
Case in point, two weeks ago, I came back to the office after a launch event in another town. As I looked into one of the rooms at the far end of the office, a familiar face stared back at me. I couldn't place the face I asked one of my colleagues, she told me that it was Barbara Bush, daughter of former President of the United States, George W. Bush. I have to admit that I haven't really followed the lives of the Presidental twins, Jenna and Barbara since their dad left the oval office. However, I soon learned that Barbara is the co-founder and President of an organization called Global Health Corps (GHC) aimed at "mobilizing a global community of emerging leaders to build a movement for health equity." GHC places young people from the U.S. in year long paid positions with health organizations in developing countries in East Africa. GHC fellows work to strengthen health systems in various functions such as monitoring and evaluation, supply chain management, computer programming and human resource management. The U.S. fellow is paired with an international fellow so that they can share best practices and learn from one another. This is a great program for those who are not employees of Pfizer and would like to work in developing countries to increase health care capacity. Check out their website for more information: www.ghcorps.org
After spending a relatively somber April in Rwanda, I was itching for a change of scenery. Peter, a GHF from Pfizer China, working with PSI in Nairobi wrote and told me that he was planning a safari for the Easter holiday. I replied with four magical words: "TAKE ME WITH YOU!"
Nairobi is the capital of Kenya, close to Rwanda in East Africa. The one hour flight from Kigali to Nairobi was pleasant and I arrived shortly after 8pm on Thursday April 21st. I spent the night in Nairobi with Elaine, another GHF from Pfizer Singapore. Early the next morning, our safari driver picked us up at Elaine's apartment and then we went to pick up Peter and his wife Cindy. After driving close to six hours, we arrived at the Mara Simba Lodge located in the heart of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. We spent the next two days eating delicious food and seeing lions and leopards and elephants, oh my! I had the most amazing time catching up with Peter and Elaine as we discussed our fellowship adventures and danced to local music.
Here are a few things to know about Kenya and Maasai Mara before you go:
1. Language: The official language of Kenya is Swahili or Kiswahili, which is spoken by over 30 million people throughout Africa and the Middle East. Phrases include:
Jambo: Hello Hakuna Matata:No Worries Simba:Lion Safari: Trip Toto: Small child or young animal Rafiki: Friend Asante: Thank you Pole Pole: Slowly
2. Maasai: refers to the people that make up the Maasai tribe found in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, along the Great Rift Valley. The Maasai people can be identified by their red clothing, shaved heads and beaded jewelery. They are a nomadic tribe famous for herding cattle and drinking "milk blood", a concoction of cow's milk and blood. Maasi men are also known as warriors who hunt lions and other predatory animals as a rite of passage. An interesting fact is that during the colonial period, the Maasai people stood against slavery and lived alongside most wild animals with an aversion to eating game and birds. Maasai society never condoned the trafficking of human beings, and outsiders looking for people to enslave avoided the Maasai.
3. Big Five:All members of the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo, and Black Rhinoceros) are found in the Maasai Mara. The cast from the Lion King can be found there as well, with many warthogs, hyenas, birds, wildebeest and gazelles making the Mara their home.
4. Royally Romantic: It was reported that Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010, while on safari in Kenya. After spending two nights at Maasi Mara, I can see why. The sunset is absolutely breathtaking. I stood in my safari van and gazed at the purple, pink, orange and blue lights dancing together in the horizon, while giraffes formed silhouettes as they moved across the plain. Even the Rhinos started "kissing"!
5. Living Dangerously: Nairobi is one of the most dangerous cities in the world, commonly called "Nairobbery" by locals and tourists. It is not safe to walk alone after dark because of the many pick pockets that will "help" themselves to your money. A fellow traveler told a story of a friend who had his truck hijacked in broad daylight by "uniformed policemen." Criminals are known for dressing as cops, so make sure you ask for identification before handing off goods or money to the police. Fortunately I spent only one day in Nairobi and that was more than enough time to go shopping at two major malls plus the courio market and do some sightseeing.
6. Yes You Can!: I have always thought that safaris, (other than the one at Six Flags Great Adventures) were outrageously expensive. However due to Peter's astute bargaining skills, our safari was top of the line but still affordable. This was definitely a bucket list item for me and I'm glad that I got the opportunity to do it during my stay in Africa. For those of you in the U.S., forget about going to the Caribbean or Mexico for your next vacation and plan a trip to Kenya instead! Don't forget to brush up on your Swahili and spend some time with Simba, Rafiki, Nahla, Timon and Pumba!
It was on April 7th 1994, that the darkest time in Rwanda's history began. When Hutus took machetes, guns, and whatever other weapons they could find and began to kill their Tutsi neighbors, colleagues and friends. Their thirst for blood was so ravenous that it was only satiated 100 days later when the bloodbath ceased. In those 100 days, close to one million people lost their lives and Rwanda would never be the same again. At the time, I was in the 7th grade and didn't have a clue that Rwanda existed, much less the events that unfolded during that time. The U.S. media largely ignored the conflict, in favor of intervening in the crisis in the Middle East. I remember even at 12 years old, holding up the peace sign and saying "Peace in the Middle East" as was popular at the time. When I thought of Africa, I thought of "We are the World" and starving children, never of war or military conflict. In all honesty, the first time I heard of Rwanda, was when Hotel Rwanda came out in 2004. Even though I had graduated from college and traveled to different parts of the world, I was still ignorant about the continent of Africa. I remember watching the movie and thinking, "How could this happen?" "Why didn't anyone do anything?" Never did I imagine that seven years later, I would be living in Rwanda, three blocks from the real Hotel Rwanda-(Hotel des Milles Collines) and commemorating the 17th anniversary of the genocide, side by side with the survivors.
On April 7th, 2011, 17 years after the genocide, Rwanda was unusually quiet. There were no cars whizzing by in the street, no blackbirds squawking on my balcony, no children playing in the school yard next door. I woke up as my alarm went off at the usual time of 6 am. Since it was a national holiday, there was no work or school for anyone in Rwanda. I planned to commemorate the day at the Stade Amahoro with thousands of other Rwandans. When my co-worker Malick, picked me up that morning, we decided to visit the Kigali Memorial Center before going to the stadium. When we arrived at the memorial center, we realized that we had just missed President Kagame lighting the memorial flame. So security was tight and the air was thick with tension and heaviness. After a long wait at the entrance, we were finally permitted inside. As I walked inside, I was blown away by how beautiful the center was. Set on top of a huge hill in the center of Kigali, the memorial center consists of beautiful gardens, a large fountain, small pool, genocide museum and library. I started walking around and taking pictures. I stepped on a large flat step and took pictures of the fleshly laid flowers nearby. I heard a voice behind me yell "You're not supposed to step on that!" I turned around and saw a woman on the balcony above me point to a sign that read: "Do not step on the MASS GRAVES." I immediately stepped down and looked around to see that the step was actually a long flat slab of cement that held hundreds of genocide victims. Many of them were buried together because they were unrecognizable even for their family members. I noticed that the people that were around me were all quietly praying and looking down. That's when it hit me! These people were family members of the victims. They had come to the center to pay their respects and to mourn their loss. The reality of the situation hit me hard and I put down my camera and stopped taking pictures. Suddenly the genocide became very real to me and it was inescapable from that point on. I walked around the center and saw the graves, the names of the victims written on the memorial wall and read the survivor stories. The stories were tragically moving, stories of neighbors and friends turned against each other in a bitter murderous mob. I kept asking myself, how could this happen? How could people be so brutal to children, the elderly, friends, classmates, co-workers because of ethnic pride? I couldn't read enough stories or listen to enough songs or testimonies. My mind just wanted to know everything about the genocide.
Here is a brief timeline of the events that led up to the genocide:
1923: Belgian troops occupied Rwanda-Burundi during World War I and ruled the countries indirectly.
1932: Rwandans were associated with various clans and the terms Hutus and Tutsis referred to socio-economic classifications which could change at any time. The Belgians divided Rwandans into racial groups and called the two groups Hutus and Tutsis. The members of each group had to carry identity cards.
1957: Belgian authorities who had previously favored the Tutsis, shifted their alliance to the Hutu majority and placed them in power. The Hutus in power drafted the 'Hutu Manifesto' that gave them political rights and control of the military.
1959: Over 700,000 Tutsis were exiled from Rwanda and prevented from returning. Most exiles settled in the Congo, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Burundi. The remaining Tutsis were targets of routine violence and many were killed in the ensuing years. Others were sent to live in the district of Bugesera known for its flat, infertile land and Tse Tse flies.
1990: Exiles formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and invaded Rwanda, throwing the entire country into a bitter civil war.
1993: International pressure led to the end of the civil war and the signing of the Arusha Accords on August 4th. The agreement called for rule of law, power sharing, integration of the armed forces, resettlement of refugees and fair elections between the Hutus and Tutsis. In spite of the agreement, Hutu allies established a radio station dedicated to hate propaganda against the Tutsis.
1994: April 6th - President Habyarimana of Rwanda and President Ntaryamira of Burundi were flying back to Kigali when their plane was shot down. Both presidents were killed and by the end of the night, roadblocks were set up to prevent Tutsis from leaving the country.
April 7th- the killings began and lasted for the next 100 days. Hutus were encouraged to kill their Tutsi neighbors and co-workers. Over 5000 women and children who hid in churches were slaughtered in vicious attacks at the Nymata and Ntarama churches. The district of Bugesera, where Tutsis were forced to live, lost 90% of its population. UN peace keepers left Rwanda in the first few days of the genocide. The world watched and did nothing. An estimated 1 million people died.
July 17th - The genocide ends when the RPF invades Rwanda and drives the Hutu militia into Zaire, (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), where they remain until today. UN Peace Keepers returned to bring stability to Rwanda. Thousands of Hutus were tried and convicted of their crimes.
As we prepared to leave the memorial center, we were told that President Kagame was now at the Stadium and we would not be allowed to go there for security reasons. So I went back to my apt and watched the events unfolding at the stadium on my TV. The ceremony which lasted until 10p was all in Kinyarwanda and featured many songs, testimonies, and speeches. One of the major reasons for the commemoration is to remind the world about the genocide and that it was a horrible act that should never happen again. Is another genocide possible in Rwanda? I don't know the answer to that question. When President Kagame took control of Rwanda, racial classifications were done away with. So no one is considered a Hutu or a Tutsi anymore, just Rwandese. Yet Hutu forces are still causing unrest in the Congo and two weeks ago over 1,000 people were killed in the Ivory Coast due to ethnic violence. So while the American media focuses on Libya, thousands of people in poor (non-oil rich) countries die needlessly without any intervention from the United Nations. Sounds familiar?
"Today, the world just wants silence about the genocide. I demand that the world recognize this genocide existed, and is not only a problem of these Africans; that it is a problem of the whole of humanity. If your neighbor's house is burning, you help put out the fire, because you don't know where the wind will blow the flames. We struggle against genocides, but we don't struggle enough against the ideologies that lead to genocides, and that is the problem. Our struggle today- our work today- is very important. Maybe we will not see the results of that work, but it is important for the next generation. Let's be generous for the next generation. Let's be generous so that tomorrow, mothers will not suffer as I suffered." - Yolande Mukagasana: Genocide survivor and author
I know a lot of this stuff is really heavy and depressing. My point in writing this is not to depress anyone but to make you all aware of what is going on in our world, particularly in Africa. Living here the last couple of months has made me sensitive to the issues that concern Rwanda and other African countries. Given the theme of my blog "Now that I have seen, I am responsible", I felt compelled to share all that I have learned about the genocide with all of you, so that the events that started on April 7th, 1994 will never happen again in Rwanda or elsewhere in the world. Let us stay informed about Rwanda, the Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries, because as the poem says, " you help put out the fire, because you don't know where the wind will blow the flames."
Kigali Memorial Center
Flowers laid on mass graves
Memorial center flame and grounds
Coffins representing victims - men, women and children
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love children! I relive my childhood every week as a volunteer at BT Kids, a children's ministry program in Brooklyn, so to go even a couple of months without interacting and playing with children is heartbreaking for me. This all changed when I met Linda Smith. Linda is a photographer based in Kigali and we were introduced through email, by mutual friends back home in New York. Since I've been living here in Kigali, I have spent a couple of Saturdays with Linda's project called "Through The Eyes of Hope" which teaches photography skills to orphans and other disadvantaged children in Rwanda. The goal of Linda's program is to provide photography classes as a means of art therapy for the children as well as provide means for the children to pay for school fees and food. The children are given their own cameras each Saturday and they take various pictures throughout the community, which they are able to print and sell back to willing clients. On an average Saturday the students print postcards, passport pictures, and portraits for sale. The project has held exhibits for the children's photography in Rwanda and the U.S., to bring awareness of their plight as well as celebrate and affirm the children's creativity.
Yesterday, April 2nd was Linda's birthday. We celebrated with the children at their temporary studio at the the Kagugu school and then went back to Linda's house for a little party. Instead of gifts for her birthday, Linda only wants one thing:
"This year I moved to Rwanda full-time to work with the children in the photography program and now I am trying to start a photo/art center for the kids. We need everyone's help and this year for my birthday I am asking if you would contribute any amount to the building of this art center here in Rwanda for the children that I work with. You can donate right online at https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/contribute/donate/1979
I have been in Kigali for 42 days, 23 hours and 12 minutes. I've gotten into my own routine here, so here are some tidbits of my life in Kigali...
Work:
As a Communications and Media Fellow, I have been working on several projects for my NGO. My responsibilities include developing and integrating their overall communications and marketing strategy, content for their website, social media channels, and re-designing and updating their fact sheets, newsletters and print materials. I've also visited some of the health centers in the rural areas and seen all the improvements that have been made over the last couple of years. To say that the community health centers have been upgraded by Access and its partners is an understatement. Some of the centers didn't have running water or electricity as recently as last year. Now running water and electricity are available in critical care units like the maternity ward and one health center is completely run by solar power. I am in the process of writing articles for "Stories From the Field" section on the website. This section incorporates success stories from patients, health center staff and the community at large.
Patients waiting to been seen at the new Gashora health center.
Health center before renovations
Health center after renovations
Afterhours: To be honest, I haven't really explored Kigali afterhours as much as I should. It gets really dark by 6:30p in Rwanda. There are only 12 hours of daylight year round, so I spend most of my daylight hours at work (8am -5:30p) and get home with 45 minutes of daylight left. I spend those 45 minutes checking email, watching the gorgeous sunset from my balcony and cooking dinner. I've also been reading a really provocative book called "Drive" by Daniel Pink about motivation. According to Pink, extrinsic motivation such as bonuses and increased pay has a negative effect on productivity. It is countercultural to everything that is taught at most business schools or implemented in the incentive compensation plans of companies like Pfizer. I haven't finished the book yet, but hopefully I can apply some of these theories to reward and motivate good behavior in my colleagues. So while I spent the first month reading and catching up on work, I expect to get out more often in the next couple of months. One website that has been useful for me is Living In Kigali which lists all the restaurants, cafes, nightlife, and events in Kigali. Will keep you guys updated on how that goes!
Transportation
I have a driver that takes me to and from work each day, but after that I am pretty much on my own. There are three modes of transportation in Rwanda, taxi, moto and bus. Taxis are really expensive and you really have to bargain to get a fair price. Motos are significantly less expensive that taxis, but are generally not as safe. Buses are the cheapest mode of transportation but are not available everywhere. I have yet to take a bus, but yesterday for the first time, I took a moto. It was AMAZING! To feel the wind blowing in your face and the incredible views of the mountains as you whiz through traffic is exhilarating. I can't believe that I waited so long to take a moto especially considering the price difference. A typical taxi ride from Kiyovu, in town where I live to Kimoronko or Nyaturama is about 4000 - 5000 Rwf, while a moto will typically charge 1000 Rwf. ($1 = 600Rwf)
The Market:
Today was my first day going to the market or isoko. I've gone to the supermarkets in town, Le Galette and Nakumatt, which are really expensive. So since I was in Kimironko today, I went with my friend Linda to the market to get some produce. The merchants only speak Kinyarwanda so Linda did most of the talking or rather bargaining for me. I got some fresh tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, eggplants, basil, bananas, and onions. While the supermarkets in town keep a regular supply of beef and pork, they rarely sell chicken and since I don't eat red meat, I was excited to buy some chicken for a change. So I went to have a look at the chicken aisle....
Live chickens
Rabbit anyone?
Yes, they sell the fresh chicken and rabbit! As much as I have missed having chicken on a regular basis, I am not brave enough to buy a live chicken and skin it myself. So I'll just keep on cooking pasta and vegetables at home.
So that's all for now on my life in Kigali, if you have any more questions, please post them below.
While most of America is consumed with "March Madness" i.e. the NCAA tournament of basketball games, I've had a little madness of my own in Rwanda. The last two weeks have been hectic at work as I've worked on several articles, conducted interviews for future articles and started designing new templates for the newsletters and fact sheets for Access. I did manage to squeeze in some fun events though, so here are some highlights from the last two weeks:
The Award Goes To:
My co-worker Malick invited me to the Health Journalism Awards held at the Kigali Serena Hotel on the 18th of March. The Ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with UNICEF and other NGOs, to recognize journalists for their excellence in health reporting. It is also aimed at motivating aspiring journalists to increase the quality of health coverage in Rwanda. In an environment where disease can spread quickly among the poor, it is important to have media coverage on health issues that will educate the public and lead to behavioral change.
So there I was, at the Serena with a packed ball room of journalists, government officials and entertainers. In all over seven awards were given out to honor the best in print, broadcast and radio. The winners were given flat screen TVs, modems and radios in addition to their certificates of honor. The entertainment for the evening was a local band that played traditional Rwandan music as well as reggae and pop songs. There was also a play that told the story of AIDS on a group of friends. The play was entirely in Kinyarwanda, and while I couldn't understand any of the words, I did feel the emotional impact of the story as the actors dealt with the death of a loved one with anguish and despair. It was also suggested by the host that the awards ceremony should encompass visual storytelling in the future because in the rural communities, where people don't have access to TVs, the population is educated about health issues through plays.
After the awards ceremony, the food was served and it was delicious! If you are ever in Rwanda, fyi, the Serena hotel is a five star hotel with amazing food and amenities. Since it is only two blocks from my apt, I walked home that night and couldn't stop smiling. I left the awards ceremony very proud to be a part of a community that is making a difference by reporting on health issues.
A World in Crisis:
There are two very significant days at the end of March, World Water Day (March 22nd) and World TB Day (March 24th) that were instituted to raise awareness about these global epidemics. To be perfectly honest, before I moved to Rwanda, I didn't know that these days existed. Not that things are perfect in NY, but we don't live in a state of panic that we die from unsafe water or tuberculosis. Yet much of the developing world lives in fear, in fact over one billion people on the planet do not have access to safe water and countless lives are lost each year from tuberculosis. I had the opportunity to work on an article for Access for World Water Day, in support of their water projects past, present and future. Read it here: Increasing Access to Safe Water in Rwanda
A Gusaba or Negotiation:
Rwanda is rich with many traditions and rites of passage, none so rich as the rite of marriage. I had the opportunity yesterday to not only witness the gusaba or proposal ceremony of two people in love, but I was a part of the grooms entourage! My co-worker Raissa invited me to be a gift bearer in the gusaba ceremony between her friend and his girlfriend. In order for two people to get married, they must participate in gusaba ceremony between their respective families and the community. The ceremony is conducted at the prospective bride's house and is hosted by her uncles who must determine through a series of questions and tests, if the prospective groom is worthy of her hand in marriage.
The day started with the civil ceremony, where the man and woman are officially married by a judge. The judge repeatedly warned the couple about the seriousness of marriage and that nothing should separate the two. While she spoke in Kinyarwanda, Raissa translated for me, things like "If you have a lot of kids, don't just remember the oldest son's names but try to remember the names of the others" and "Men are helpless and can't do anything on their own, try to help each other as much as possible".
After the civil ceremony, the couple and the wedding party (including me) changed into traditional ceremonial clothing. The men wore leopard print garments and carried canes made out of cowhide, the women wore bright brown and gold saris and carried handwoven baskets with presents for the respective families. There were two huge tents set up in the backyard of the bride's house, one tent held the bride's family and entourage and the other tent was for the groom's family and entourage. As a part of the groom's entourage, I sat on his side of the tent, while his uncle began negotiations on his behalf. The bride's uncle began by welcoming everyone to the house, servers brought out drinks for everyone and then the negotiations commenced.
With microphones in hand, speaking to the over 200 people gathered in the bride's backyard, the bride's uncle and the groom's uncle gave reasons why the groom was or wasn't worthy of the bride. There were stories told of a time when the bride wanted to get into a school and the groom's family prohibited it through their connections with the headmaster. Another scenario included a close uncle of the bride who was delayed in Kenya and needed to be present before a decision could be made. The groom's uncle then asked one of the pastor's in attendance to pray that the uncle's plane would land in Rwanda that very minute and allow negotiations to continue. Scenario after scenario was presented and finally, an agreement was reached, the bride's family consented to the marriage! The cows were then delivered as a part of the dowry for the bride's hand in marriage. There were no real cows presented but a herder did a cattle call as fictional cows mooed through the loudspeaker. The bride who was in the house while all of this was going on, then came outside to meet her groom. She came out in a beautiful gold sari with diamonds and was led to the tent first to meet the groom's family and then to greet her own. At this point, the other gift bearers and I stood up and carried the gifts to the bride's family as a reward for their daughter's hand.
I walked behind the bride and groom and presented the bride's mother with a gift. After that, I took my place with the bridal party in a special tent. I watched as the groom slipped the engagement ring on the bride's finger and spoke to the guests. After that we walked inside the house, where we were given urns filled with milk as a reward for our service. As the night wrapped up, we went to another location with the groom's family where we ate and the family began to make wedding preparations. In Rwanda, it is customary for the groom's family to plan the wedding. The official wedding ceremony will take place in May. The entire ceremony was over four hours and it was truly a beautiful day!
Now if anyone is confused by anything I've just said, let me clarify, the couple were indeed married in a civil ceremony and then the groom proposed to the bride after her family approved. The "real"wedding will take place in May. Since I was in the ceremony, I didn't get to take a lot of pictures, here are a couple of pics that I managed to sneak in....
As an addendum to my earlier post on "Giving What We Can", I would be remiss if I didn't mention the earthquake that hit Japan this past Friday. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this disaster. I am reprinting an article posted on People.com regarding the relief efforts:
" A massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan Friday morning, killing thousands of people and devastating a nation, but relief organizations are stepping up to provide immediate assistance to victims.
Here are some ways you can get involved and help people:
• Convoy of Hope's Disaster Response team is in contact with partners in Japan and identifying areas in the greatest need of assistance. You can donate online at convoyofhope.org or text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10 toward the relief efforts.
• AmeriCares is asking for donations so they can provide medicine and medical supplies to victims of the disaster.
• Global Giving has set up a relief fund where you can make a donation, which will be distributed to relief and emergency services in the affected region.
• Direct Relief International is reaching out to medical teams and emergency responders to offer assistance.
• Save the Children is mobilizing a response to the disaster in Japan with a focus on helping the youngest victims.
• International Medical Corps is sending medical supplies and relief teams to Japan. Help by donating $10 by texting MED to 80888.
• Make a $10 donation to the Red Cross by text messaging REDCROSS to 90999 or visit redcross.org to donate online.
If you're looking for a loved one in the disaster area, Google People Finder is a good place to start." - People
