As part of an outing with a Global Education Working Group, I visited the Gihembe Camp in Biyumba, a city in the north of the country, about an hour’s drive from Kigali. There are a number of refugee camps in Rwanda. They shelter refugees from Burundi or as is the case in the Gihembe camp, refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Buyumba is quite far from the Congo, so many of us on the way to the camp were not actually sure where the refugees in Gihembe were from. We soon learned they were Tutsi’s who had fled from the Congo.This camp was actually established in December of 1997 at which time most of the refugees were transferred from Gisenyi near the Congolese border. In March 1998, the first count established a population of 14,248 persons. Subsequent movements took place until 2004.
The demographics of this camp are staggering: it is huge - 17,274 people of whom 10, 500 are under the age of 18! In this group there are marginally more females than males. In the next age group, 18-59, there are 1110 women and 537 men! There were no birth rate figures, but it must be significant, given there are more than 3000 children between ages 0-4 yrs. There are also close to 100 single, young, mothers under the age of 18. I missed the medical part of this tour as I was talking to the literacy educators, but I saw no sign of any birth control counselling. This camp is run by UNHCR with the following partners : Government of Rwanda (MINELOC), American Refugee Committee (ARC), Jesuit Refugee Service(JRS), German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) , World Food Program (WFP) During our visit we learned that this camp is in effect run by the Jesuit Refugee Service.
The literacy program in this camp will be discontinued in December as there are no more funds. In September 2006 there were 271 adults enrolled, 33 men and 238 women. The Head of this program is very concerned about the future of these women, many of whom have been abandoned by their spouses. What will become of these women?
My impressions as I walked through the camp: Very friendly children and adults. There was a sense of structure and organization, but also of a very densely populated area. Speaking to the educators, one can see they work hard under difficult circumstances; not unlike what I see in the South Province of Rwanda. One marked difference is the quality of French spoken, however. The students I spoke to who were in third form preparing for Tronc Commun, were very well spoken in French, something one is not likely to encounter in the rural parts of the South province.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
Heart Wrenching
Heart wrenching !
How can I continue to be so deeply affected by these students sent home yet again this week, in third term, to go get their « Minerval » Minerval are the school fees and school ends the first week of November. If you haven’t paid, you do not get your year. If you haven’t paid you cannot come into class and you cannot eat in the cafeteria. Students are being forced home. The “gérant” tells me that students are sent home to fetch their parents and bring them so they can explain the family’s dismal financial situation. At this time, 6 weeks before the year end, 200 of the 864 students at the high school behind my home, have been sent home. Thirty-two of 125 6th form students who write an all-important National Exam in November, have also been sent home. If in my small school there are 200 out of school looking for money, how many students are there in all of Rwanda roaming around the countryside? I do not know, but it must be significant!!
If you have been reading my blog, you know I support some students myself and that my church is now taking care of another 6! Well, every day I am stopped by students in the street who are looking for help:one story sadder than the other.
As I eat my lunch, I know they are wandering about not getting any food. I have to harden myself.
How can I continue to be so deeply affected by these students sent home yet again this week, in third term, to go get their « Minerval » Minerval are the school fees and school ends the first week of November. If you haven’t paid, you do not get your year. If you haven’t paid you cannot come into class and you cannot eat in the cafeteria. Students are being forced home. The “gérant” tells me that students are sent home to fetch their parents and bring them so they can explain the family’s dismal financial situation. At this time, 6 weeks before the year end, 200 of the 864 students at the high school behind my home, have been sent home. Thirty-two of 125 6th form students who write an all-important National Exam in November, have also been sent home. If in my small school there are 200 out of school looking for money, how many students are there in all of Rwanda roaming around the countryside? I do not know, but it must be significant!!
If you have been reading my blog, you know I support some students myself and that my church is now taking care of another 6! Well, every day I am stopped by students in the street who are looking for help:one story sadder than the other.
As I eat my lunch, I know they are wandering about not getting any food. I have to harden myself.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
The group of six
You will have to imagine the picture. Cannot manage the technology today!!!
The Group of Six
I have finally met the group of six students who will be helped with their school fees through a bursary fund which originated at my church in Toronto, Rosedale Presbyterian Church. It was the Youth Group of this church who decided they wanted to use some of the Outreach Budget to help students in Rwanda stay in school. From left to right, Thomas, Chantal, Béata,Clénie, Jean and Gustave will be assisted with their school fees, some personal hygiene materials and school supplies. As we sat around and got acquainted this afternoon, we went through the basic things they might need. As we moved from notebooks and pens, to geometry sets, one of the young people said that he didn’t have a mattress.
Three others also admitted, ashamedly, that they had been sharing the bed of a friend because they did not have a matress.When we moved to uniforms, all admitted they have just one pair of trousers or one skirt and one shirt. Two of the boys’shirts were worn to the point of having rips. One of the girls shyly came forward to say that she does not own a uniform and was wearing one borrowed from a friend. Shoes were another problem:most were wearing borrowed shoes. The young people understand we cannot solve all their material problems, but we will do our best to equip them with the proper bedding, plastic sandals in addition to their school equipment and toilet articles. Further activities we plan to undertake with these students are to provide workshops in leadership , organizational and entrepreneurial skills. The plan is that when they have received some training they will serve as leaders in a vacation camp for primary school aged children. In order that the young people from Toronto and also the rest of the congregation, will get to know the circumstances of these young Rwandans, we have asked the six students to write a letter once a term where they talk about themselves, their families and their asademic studies.
In our discussion today all students agreed they would continue to do their best to find some funds to help pay their expenses. Although this term we are financing the school fees 100%, we encourage them to come forward with whatever small amount they have been able to save.
The Group of Six
I have finally met the group of six students who will be helped with their school fees through a bursary fund which originated at my church in Toronto, Rosedale Presbyterian Church. It was the Youth Group of this church who decided they wanted to use some of the Outreach Budget to help students in Rwanda stay in school. From left to right, Thomas, Chantal, Béata,Clénie, Jean and Gustave will be assisted with their school fees, some personal hygiene materials and school supplies. As we sat around and got acquainted this afternoon, we went through the basic things they might need. As we moved from notebooks and pens, to geometry sets, one of the young people said that he didn’t have a mattress.
Three others also admitted, ashamedly, that they had been sharing the bed of a friend because they did not have a matress.When we moved to uniforms, all admitted they have just one pair of trousers or one skirt and one shirt. Two of the boys’shirts were worn to the point of having rips. One of the girls shyly came forward to say that she does not own a uniform and was wearing one borrowed from a friend. Shoes were another problem:most were wearing borrowed shoes. The young people understand we cannot solve all their material problems, but we will do our best to equip them with the proper bedding, plastic sandals in addition to their school equipment and toilet articles. Further activities we plan to undertake with these students are to provide workshops in leadership , organizational and entrepreneurial skills. The plan is that when they have received some training they will serve as leaders in a vacation camp for primary school aged children. In order that the young people from Toronto and also the rest of the congregation, will get to know the circumstances of these young Rwandans, we have asked the six students to write a letter once a term where they talk about themselves, their families and their asademic studies.
In our discussion today all students agreed they would continue to do their best to find some funds to help pay their expenses. Although this term we are financing the school fees 100%, we encourage them to come forward with whatever small amount they have been able to save.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Motorbikes banished from Kigali for a week!
Motorbikes banished from Kigali for one week
From out of nowhere, a week ago, motorcycles were suddenly taken off the streets of Kigali! They were polluting, accident prone, unruly and considered undesirable by those who make the rash decisions this country sometimes has to live with.
Kigali is a city spread out over many hills with a relatively small centre. There are taxi busses (holding 22 people that drive on various routes but do not touch the down town area nor do they enter the residential areas. When one arrives at the edge of downtown with one of these buses, it was easy to hop on the back of a motorbike and for a dollar or two be quickly taken to your destination. The alternative? :Walking or taking a regular taxi, although the latter is too costly to consider unless you are a party of three or four. I was in Kigali yesterday and it was like a ghost down: just cars driving along with no bikes weaving through the traffic. Apparently though, the bikes are back!!! A meeting was held in the stadium last night with all the motards who thought they had lost their livelihood only to have it given back to them a week later. They will have to live with more regulations to improve the safety of their passengers. Well, there is no harm in that!
From out of nowhere, a week ago, motorcycles were suddenly taken off the streets of Kigali! They were polluting, accident prone, unruly and considered undesirable by those who make the rash decisions this country sometimes has to live with.
Kigali is a city spread out over many hills with a relatively small centre. There are taxi busses (holding 22 people that drive on various routes but do not touch the down town area nor do they enter the residential areas. When one arrives at the edge of downtown with one of these buses, it was easy to hop on the back of a motorbike and for a dollar or two be quickly taken to your destination. The alternative? :Walking or taking a regular taxi, although the latter is too costly to consider unless you are a party of three or four. I was in Kigali yesterday and it was like a ghost down: just cars driving along with no bikes weaving through the traffic. Apparently though, the bikes are back!!! A meeting was held in the stadium last night with all the motards who thought they had lost their livelihood only to have it given back to them a week later. They will have to live with more regulations to improve the safety of their passengers. Well, there is no harm in that!
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