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| Refugee suburbia |
So the last two days we ventured out to some repatriation sites on the border of Rwanda and Tanzania. The story of these people isn’t well known, but they are second generation Rwandans in Tanzania who got chased out of the country with just the clothes on their backs. The Rwandan government sent buses in to get them, and brought them to Red Cross transition camps on this side of the border. Many of these people had not even heard of Rwanda before they were bused here, and many of them lost their family members (both in transit and through violence of the Tanzanian military). The Red Cross in Rwanda set up these transition camps where these repatriated Rwandans would be integrated with the most vulnerable poor people in the area. Essentially the model is that the poor would also be given houses, along with the repatriated, in order to help these people learn Rwandan culture and ways of life. In Tanzania, most were cattle farmers, but in Rwanda they’ve had to learn to be agricultural farmers, which has been a very difficult transition. We visited several different sites, some in transition that are being built, a model site, and one where the people still live in temporary huts next to the foundations they have dug for their new homes (to be). The Red Cross has made sure to involve these people in the project by teaching them how to dig the first foundation and then allowing them to finish the community. They are also taught how to make the bricks in order to built the house. It’s a fascinating model- though, as fast as they can build these communities, there are still many waiting in the mud for their houses to be built- it could take at least 8 more months before these people have a real home to live in.
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| Women’s focus groups |
At each of the sites, our Red Cross contact had graciously organized a focus group of women to tell us their personal stories of transit between the border, adjusting to the new country, and their hopes for the future. It was a really productive and eventful journey to say the least.
We visited the repatriation sites for two nights, which required a little overnight stay…The hotel (one of only two in the town) was modest to say the least. I was interested in using the toilet in my room and asked the reception desk if I might have the water in my room turned on. “Tonight, you have no water.” – “But what about the toilet?” I ask. “No. Tonight, no water.” After a bit of discussion through our driver in Kinyarwanda, it was revealed that the hotel in fact could only deliver water in buckets to our room. No water. So, my roommate desperately had to use the toilet. Sparing you much of the details, it took two of us to operate the toilet with a bucket in order to “flush.” I took an Imodium and two Peptos to ensure I would NOT have the same experience. I suppose we’re bonded for life now!
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| Poop Paintins |
On the return trip, we stopped to visit a women’s group that does traditional Rwandan art. It’s made from cow manure and ash—but oh so beautiful. The women were in the middle of painting the particular pieces we wanted, so we offered to buy them half-done. They ended up making us sit and watch while they finished. We also saw a man with a goat strapped to the back of his bicycle. As we drove by him, the goat made his little goat noise…Bahhhh…poor goat.
Overall it was a very productive trip!
