Hamna Shida (No Problem)

 

Rwanda is an extremely complex society! At first glance it appears as though the country has moved past what is described as the most intense conflict of the twentieth century. In about 100 days, approximately one million people were brutally murdered….that’s 1 out of every 15 Rwandese!!!

I have to admit, even though this is my third visit to Rwanda, I had a somewhat romanticized view of this place: a country where victims and perpetrators; widows and prisoners wives; rich and poor were able to do the unthinkable… to live side-by-side, and to try and rebuild the strong social and cultural ties that existed before the coming of the German and Belgian colonialists. Rwandese today (both rich and poor) seem genuinely happy: they work and play together; they go to school and worship together. In fact public debate or discussion of the “H” and “T” words (Hutu and Tutsi) is taboo. “We are all Rwandans and no longer think of ourselves in terms of our ethnic identities…we are one people…. Hamna Shida.”

It doesn’t take long, however, to discover that the work of healing and reconciliation is far from over. “Hamna Shida but I can never marry one of them”….”Hamna Shida but I know they hate us”…. “Hamna Shida but my greatest fear is if they are given the opportunity they’ll do it again”…”Hamna Shida but my kids know the difference between us and them”…”Hamna Shida but they are not good people”….The pain is deep….The emotions are raw….The memories are fresh. On a regular basis you hear stories of people who lost every single member of their family in those 100 days. Or of men in prison who killed their own wives and children because they resembled the enemy (they referred to them as inyenzi meaning cockroaches).

You also hear the fear and shame of those who are despised because they happen to belong to the group that are all lumped together as killers (the reality is that there were several Hutus who were killed either because they did not agree with the genocidal ideology or they risked their lives to save the lives of Tutsis).

Icyizere… there’s hope! On a daily basis I reflect on all of the things that I see and hear but always with a feeling of hope. For all the stories of anger and resentment, you hear just as many stories of ordinary people who are working hard to rebuild their nation….who want to create a different society for their children…who might not be able to forget but are at least willing to try and forgive……….

Another Rwanda is possible!

 

From the land of a thousand hills

 Greetings from Kigali! I am not exaggerating when I say Rwanda is one of the most beautiful places on this earth! They call it the land of a thousand hills probably because you can hardly find any flat surfaces here; the entire country sits on hills and believe me when I tell you that climbing those hills is not an easy task.

I live in a section of the city called Nyakabanda with a family with 4 children ages 11, 10, 2 years and 7 months (3 boys and the most adorable little girl who sits in her little corner and just smiles). The official languages here are Kinyarwanda, French, English, and Kiswahili; many people in my neighborhood speak some Kiswahili so I’ve had very few problems communicating with the neighbors.

The last time I was in Rwanda was in 2004. Things have changed a lot since then. One of the biggest changes is the increased number of office buildings and restaurants that have been constructed all over the city – tall buildings, blue glass buildings, not to mention the most gigantic homes that I have ever seen (this is somewhat troubling in a city that is already overcrowded). I tell everyone that there are three Rwandas: one for the extremely rich, the severely poor, and those that are caught somewhere in between. There are tons of wealthy people (a new population of university educated elite has emerged) but most people fall in the last two categories. I have friends who live and work in all three categories so I find myself mingling with Rwandans from all walks of life. The rich live on one side and travel in their four wheel drives, while the poor walk up those hills or take the minibuses or the boda-bodas (motorcycles for hire). In the U.S. we speak of what side of the railroad tracks you are from. It breaks my heart to see that here the rich and the poor are separated by the hills.

I don’t mean to sound overly pessimistic. There are many amazing things going on over here (you might even call them revolutionary). Like the way in which families of victims and the families of perpetrators of the 1994 genocide (close to one million people were killed in about 3 months) are making a conscious effort to live and work together (not everyone is committed to reconciliation, but a good number of the people I’ve met are at least willing to make an effort to making things better for themselves and for the future generations), or the record number of women that are at the forefront of the country’s efforts to reconstruct this society (Rwanda has the highest number of elected female officials in the world i.e. about 49% ). So as I settle into my new environment, I feel really blessed to have this unique opportunity to spend 6 months listening and learning and maybe even being able to come up with some solutions that will be helpful not only in the rebuilding of Rwanda but also in the healing of a continent that has suffered the abuses of slavery, colonization, the Cold War and so many other injustices. So please stay tuned as I share with you pictures and stories from the land of a thousand hills. Aluta Continua (the struggle continues )!