Global Youth Connect: Human Rights Delegation to Rwanda

I was officially accepted to attend Global Youth Connect’s Rwanda Delegation from August 1-23, 2012.

Global Youth Connect (GYC), founded in 1999 by international youth leaders, is a non-profit organization that aims to “empower young activists from around the globe through a combination of cross cultural human rights learning workshops, volunteer service, and sustained human rights activism aligned with grassroots NGOs, policy makers, and other stakeholders” (Global Youth Connect, http://www.globalyouthconnect.org).

They organize delegations all of the world, but Rwanda particularly caught my attention.

Why Rwanda? I suppose many would raise their eyebrows at the idea of going to Rwanda and I bet most people’s initial reactions are of fear and horror. Some don't even know where it is. For example, I called Bank of America recently to set my security settings before the trip and the staff questioned me whether Rwanda was in Africa.

Rwanda is one of those places that touches my heart and my desire to go there has not only been about seeing the gorillas but also to learn from humankind’s own failures. I studied Rwanda and the genocide during my master’s program and I am deeply interested in post-genocide nations as a whole. Even walking the streets of Prague, I am reminded of the horrific events of the 20th century in Europe. When I think of going to Rwanda, I get a lump in my throat. It is so much more to experience a place and its people, rather than reading about them in a textbook or on the news. I will be meeting survivors who have lived through one of humankind's most grotesque atrocities. More than 800,000 people were brutally and systematically murdered over the course of a couple of months. I am going to hear their stories.I am going with an open mind and an open heart.

The GYC program encompasses everything that I want to experience. The description of what I will be doing is below:

International participants will join with Rwandan peers in a Learning and Action Community to learn about human rights achievements and challenges in Rwanda (and the world) and to take concrete action steps together to support current and future efforts for human rights protection and promotion, both in Rwanda and abroad. Through a combination of workshops, site visits, advocacy meetings, and volunteer service with grassroots NGOs, we will learn and act on numerous key human rights issues in Rwanda, including but not limited to: gender and human rights, human rights of children, LGBTI populations, historically marginalized indigenous groups, refugees, domestic workers, poverty reduction, public health, juvenile justice, freedom of expression and the arts.

In advance of and during the delegation, all participants will examine the roots of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and see how its legacy has impacted the country and its people, particularly Rwandan youth, and also how the country is attempting to rebuild today (Global Youth Connect, http://www.globalyouthconnect.org)

I feel privileged to be a part of this opportunity and I hope that my participation will do some “good” in this world of chaos.

Click of a Button: Journey to Rwanda

Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills

The spring semester finally ended and my life seemed to be a bit calmer now. It was time to start planning my summer vacation. After my travels to Thailand, I knew I wanted to go to Africa next, but I wanted my next trip to be more meaningful, more educational.

I found myself on the internet doing countless searches of volunteer work in Africa. With this, I also read numerous articles on corruption or poor company practices of “voluntourism.” When the possibilities are endless, searching for a program can be exhausting.  Then, I came across Global Youth Connect, a non-profit organization whose mission is to create a learning and action community of young people on raising awareness of human rights issues. As I was perusing their website, I my eyes immediately went to the text, “still accepting applications.” It was for a human rights delegation in Rwanda.

I have always wanted to go to Rwanda. My first fascination with Rwanda began at a young age. Most girls daydream about being princesses, ballerinas, and even models. As a child, I dreamed of being a primatologist working with gorillas and living in Africa.  Yes, I was allowed to watch Gorillas in the Mist in my youth. My second desire to go to Rwanda is because of my strong interest in Holocaust studies and my interest in humanity. Much of my past has focused on addressing questions of why do events like this happen, why do they continue to offer, and are we humans ever going to evolve?

After I read about the program description, I e-mailed the director for more information and to inquire if it is still possible to apply. I received a friendly reply offering me the opportunity to still apply. So, I gathered my materials and sent it off the next day. In the meantime, I kept thinking to myself, that I didn’t really just apply. I mean, who goes to Rwanda?

The following day, I received an email from the director to set up a phone interview. Nervously, I accepted. I had my interview on a Friday evening and what I thought would last 20 minutes last almost an hour. It turns out that I do well in phone interviews and being passionate about the subject matter helps. I felt very positive after the conversation.

The next morning, I woke up to a “congrats” letter welcoming me to the program. Was this really happening? Will I really be traveling to Kigali this August? A million thoughts raced through my mind. I had one week to decide and after thorough research and speaking with my family, it was time to take my life to the next level. I chose to attend and I chose to change my life.

It’s amazing that we live in a world today where opportunities are endless and vast. By a click of a button, I found this Rwandan program. I never thought that I would be going to Rwanda to participate in a human rights delegation with young leaders, just as eager as I to learn and to make the world we live in a better place.

I will be going to Kigali from August 1-29, 2012 and I will celebrate my birthday in the Land of a Thousand Hills. 

A Life in Limbo: Kiziba Refugee Camp

I have a pretty good life. Actually, I have a wonderful life. I have a job. I have a family. I have relatively free mobility to move in and out of my country. I have a nationality. I have a place to call “home.” Nothing could have prepared me for the visit to Kiziba Refugee Camp, located about 45 minutes from my comfortable hotel overlooking Lake Kivu in the western part of Rwanda. I hopped in the van with the rest of the Global Youth Connect group early in the morning and we set off for a bumpy ride through rolling hills winding around narrow dirt roads.

On the horizon, I could see a blanket of huts and buildings, what looked like the size of a small city. In a way, Kiziba is a small city made up of more than 15,000 Congolese refugees, of which 50% are under the age of 18. The camp opened in 1996 to accommodate the growing number of people fleeing from the Democratic Republic of Congo due to political instability.

Before touring the camp, we met with the 

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 

(UNHCR) and the 

American Refugee Committee

 (ARC), the camp management. The existence of this camp is funded entirely by international assistance.

A refugee has three options: repatriate back to his or her home country, assimilate into the host country, or relocate elsewhere (if possible). Unfortunately, it is quite difficult for the latter and it could take up to three years to find a country willing to accept a refugee and then process the request. For those with more serious medical issues that cannot be treated in Rwanda, the process can take as little as two weeks. Many still desire to return to their home country though. The UNHCR set a goal to resettle 2,400 people in Rwanda for 2012, almost three times the number resettled in 2011. I hope they will succeed.

We listened to various representatives explain the work that is being done to assist the refugees. A couple of positive remarks were that all persons affected with HIV have 100% access to drugs and all persons are given 38 liters (10 gallons) of water per day, higher than the standard ration of 20 liters (5 gallons).

Although there are a few positives in the camp, the challenges far outweigh the success stories. Rape, gender-based violence, poverty, and prostitution are just a few of the daily problems that the UNHCR and the ARC face. More than 30 women give birth each month. Children run away. Women leave the camp to prostitute themselves in nearby towns for pennies. Youth turn to drugs and violence. The list goes on.

After the grim meeting, we split into two groups to tour the educational and medical facilities. I chose the educational tour, which consisted of the vocational training center, the computer lab, and the school.

The vocational training center was a series of small rooms in mud huts, each with a different function. The instructors for sewing and cooking provided a brief overview of their programs, which last approximately one year. I appreciated the vocation training centers because it provides skills that will hopefully lead to employment. The center is rather small, but I hope they will be able to further develop this component in providing more people with opportunities in the camp.

Then, we viewed the compute lab, which teaches children IT skills. The children were playing a computer game to improve their typing skills. The lab is also fully equipped with Internet access.

As we were walking to the school, I was informed that the UNHCR had just received a phone call from the medical staff to see if they could use their car to transport a child to the hospital, as a result of child abuse. My heart shattered. These are the types of issues that the staff in the camp face on a daily basis.

Our last stop was the school. Students are required to attend school for nine years and adhere to the curriculum guidelines set forth by the Rwandan government. Unfortunately, many students do not continue their education for a number of reasons: lack of motivation, parents do not have the money for school fees (and turn to prostitution), or the schools are too far away from the camp. The UNHCR recognized this as a priority issue within the camp due to the large number of children.

Walking around the camp was surreal. It is hidden away from everyone else, nestled on top of a mountain. The people are isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. It is its own self-contained community equipped with a medical facility, a school, small stores, and even three dance venues. I met some refugees who have been living there for more than 17 years and the young children in the camp do not know of any other life. For them, this is their home.

When walking down the dirt road, I wanted to give them the clothing off my back, the food that I had to the children who followed me down the road. I wanted to give them the world, the life I had. But I couldn't.

Visiting the camp was not only overwhelming; but again, depicted the severe troubles and injustices in this world. Well, my eyes have seen it now and the images I saw are burnt into my mind. If I cannot give them the clothes off of my back or the life that I have now, I can at least advocate for their welfare and shed light on their situation. I hope that one day they have a better place to call "home."

Further Reading

To learn more, the full Kiziba Camp program report will be available soon on the Global Youth Connect/Turikumwe blog.

A Note of Appreciation

I would like to give a special thanks to those who donated educational supplies for my trip. Some of the supplies went to the Kiziba Refugee Camp primary school. Although it's not enough for the thousands of children at the camp, it's certainly a start. Thank you.