This April marks the 20th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda where one million people were murdered in a matter of 100 days. For many ASYV students, it is a traumatic part of their past and they are still healing from the terror that struck their nation, and the world. Even for the students who were born after 1994, the genocide had deep residual effects that touched the lives of all Rwandans. To remember this atrocious offense to humanity, Rwanda has held a series of events called, Kwibuka 20. In Kinyarwanda, kwibuka means "to remember." But Kwibuka is not solely meant to focus on the horror and despair of the genocide; it is meant to unite and bring hope to this small landlocked nation. According to the Kwibuka website, Kwibuka20 calls on the world to stand against genocide in three key ways: to remember, to unite, and to renew. I have lived in Rwanda for only four months now, but I have met some of the most inspiring and wonderful people at Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village. If you ever lose faith in humanity, all you need to do is spend a few minutes at ASYV. The youth that I know and spend everyday with renewed my sense of hope for the world. The genocide in Rwanda was a horrible event in world history and it should not be forgotten, but I want to focus on the future of Rwanda. The future of Rwanda will be determined by its youth. ASYV students range from mid-teens to early twenties and they are leaders, poets, innovators, and possess a keen desire to learn. The photos below depict ASYV students, particularly from the family that I mentor. These are new students at ASYV, but their faces and smiles show hope and strength. Kwibuka may be a time to remember the past, but these are the faces of the future.
Shopping Like a Local: Visiting a Rwandan Market
There is something romantic about grocery shopping in covered markets. The vendors, the chaotic arrangement of vegetables, and the community feel makes shopping an interesting experience. Whenever I travel or live abroad, I am always drawn to local markets. Perhaps because it is just that, local. I also feel a greater connection to my food when seeing it in the open air rather than neatly lined in a sterile-looking grocery store. The produce is fresh and real, unlike so much food found in America. Every Tuesday and Friday I have the opportunity to walk to a local market in the neighboring town of Rubona, approximately one mile from ASYV. Although all meals are included at the Village, I enjoy cooking some of my own. The walk to the market is pleasant and Rwandans are very friendly. It is customary to greet each passerby with mwiriwe, or good afternoon. Often, children follow closely behind me, giggling and whispering, muzungu, a term given to white visitors.
The market is an open-air space lined with people selling everything from goats to flour. Upon arrival, I am immediately offered tomatoes, cabbage, and any other produce that is available. I am always amazed by how incredibly inexpensive fresh produce is buy in Rwanda. I can recall paying $2.00 for avocados in Prague and in Florida, but in Rwanda, I pay less than fifty cents for three.
After perusing the aisles, I settle on a price for the produce. Here is a breakdown of food that I purchased (1 USD = 681 RWF, as of 2014):
Small Bananas 100 RWF
Basket of Tomatoes 100 RWF
Avocados (3) 300 RWF
Green Peppers (3) 100 RWF
Total 600 RWF ($0.88)
These prices can also change slightly depending on one's bargaining skills. Compared to grocery shopping in Kigali, I find that the produce is fresher and half the cost. This food lasts a few days and it's delicious.
In addition to shopping at the local market, I also go to the grocery stores in Kigali to buy "junk food." To give you an idea about current 2014 market prices, here are a few examples:
Can of Diet Coke 900 RWF
Bottle of Coke or Fanta 300 RWF
500g of coffee 2,100 RWF
1 liter of low-fat milk 1,000 RWF
500g of pasta 1,900 RWF
Bag of tortilla chips 1,900 RWF
Local gouda cheese wheel 3,750 RWF
Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar 1,100 RWF
Large jar of peanut butter 3,600 RWF
In general, I can find almost any food in Rwanda. It is more expensive to buy certain items (e.g. cheese and sauces), but the local fruits and vegetables more than make up for it.
Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World
Last Tuesday marked the first day of tikkun olam for Senior 4 (second year) students at Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village. Tikkun olam, or “repairing the world” in Hebrew, is a core component of the Village. The students volunteer not only to help their community, but also to heal their hearts. ASYV students undertake numerous projects, which vary per grade. Senior 4 students provide administrative support at a local health clinic, lead English-enrichment activities at a primary school, and build houses for vulnerable families in the community. Senior 5 students teach English and computer skills to local adults and children. Senior 6 students complete special projects each term and create a legacy project, such as building a community garden at a local hospital. But one of the most popular and powerful projects is building homes. To date, ASYV students have constructed twelve homes in the neighboring villages. Every year, the tikkun olam committee, comprised of ASYV staff, meet with local government officials to learn about the most vulnerable families in the surrounding area. The committee evaluates each family and chooses two to assist for the year.
Claudine and her four children were among the chosen. Claudine lives only a ten-minute walk from the gates of Agahozo-Shalom. Born in 1980, she is a single mother to four children. The father(s) are not present in the children's lives and their whereabouts are unknown. Only two children currently live with her. The eldest child left to find work and the other child went to live with a neighbor. She has a small plot of land given to her by her brothers and a small house constructed of mud and a tin roof. The current roof is riddled with holes leaving little shelter for the upcoming heavy rainy season. They are without running water, electricity, toilet facilities, furnishings, and often, food. Life is hard, to say the least, for Claudine who has few family members and no income to support her children.
When the ASYV students and I arrived to her home, we were met with open arms. Claudine was overjoyed to receive support from ASYV. Her children ran out of the house to greet us. Their clothes were tattered and caked in mud. Samuel, two and a half years old, laughed as ASYV students played with him and “Obama,” named after U.S. President Barack Obama, aged five, curiously watched the group survey the land. I tried to maintain my composure as I observed the seemingly hopeless existence of this family, but the pit in my stomach remained.
The first task was to assess the future building site of the house. With the assistance of ASYV staff, the students will construct a larger home with two bedrooms and a family room. The students wasted no time in getting to work. They mixed mud and water to create bricks to be used for the home. Each one is handmade using a brick mold.
In just two hours, ASYV students created 37 bricks, a small accomplishment for their first day in building houses. The goal for future visits is to make at least 100 per session. The sun was setting and the ASYV students recited a final prayer at the site before departing. The children waved goodbye and we slowly walked back to the Village.
But tikkunolam didn’t end on their departure from the site. The ASYV students were deeply moved by Claudine and her family. They noticed her lack of basic necessities, such as food and clothing, and they wanted to give her more than just a house. When asked about the importance of tikkun olam, Senior 4 student, Quinzaine replied, “It is good because I am repairing my world and I like to help the poor.” Many students at ASYV come from the same life as Claudine. In the next few weeks, the students will meet to discuss ways in which they can provide more assistance to Claudine and her children. Their goal is to not only provide a house for the family, but to create hope for a positive future.
Even in Rwanda, it is easy to forget what happens in life outside the ASYV bubble. The Village is a beautiful utopian space amidst an area rife with destitution. The landscape is nicely manicured, the houses are colorful and orderly, and it is a peaceful environment. Claudine lives only a ten-minute walk away and as I write this article, I am sitting in a furnished home with running water, electricity, and wi-fi. I sleep in a comfortable bed with a mattress and bedding. Claudine and her children sleep on the cold ground with a threadbare sheet.
Despite the extreme poverty found in Rwanda, I am hopeful. It is extraordinary to watch so many young Rwandans help those who desperately need it in their community. The ASYV students possess a remarkable desire and willingness to help. Their passion is contagious and I truly believe that they are repairing the world, one house at a time.
Note: All photos of children were taken with verbal permission from the parents.
When I See You, I Love You
On December 28, Agahozo-Shalom gained 128 new students, wide-eyed and eager to learn. But these weren't just any students. These 128 represent the most vulnerable youth of Rwanda. Before their arrival, the recruitment team performed site visits to the schools as well as their homes to determine who would be able to come to the Village. Selection is not based on grades or test scores, but how vulnerable a teen is. It is by no means an easy process. Having gone through a careful selection process, these students truly represent Rwanda’s struggling population.
December 28 was the day the ASYV staff and I had all been waiting for. That was the day I would meet my new family, 16 new girls who would call me “Cousin” for the next year (and perhaps in the future). I waited in the reception area for their arrival. Busloads of children and guardians poured out of the vans, all carrying the possessions they owned. Some carried trunks; others carried small backpacks.
As all 128 finally filtered into the Village, ASYV held a reception and ceremony to welcome the new students. In the afternoon, we all went to the basketball courts, where the new students would be placed into families with a Mama and a Big Sister or Big Brother. They would live with these other girls or boys and a Mama for the next four years.
As my turn came up, I walked on the court with my Big Sister and Mama. We waited until the speaker called all 16 names and they came on the court. We hugged and took a group photo. After the ceremony, the remaining guardians and students walked with us to their new home. The guardians inspected the rooms to ensure everything was okay, we sat down and Mama talked to all of them. After feeling content, they slowly trickled out.
Finally, we were alone at last. Over the next few days, it was full of awkward pauses, silence and trying to get the students adjusted to Village life. I have never dealt with 16 teenagers before, let alone orphans and vulnerable youth. After dinner, I walked back with a few girls to their home. One had her arm around my waist. As we were about to approach the house, she looked up at me and I could tell she wanted to say something, but struggled to speak. She gave a sigh as if she were about to cry and said, “When I see you, I love you.”
If I had any doubt about my decision to move to Rwanda, it quickly disappeared. It was at this moment that I fully realized why I was here, to give love. I have lived in the Village for almost two months now and when I look at all of the ASYV students, I think to myself, "When I see you, I love you."
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
(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.
Elephant Nature Park: Journey for the Soul, Heart and Mind
I have always loved and respected animals. So when planning my trip to Thailand with my companion, it was natural that I begin searching for an opportunity to visit and observe elephants. I didn’t want to see them painting, to watch them perform, or to look at them through glass in a zoo. I wanted to visit a place that I knew in my heart promoted the wellbeing of elephants, not their demise. After hours of research, I finally narrowed it down to Elephant Nature Park (ENP), an elephant rescue and rehabilitation center in Chiang Mai. ENP has more than 30 elephants that were abused and neglected and finally taken to ENP to live out the rest of their days peacefully. Since we had such a short amount of time in Chiang Mai, I booked the “overnight helper” experience, which comprised two days in the park. We were going to be learning, observing, feeding and bathing the elephants. Little did we know that the time spent at Elephant Nature Park would surpass any other experience we had in Thailand, and in our lives.
The Experience
Our journey began at 8:30am on Monday morning where we were picked up at our hotel in Chiang Mai by ENP and greeted by our tour guide, “Bee,” whom we adored immediately. There were eight people in the group and we set off an hour north to the park. Along the way, we watched a documentary explaining the situation of the Asian Elephant in Thailand. It was a grim, but powerful film, one that made me appreciate the rest of my trip.
As we approached the Park, I noticed orange cloth tied around trees on the side of the road. Our guide explained that Buddhist monks blessed and wrapped the trees in saffron robes to signify their sacred status and to protect them from loggers. Thais are very superstitious people and any layperson that chops a tree down with this saffron robe will have bad luck for the rest of his or her life. Lek Chailert, founder of ENP, went to the monks near the Park and explained the need to conserve the trees. Believing in her effort, the monks helped her by blessing many trees near the park to prevent deforestation.
A few moments later, we entered the Park and drove to the main center. We put our bags down and learned about our itinerary for the day, which included feeding and bathing elephants, observing them, eating lunch, watching a documentary on how elephants are trained to perform and end the evening with a blessing ceremony and dinner.
We picked up our bucket of food (pumpkin, pineapple, and melon) and headed directly to the fields where more than 38 elephants live and roam freely. We immediately went to a small herd of elephants to begin feeding them. Bee instructed us that elephants eat constantly and we must keep a continuous supply of food going into their mouths. Elephants eat for about 18 hours a day and can consume more than 250 kg of food per day. Once our bucket was empty, we had to show the elephant that there was none left. Clever elephants.
Each elephant has his or her own unique and tragic story. We listened to Bee describe the elephants we were feeding. The stories were awful and each one made a new small hole in my heart. Medo worked in the logging industry for many years. After she was nearly crippled from hard labor, her owners decided to put her in a breeding program. She was raped and beaten by a terrorizing bull elephant. The enraged bull crippled Medo with his tusks while all four of her legs were chained to a post. She has a broken hip, which cannot be fixed. Medo managed to survive and leads a rather normal elephant life at the Park. She still walks with a limp, but she is free from her painful past. Elephants are such beautiful and magnificent creatures with complex family lives and social interactions. It’s unfathomable that humans can inflict so much pain and torture on innocent creatures.
After lunch (which was fantastic), we had some free time to observe the elephants and soak in the breathtaking views before bathing them. The staff led elephants to the river and they instructed us to clean them off by pouring buckets of water on them. At first I felt a bit silly throwing a bucket of water on a 2.5 ton animal, but they didn't seem to mind and just kept eating their food. Elephants generally soak off and then return to a mud pit for a natural sunscreen.
Our final activity consisted of watching the elephants play in the mud pit, which was my favorite. I loved watching them spray dirt on their backs fast and furiously. The baby buried its head into the red dirt and by the time they finished, the elephants were a nice red hue.
At the end of the day, we headed back to the main lodge to relax. I was looking onto the fields when I noticed a small woman whom I recognized on the website. It was Lek, the founder of the Park. She climbed over the railing and greeted and thanked me for visiting the Park. I was speechless. It’s very rare in a lifetime to meet someone as incredible as this woman and I was fortunate enough to do so.
A small dog came running up to her. He was hairless, but cute. He was also missing an eye. When the floods hit Thailand at the end of 2011, Lek went to Bangkok to rescue animals. He was one of them. She told us that she found him with his eyeball hanging out of his socket. Lek helps all in need, not just elephants. She is one of the most incredible women that I have met in my life. I was mesmerized by her presence. Lek's efforts have been recognized worldwide and ENP has been featured in National Geographic and the Smithsonian Society. She was also awarded the 2005 Time Magazine Asian Hero of the Year, the 2006 Earth Day Award, and received an Honorary PhD in Veterinarian Science by the Crown Prince of Thailand.
Our day was almost over and we checked into our accommodation for the evening, a rustic bungalow on stilts overlooking the park. Our cabin was named after an elephant, Jungle Boy. When walking to the cabin, one of the dogs followed us to our door. He became ours for the evening as he slept on a chair on our porch. We opened the door and were pleasantly surprised by the bungalow. It looked fresh and clean (despite the army of ants scaling the wall). We had a mosquito net and our bathroom was half-open with views of the elephants. And to our benefit, we had hot water!
We showered and got ready for the evening. We headed back to the lodge and attended a welcome ceremony for the volunteers and overnight helpers. The local chairman of the village came to bless us and welcome us to ENP. It started off with young women playing instruments and then the chairman performed a chant and blessed us by spritzing water on the group. I cherished this moment.
It was a perfect end to one of the most memorable days of our lives. We couldn’t wait for the next day to come. That evening, we climbed into bed underneath our mosquito tent. With the excitement of being there and the uneasiness of a creepy-crawly climbing through the small hole in our net, it was difficult to fall asleep. But after some time dozed off. In the middle of the night, I woke up to roars and what sounded like a T-Rex (not that I know what they sound like). It was startling and realized the sound was coming from the elephants. I had no idea that elephants could make such a noise. This continued throughout the night and once the elephants made noise, all 100 dogs started barking too. It really was a jungle-like experience. I thought I was in Jurassic Park.
After a sleepless night, I woke up early to catch the sunrise. Breathtaking views. All was quiet and I watched the elephants graze in the field as the sun rose. Another man was standing near the observation deck. I started talking to him about the Park and I found out that he was Lek’s husband, Adam. Adam was a former Canadian fire fighter who dedicated his spare time in the illegal exotic animal trade. Another amazing person.
My companion met me at the lodge for breakfast and Lek greeted our group. Eager to learn about the roars from the night before, we asked Lek. Lek explained that two weeks earlier, locals brought an elephant to the Park to be taken care of. The Park has different means in helping elephants and one of them includes allowing owners to bring their elephant to the Park for free food and healthcare. Taking care of an elephants is extremely costly and most locals cannot afford the upkeep. The ENP staff knew this elephant was pregnant but they did not know how far along she was. Elephants have a gestation period of 22 months.
That evening, the elephant gave birth around 2:00am. The baby was stillborn. After her third miscarriage, the mother elephant sobbed throughout the night. The roars we heard were cries of pain and sadness. The other elephants tried to console her by staying by her side, but she only wanted her baby. Lek and the other park rangers removed the stillborn baby from the area and the mother continued to cry. It was heart-wrenching to listen to Lek tell the story. I couldn’t believe that the sounds we heard from the night before were cries from elephants. I’ll never forget that night.
We somberly headed out with our guide to the grassy field where we would explore more of the park grounds. We sat there watching the elephants interacting with one another without a care in the world. They were happy and they were safe. But I could not stop thinking about the mother's cries.
We walked to another part of the park where the mahouts were gathered. All elephants at the park have a “mahout,” or elephant keeper. The mahouts stay with their elephant at all times. Most of these men originate from Myanmar and are from the Karen hill tribe village. For extra income, the mahouts carve their elephant out of wood and sell them at the visitor center.
Near the end of the day, we listened to Lek lecture about the plight of the Asian elephants and ENP's role in saving them. It is certainly not an easy task, and ENP hopes to one day have enough funds so that the elephants will have no human contact. But for now, the elephants interact with tourists for about one to two hours per day. This, at least allows the formerly abused elephants to live out the rest of their days roaming the park, having plenty to eat, and receiving proper health care.
Our time at Elephant Nature Park came to an end and we left the park around 4:00pm. Visiting Elephant Nature Park was an unforgettable experience and I have never met people who were so dedicated to helping the unfortunate. Their souls were pure and their love was unconditional. Although we were there for only two days, not a day goes by without thinking about those elephants. ENP is not just for "animal lovers." It is a place for all to learn about compassion and to reawaken your soul.
Visiting Elephant Nature Park
To book a stay (from one day to a few weeks) or to learn more about the park, go to the Elephant Nature Park website.
Being a Responsible Traveler
Thailand is a land of extremes. There are hundreds of ways to interact with animals, mostly unethical ways. When walking down the streets in Thailand, we were constantly harassed to do elephant trekking, visit a snake farm or even a tiger petting zoo. Even within the elephant sanctuaries, they mask themselves as conservation centers, all to reveal that they’re breeding centers where the elephant’s destination is unknown. This is the sad reality of animals in our world today.
If you plan on traveling and being near animals, I would carefully consider your motives for seeing the animal. The Born Free Foundation provides excellent information on being a responsible traveler around animals. I encourage all travelers to read Born Free Traveler Tips. And if you witness animal cruelty, you can report it here: Report Animal Suffering.
Background
Like most animals, Asian elephants in Thailand are treated as livestock and worse, as human entertainment. They have no rights and are subjected to their owner's will. On several occasions, I witnessed animal cruelty and it brought tears to my eyes. This baby elephant below was dancing to Indian pop music in Ayutthaya near Bangkok. Where was his mother? And how do you train a 2.5-ton animal to dance to music? Well, you beat its spirit by means of torture and starvation.
As babies, captive elephants go through a torture “ritual” known as the Phajaan process. Babies are stripped from their mothers and put in a holding cage so small that it cannot move or sit down. They are denied food, water, and sleep. Villagers will then shout commands and when the baby does not obey, the villagers will jab it with sharp objects and beat it. They will continue to perform this process until the baby "learns" the commands and becomes domesticated. By the end of the process, the baby has lost its spirit and soul. The sacred bond between mother and child has been broken and the elephant is now ready to serve its master.
To learn more about elephant abuse in Thailand, click here: http://www.helpthaielephants.com/