FAITH HEALS WOUNDS OF THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE
By Jeanette Smith
You can read about the aftermath of genocide in remote African countries, and see the desperate pictures on television. But nothing prepares you for what you find when you actually go there.
Visit
British journalist and university lecturer Jeanette Smith, 63, ventured to Rwanda to teach at a school for orphans in a bid to find out for herself how the country was rebuilding after the horrific killings in 1994 when nearly 1m people died in 100 days.
Impressed
And she was impressed how their strong Christian faith was helping these traumatised people rebuild their lives. Just over 56 per cent of Rwandan's are Roman Catholic, 26 per cent Protestant, 11 per cent Seventh Day Adventist, 4.5 per cent Muslim, 0.1 per cent with indigenous beliefs and 17 per cent with no religious affiliation
During the genocide neighbour killed neighbour, friend killed friend, women and children were raped by AIDS-riddled combatants, and babies were torn limb from limb. Around 1m were massacred in 100 days.
Horror
The horror continued until about 2000 with reprisal killings following the Hutu uprising, killing the minority ruling Tutsis and their sympathisers.Said Jeanette: "Before I went I had watched the film Hotel Rwanda and read the book on which it was based by Paul Rusesabagina which told how he saved 1,268 Tutsis and moderate Hutus during the killing by sheltering them in his hotel. It put into perspective what I was going into.
Poverty
"There is poverty and deprivation everywhere, and it's heartrending to think of the underlying trauma that these lovely people have suffered, and are still suffering. It is not until you live with these people do you slowly learn of that they hide their pain well.
Memorial
The capital city of Kigali holds the main genocide museum which she visited with Joy Businge, a school academic manager. "Whilst there, Joy seemed rather quiet," said Jeanette. "I went over, put my arm round her and asked if she was alright. She said they still had not found her brother. I was shocked. The sorrow in her eyes cut me right through."
Her family had fled to Uganda. Her grandmother had not wanted to leave so the eldest brother stayed with her. When the family returned the grandmother was ok, but her brother had vanished. Searches for him have been in vain and they are still looking. But bodies are still being found, so perhaps one day she will know the truth. But her faith is strong and she prays that he will one day be foundMachete scars
Up in the remote mountain village of Shyira, Jeanette saw physical evidence of the genocide where locals showed her machete scars on their heads and arms. She also visited the 'child-headed families' in nearby remote areas, where older children are bringing up younger siblings. Churches in UK, Europe and USA raise money to help re-build their wattle and daub houses, precariously hovering on steep hillsides, amongst the ever-present banana plantations.
These homes have just two or three tiny dark rooms, no lighting, dirt floors and tin roofing. And most are on the verge of collapse. The new homes are made of soil bricks dug out and dried in the sun. A new tin roof will cover the three or four rooms, but until more money is raised the dirt floors will remain.
Orphans
Jeanette went to teach for a month as a self-funding volunteer at the Sonrise School for Orphans, in Ruhengeri in the mountainous north east of the country. Here roughly 2.5 million people live, a quarter of Rwanda's population and the most densely populated part of this tiny country which is just the size of Scotland.
Life expectancy
The government, under President Paul Kagame, has introduced free primary schooling and most children attend, but at secondary level, if you don't have the funds or a sponsor, you do not go to school.
Light on the Hill
Sonrise School, a 'light on the hill', was the vision of Bishop John Rucyahama of Shyira Diocese. Following the genocide he set out to address two of Rwanda's most pressing problems, the impoverished education system, as many teachers had been killed, and the future of the orphans.
He created Sonrise boarding school that would be the standard for academic excellence and to civilise children who had been running wild, with no roots, as their parents had been slaughtered. "There is a very strong Christian ethos at the school, and this creates a very loving atmosphere," said Jeanette.
"They have very few possessions and stay in dormitories with bunk-beds. Each child is allowed just a very small suitcase, though all look very smart in their uniforms of navy or khaki and white. They are all responsible or their own beds and washing their own clothes. They rise at 5am, say their prayers, make their beds, bathe, brush their teeth, breakfast, and then do prep before class starts at 7.15am. They have porridge and milk for breakfast and beans, boiled potatoes and rice for lunch and supper each day.
Diet
Teaching
"In Sonrise I had 44 children in my classes, often three to a desk, aged 13-20. This is the result of the genocide, lack of funds and illness disrupting their schooling. But they were very loving to each other and to me. They often called me 'mother' and I presumed this was because they had no mothers of their own."
"And many of the teachers are not fully qualified. I found many Ugandan teachers who just had a diploma, but, because they were English speakers, having come from a former British colony, they helped the Rwandan government's plan for all youngsters to learn English. Native Rwandans are French speakers from the former Belgium colony, though those who fled to Uganda during the genocide came back speaking English, she explained.
"In the classroom, teaching English, I found I had some Francophiles and some Anglophiles, so it was sometimes difficult to get them to understand" said Jeanette."I would use all my innate patience to spell out to the 'nth' degree what I expected of them. And then when I asked them to do exercises some would still ask me what I wanted them to do. This was, at times frustrating, but because they were such lovely children it was very rewarding. And only the teacher has a text book, all material has to be chalked on the board
Church
Attending church services in Rwanda is a very uplifting experience. The churches are crowded on Sundays and services are three hours long. But that doesn't mean you have to sit there for the whole three hours.
Locals drift in when they want, and stay for as long as they want. But what is amazing is their verve and unreserved enthusiasm, as they engage whole-heartedly in the service. What was surprising was that mothers openly breast-fed their babies in church, but as worship is very much a family affair it was heart-warming to see, she said.
There are often several choirs, some made up of youngsters, others of mothers' groups, and then there are the pensioners. What they have in common is glorious singing, and sometimes, dancing. All choirs supply their own accompaniment, either on keyboard or tin-pan drums.
In many churches and cathedrals priests and choirs use microphones - so the sound of musical worship echoes round the building and enfolds you in a joyous love.Choirs
At Sonrise School self taught children's choirs practice after school each evening and are eager to get to their school church on Sunday morning to present their joyful offerings.
Said Jeanette: "I will never forget the children's singing. It touched my heart and almost made me cry. They gave such heartfelt renderings; it will stay with me forever."And from 6-year-olds to the eldest in the school, they would all join in singing, swaying, raising their arms in joyful praise. It was a wonderful experience."
Even the preacher, Justin, would dance in the aisles as he led the worship!
"It made services at my church at home seem really dull", said Jeanette.
Proof of the faith of Rwandans can be found in the names they give their children - Emmanuel, Innocent, John Bosco, Habimana (God exists), Hakizimana (God saves) Sebahive (bearer of good faith) for boys and Consolatrice, Blessing and Gloria for girls. Most religious names are given to boys with more traditional French names given to girls including Claire, Chantal and Claudine.
Faith
Faith pervades their every existence. When emailing her the children she has kept in touch with will first greet in the name of the Lord before continuing with their very brief emails.
For Rwandans if they did not have - and practice - their faith then their existence would be even more challenging. The fact that they can rely on the Lord eases their pain, their deprivation, and also helps to heal this shattered country.
Friendly Rwandans
Said Jeanette: "How such lovely and friendly people could be involved in such horror in 1994 defies belief. Before I went I was told by the British Consulate in Kigali that Rwanda is addictive - and they were right! I am very eager to return."
End
1653 words
Love the Children
· The Sonrise School is one of Bishop John’s most successful and far-reaching ministries. The school addresses two of Rwanda’s major challenges - an impoverished education system and over 400,000 orphans. Bishop John’s vision was to create a boarding school that would set the standard for academic excellence and servant-leadership development. At the same time, orphans make up about one half of Sonrise’s students to demonstrate that with love, care and education, every child is redeemable, no matter how needy. From the time Sonrise Primary School's first P6 class became eligible to sit for the Rwanda National Exams in 2004, Sonrise has consistently ranked in the top seven
of the more than 2000 primary schools in the country.
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TRAVEL WRITING
AVIGNON
I danced on the bridge at Avignon - but I got it wrong! And so have many others.
It isn't until you go to this historic city that one learns that the song you learnt in school French lessons - 'Sur le pont D'Avignon - does not say that people danced on the bridge, but under the bridge.
It's all a case of homophones and spelling. The word everyone gets wrong is sur when it should be sous. But boring grammar aside what we did find is that Avignon is an amazing ancient walled city full of history and significant buildings, resplendent amidst the beautiful Provencal countryside.
Ideal base
Ancient
Walking through its quaint narrow streets you are greeted by intriguing sights at every turn. Keeping to the shady side of the ancient thoroughfares my friend and I came across quaint squares thronged with pavement cafes, and beautiful architecture that spanned several centuries. One of the most significant is the Palais des Papes - a huge and imposing 14th-century palace that once served as residence and fortress of the popes, complete with well preserved turrets and towers, resplendent in white stone.
Historic
As capital of Christianity in the 14th century Avignon is one of the most important ancient towns in Europe. The palace itself is an imposing gothic edifice, a testimonial to an important stage in religious history. But you need stamina to explore it! Making the pilgrimage around its many - mainly empty - rooms and steeply inclined worn stone steps is not easy in the heat, but well worth the effort. We learn, with the aid hand-held audio-guides, which pope built which bit and were able to walk round cloisters soothed by the sound of monks chanting through the earpiece, transporting us back to the days when these thick walls housed the holy.
Vista
A climb to the top of one of the pinnacle-d towers is well worth the exertion, as laid out before us was a panoramic view of Avignon including the beautiful Gothic Basilica of St Peter (14th century) and the Cathedral of Notre Dame des Doms (12th century) nearby, and just north of the palace, on rocky heights overlooking the Rhône River, the public gardens or Rocher des Doms (Dom's rocks).
Park
If you feel like a breath of fresh air and a break from history then this is the place to head for. The birthplace of Avignon, safe from the marauding hordes, now with a peaceful park and shady paths, it catches the refreshing breezes that flow over the nearby Rhone, giving you a chance to rest and plan the next stage of your adventure.
Arles
Through some locks we were presently at Arles, where the first thing we saw was the magnificent and still-used Roman amphitheatre. We hastened towards it, through winding streets lined with little shops and cafes, having only an hour before the boat was due to return.
Bullring
Splendid though it looked we could only just gaze at its beauty, for on that day they were getting ready for the local Bull Run. It's surprising to many visitors that France still has bull fights and bull runs. The difference is in the killing. In bull runs the animal is not slaughtered for entertainment, just tormented. My friend and I wanted to see the arena but unless we were prepared to buy a ticket for the event it was a no-go.
Train
So we settled for a little tourist train and trundled round the ancient town, learning via nifty little head phones of Arles' importance during Roman times, seeing, on passing, the Roman theatre, Romanesque monuments, and the Place de Forum. Fascinating though it was, it was all too brief, but we could see why Arles was declared a UNESCO heritage site in 1995
Pont d'Avignon
Back in Avignon we had one last, important site to see- the Pont D'Avignon of legend, though its real name is Le Pont St Benezet. Built in the 12th century it extends into the Rhône and then stops in midstream, the rest having been washed away, over the centuries, in a succession of floods. But that is part of its charm - to be able to clamber over its rough cobbles and sit at the end, basking in the sunshine, with the river swirling past.
Now a UNESCO world heritage centre for Humanity devoted to its famous song, whenever I hear that song again, I will understand its real meaning, and see in my mind's eye the local girls and their beau dancing underneath its land-based foundations at a little bar that has long since gone.
End
Travel Facts:
By air:
There is no airport in Avignon city. The closest air service is provided by Marseille Province Airport. It is about 80 km southeast of Avignon. There is a shuttle bus or take a taxi. Or fly to Nimes and get the half-hourly train direct into Avignon. There is a shuttle bus that meets planes at Nimes and takes you to train and bus stations.
By Rail: You can travel from various link stations to London St Pancras, then on to Avignon, changing at Lille. www.tgv.co.uk.
Staying there:
We stayed at the 3-star Hotel Kyriad Avignon - Palais Des Papes, www.Kyriad-avignon-palais-des-papes.fr, 26, Place Horloge 84000 Avignon, France +33 4 90 82 21 45; or try the 4-star Mercure Cite des Papes,1 rue Jean Vilar 84000 Avignon, France, www.mercure.com, both right on the Place d'Horloge, the centre of town, close to city centre restaurants and Palais de Papes.
Tourist Office:
Rue de la République Tel: 0490 82 65 11; Fax: 04 90 82 95 03
Email: information@ot-avignon.fr; Web: www.ot-avignon.fr