I’ve been traveling…
Check in time was 10:30pm and by 11:15pm on Thursday May 19th I was on my way to Kigali, Rwanda. The coach was full of passengers who all of have their own story as I have mine, and the excitement of traveling to a country that I have always wanted to visit was flooding my thoughts with excitement. We reached the Uganda/Rwanda border around 5:30am and surprisingly the process was quite simple. We got off the bus in Uganda and walked across the border in the damp early morning to fill out visitor passes and have our passports checked; crossing the border from one country to the next is definitely a humbling experience but it felt so surreal. After checking and processing what was entering the country, less than one hour later we were on our way.
With my first glimpse of Rwanda, I instantly fell in love. The sky was still a bit hazy as we reached there around 7am, misty fog lifting from the earth hovering the great hills and valleys right before my eyes. I was somehow overcome with the previous thoughts and notions that I have learned about regarding the Rwandan Genocide which took place in 1994 where an estimated 800,000 men, women, and children were viciously murdered. Even though the scenery was breathtaking I couldn’t help but envision what it was like during that time…people hiding, running, and struggling to survive the mass evil which had taken over the souls of those condemning others. Then suddenly the sun appeared, the sky was blue, the clouds fluffy and white, my trembling ceased, and I saw the country’s beauty instead of its darkness.
As some people say, first impressions are everything…my first impression of Rwanda was awe. Throughout the night my internet modem had slipped from my purse and as we pulled into the bus park people were filing out of the coach and as I was frantically looking for this thing, four Rwandans came to help me search…after just a couple minutes, I said, “no worries, it is okay…” and the conductor said, “no, please, just keep looking…” and moments later he had found it for me!
“Just keep looking,” could not have been a better lesson to learn that early morning.
The instant my feet hit the ground I realized first how clean the city was and how fresh the air seemed, it was truly wonderful. Thirty minutes later our friend Damian met us (Matt and I) and we walked through the city to find a small café where we enjoyed black tea, bread, and eggs. Everything about this place already seemed so different than Uganda…the mutatu’s ( 14 passenger taxi vans) were much nicer, the moto (same as boda in Uganda, which is a motorcycle taxi) allows only one person to a moto (where as in Uganda you can board two passengers) and a helmet is required (which is not the case in UG). After breakfast, the three of us boarded our own moto and headed to Gatenga, a Salesian Community where we would stay for the weekend. Watching the three of us zip in, out, and around traffic, we realized that we somehow looked like a biker gang and got a pretty good kick out of that…meanwhile, the ride was a little less than 10 minutes and just seeing the city from that seat with the wind in my hair, ah, it was incredible. Kigali has medians down the center of the roads, lined with palm trees and flowers, there are sidewalks (which are not present in most of Uganda), and even bus stops. Rwanda really has it together in a different sense than Uganda seems to (but don’t get me wrong…I still love Uganda!)
When we arrived at Gatenga we dropped our belongings off at where we would be sleeping and Kyle, our host and good friend of Damian and Matt (an SLM volunteer/Salesian Lay Missioners) showed us around his compound. He is working there as an agricultural buff and one of their main famers of the land. It is a really impressive place though they have many projects, plenty of produce which they harvest for their own food supply, four fish ponds (which they also use for their food intake), cows (they sell the dairy products), rabbits, chickens, banana trees, etc. Also on this compound is a secondary school and trading schools. It seems, at least my impression, that most of these students had been street kids and are now having the opportunity to complete school. The trade schools are really remarkable as well there is a cooking school (3 years), construction (3 years), welding (2-3 years), and carpentry (2-3 years).
While we were finishing up our tour we ran into one of the volunteers from Italy, who lives with 3 other Italian volunteers and we were invited over for an afternoon espresso.
After a delicious lunch and meeting some of the Salesian priests, we walked over to the Italian’s place where we enjoyed a small espresso and slice of cheesecake…sound luxurious? We were delighted…while studying abroad in Rome, Italy, I remember we had a couple of hours free after lunch because of their cultural ways of taking a siesta and preparing for the second half of the day…now that is something I’d love to reincorporate into my life J From there we drove with Kyle who was following a priest transporting 30 boys to a lake about one hour from the compound. A special event they hold for these boys throughout the summer months is providing them with a weekend free for swimming, spending time together, and eating foods and drink they normally do not have access too such as brochettes (expensive meat), soda, etc. The trip there and back had their own little adventures and we were grateful for the nice drive through some of the villages and great views of the city from the country roads.
That evening we went out to dinner to meet a few of Kyle’s friends…we enjoyed the good company and yummy Indian food.
The next day after lunch, Matt, Damian and I hopped on a few moto’s and rode over to the Kigali Genocide Memorial where we spent the afternoon and in our own way and we somehow took in the history of such a tragic and mind-blowing event. I had been told from a friend of mine who had visited the Memorial before to be prepared for such a challenging undertaking…but there really is no way to prepare oneself for such an experience.
As mentioned before the Rwandan Genocide resulted in the mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people and simply being present where over 250,000 people have been buried was enough to overwhelm the emotions my heart was feeling for these men, women, and children. The first section of the museum was filled with the history, pictures, and videos on these large, strategically designed panels. I learned more that day, (who some say is only a one-sided perspective of the actual events), than I had in any classroom. The video’s throughout were of the same people who had watched their mothers be raped and stripped by a machete, their fathers beaten and shot in the head, their husbands taken off and never seen again, their sisters and brothers being hassled and killed...their stories continued throughout the display; a couple of them even knew the men who killed their family members….these men who came to destroy their families had once been long time neighbors or even very close friends of the family.
As I was deeply moved by the first few rooms, I then passed on to the next section. This room was set up with about six or seven stages with a stool to sit on if wanted. These stages had pictures from floor to ceiling of the men, women, and children who were heartlessly killed…their family members were asked to bring them to the Memorial so that they could be respected and honored by all those who came to visit the Center. There I was surrounded by faces, smiles, laughter, of the people who were once alive. I couldn’t help but close my eyes and try to envision the circumstances of the pictures being taken…birthday parties, graduations, weddings, picnics, random photos of a cheerful day…and suddenly their lives went from joy and happiness to an overwhelming sense of fear and disdain. They were no longer men, women, and children, they were corpses. These people, human beings, were beyond inhumanely murdered…they were hunted down like animals.
In the background a video of the same men and women of the ongoing video of the first section was playing, in this room however, they were describing in detail what they saw and how they felt watching their loved ones be killed or taken away…my heart, my body, and my soul was divested…I could barely stand, hardly catch my breath…speechless…and really what else is there to say…I was lost in confusion of why this was allowed to happen, how could people just turn away when they heard of the what was going on here...this was not the right time to turn the other cheek…these people needed to be rescued and although there were some stories of successful hide outs for some people, many did not escape the wrath of death.
After that, I moved on to a room full of skulls…cases and cases of skulls and bones; SKULLS and BONES…of these men, women, and children who were hunted. Of all the skulls I saw, there were very few that did not either have bullet holes, teeth missing, or cracks from being crushed. To be honest, I used to cringe at the thought of looking at a skulls and bones, but on that day, it was hard to pull myself away…because just before I had seen their faces and their smiles in those pictures, and then I was seeing and surrounded by their skeletons. One of the last exhibits was dedicated to children with their age, favorite food, best friend, and how they were murdered. Children…2,5,7,10, all ages, a lost generation who’s favorite food was cake and their best friend was their brother or mother...stripped by machetes, shot in the head, or strangled. After walking out of the building, I entered the rose garden where the 250,000+ people have been buried…again, I could barely walk.
I cannot help but think about the screams that were heard and ignored, the flesh that was stripped from those begging for the lives, the children who were never given the chance to grow up, the lives that were tortured and brutally taken, the souls of those who committed beyond what I could try and describe as evil acts, and the lifeless bodies left to be eaten by the dogs…however, it is important to try and keep faith, that in times like these, the mass murder of 800,000 people, that we must pray for our enemies, for those who persecute us, and for those who hate us. Please, find some time to offer a prayer, or some small reflection for the men, women, and children who suffered such anguish…and though it may be beyond challenging, for those who committed such heinous acts of evil as well.
After a few hours Matt, Damian, and I reunited and we just sat in silence…took a few moments and left. We left the history of those who were once alive and went on to add on to our own personal histories.
The next couple of days were filled with laughter, good times, and delicious food (I had pizza for the first time in 3.5 months!!). I watched my good friend Matt finish the 26mi International Peace Marathon in record time…I watched Rafiki’s head be cut off (the largest bull I have ever seen)…I rode around the compound with Kyle on his tractor (who has offered me a few really great idea’s regarding Lazarus Community)…all the while trying to embrace and take in as much of the Kigali air and environment as I could. Then the time came to board the bus on Monday late afternoon and head back to Uganda. The trip was fast, and here I sit in Kampala preparing myself to head back to Wairaka. The week of travels has provided another beautiful vision of East Africa, idea’s regarding my own mission and project, new friendships, independence, perspective, interest in further researching the history of the Genocide, respect for all human life, questions yet inspiration regarding my future, and life-long memories.
I am beyond grateful for this wonderful trip. I realize more and more that with each day here in Africa I am truly blessed to be living the life that I have imagined for myself. I always knew I wanted to live some of my life in Africa and here I am, living…I always knew I wanted to visit Rwanda, to gain an understanding, and embrace my own struggle with understanding its history and I have been able to somehow approach this during my visit…and I would not have been able to achieve these goals without all of you and your support!
The time has come to get back to the grind and delve even deeper into my work to try in the best way possible to provide ways to benefit the lives of the Lazarus Community members. This experience has further influenced me to see the endless potential that could come from helping develop Lazarus Community.
I want to thank you all for being a part of my journey and taking the time to read my thoughts…you all are with me in spirit and I am with you….
Much Love,
Anne Therese
Attached are a couple of sites you may be interested in visiting regarding the Genocide
first glimpse of Rwanda
inspiration
Matt crossing the finish line
Sack gardens I hope to instill at LC
Kyle on a moto ride
Right before the kill
Right before the kill
Tribute
There are several of these grave sites
My travel buddy Matt
My new friend and our host Kyle
My new love: Kigali
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