A refugee mother feeds her baby inside the laiterie, a disused milk factory serving as temporary shelter near the overflowing Nkamira Transit Centre

Refugee Bulle n Issue number V

March - May 2012 UNHCR RWANDA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Over 9,600 Congolese seek refuge in Rwanda p. 1-2

Re-registra on exercise complete p. 3

Brazilian donor visit to Gihembe p. 3

Living as a refugee with a disability p. 4

The other Jolie: an urgent appeal p. 5

Refugee womanhood p. 5

Genocide Commemora on p. 7

Interview with our photographer p. 8

DAFI Scholars: the road ahead p. 9

Photo Gallery: Camp Life p. 12

Delivering as One for refugee children p. 10

Environment and hygiene in Kiziba p. 6

A UNV’s viewpoint p. 11

Rwanda copes with its first refugee influx since 2009: Government and inter-Agency response

Figh�ng broke out in North Kivu, Democra�c Republic of the Congo (DRC) in April

2012 between the Armed Forces of the Democra�c Republic of the Congo (FARDC)

and deser�ng troops ini�ally loyal to renegade General Bosco Ntaganda, who is want-

ed by the Interna�onal Criminal Court for war crimes, including the recruitment of

child soldiers.

On Friday 27th April, 50 Congolese refugees crossed the grande barrière from Goma,

DRC, into Gisenyi, Rwanda, with numbers swelling to over 1,000 by Sunday 29th. By

the end of the following week, Sunday 6th May, 5,866 individuals were registered at

Nkamira Transit Centre, a facility just 25kms from the border which normally hosts

Rwandan returnees for a night or two before their onwards journey home.

A mul�-disciplinary team, consis�ng of the Government of Rwanda and seven UN

agencies, led by the Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs

(MIDIMAR) and UNHCR, were deployed to Gisenyi from the outset to register the new

arrivals, distribute food supplies and non-food items, and rehabilitate and expand to

the best of their abili�es the vastly overstretched facili�es at the Transit Centre.

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… con�nued inside

BPRM USA visits Rwandan camps p. 3

Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

2

Figh ng has intensified, forcing over 50,000 people to flee their homes, both within DRC, and

to neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda. The conflict has taken place mainly in Masisi and Rutshu-

ru territories, with airstrikes against the rebel-held towns in the Virunga Na�onal Park near the

Rwandan and Ugandan borders.

The refugees cite the conflict, an�cipa�on of conflict, mistreatment by soldiers, and fears of

forced conscrip�on into mili�a groups as their main reasons for flight. As of 30th

May, 9,671 had been regis-

tered and are accommodated at Nkamira, exceeding its capacity by over 4,000. Not only does this mean there

is serious pressure on service provision and the environment, but there is simply not enough shelter to go

round.

Joint Response

The efforts made by the Government under the leadership of MIDIMAR and with the support of the Ministry of

Health, District officials, Immigra�on and the Police, are supported by the One UN in Rwanda, under the leader-

ship of UNHCR, alongside a team comprising UNICEF, WHO, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, and UN Women. This has been

supplemented by the assistance of NGOs on the ground, which include the Rwandan Red Cross Society, African

Humanitarian Ac�on (AHA), the Adven�st Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle,

Care Interna�onal, Save the Children and Oxfam GB.

Key concerns

UNHCR is par�cularly concerned about a number of vulnerable individuals, including the 357 unaccompanied

minors, and 53 pregnant mothers amongst the popula�on. Indeed 84% of the new arrivals are women and chil-

dren, including 186 students who had intended to sit their exams in the coming weeks—the opera�on is looking

into what alterna�ve arrangements could be made so that these young refugees’ educa�on suffers minimum

disrup�on.

A new camp in Rwanda

In a recent welcome development, the Government of Rwanda has now allocated a plot of land to host the

new arrivals, in Kigeme, Nyamagabe District, Southern Province. The site had previously been used for Burundi-

an refugees un�l June 2009. This will help decongest the overstretched Transit Centre, whilst reducing the risks

associated with remaining near the border. Clashes over the border in North Kivu have not yet abated, and

those who have sought refuge here in Rwanda face an uncertain future.

Refugee influx news con�nued...

Newly arrived Congolese refugees wait for distribu on of food and core relief items at Nkamira

Transit Centre

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Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

Newsflash » We are pleased to announce that the third and final phase of the re-registra on exercise

is now complete in all three camps and in Kigali. The final sta�s�cs will be compiled by mid-June and shared with all

stakeholders.

3

Brazilian visit to Gihembe camp

On March 6th

, two officials from the Government of Brazil made an unofficial visit to Gihembe camp in order to

familiarise with our UNHCR Opera�on in light of the recent dona�on made by the Brazilian Government to UN-

HCR Rwanda. During their tour of Gihembe, Beto Vasconcelos and João Resende visited the health centre and

toured the income-genera�ng ac�vi�es where refugees learn to develop skills such as carpentry, sewing, wood-

carving, music and baking. They also toured one of the primary school buildings.

The highlight of their visit was taking part in an economics class at Hope School, a community-based school

en rely funded by refugees themselves.* Mr Vasconcelos and Mr Resende sat in during the class, and Beto

Vaconcelos, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Brazilian presidency, said of his �me there,

Brazil is among the top 15 donors contrib-

u�ng to UNHCR’s global budget. In 2012,

US$ 100,000 from their US$4 million dona-

�on to UNHCR was allocated to the Rwanda

Opera�on.

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To conclude their visit, Beto and João write a note for the Hope School

teachers, alongside Chantal Uwimpuhwe, UNHCR Senior Field Assistant.

BPRM visit to UNHCR Rwanda

Bryan Lupton is the new Great Lakes Programme Officer at

the Bureau for Popula�on, Refugees and Migra�on, based in

Washington, D.C. Bryan came to Rwanda in May with a view

to familiarise with the key opera�onal issues and challenges

faced by UNHCR Rwanda. His 4-day tour first took him to

Nkamira Transit Centre where he visited the structures in

place for new arrivals from DRC and met with the Repre-

senta�ve and Head of Emergency mission. He also visited

Kiziba camp, where he was given a tour of the facili�es by

both UNHCR and its Partner ARC. At the end of the last leg

of his visit in Gihembe camp, Bryan shared his thoughts on

his first visit to the region: “BPRM and the United States are

very happy to support humanitarian assistance for refugees in Rwanda. We recognize that Rwanda, UNHCR, and

NGO partners are faced with a number of challenges that come along with both a protracted refugee situa on

and in trying to respond to a new influx of refugees from the DRC. I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to

visit and to see first-hand the humanitarian efforts underway.”

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Bryan Lupton at Nkamira Transit Centre, speaking to

UNHCR Field Officer Roda Ismael Aden.

“

”

UNHCR’s work shows everybody the

need for aKen on to people all around

the world who, despite living in poverty

and great human fragility, away from

their tradi onal land and na on, s ll

preserve in their spontaneous smile a

surprising light of hope.

* For more informa�on about Hope School see issue no. 4 of the Refugee Bulle�n.

4

Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

Living as a refugee with

a disability

Freedom of movement is an issue close to the

heart of refugees the world over: nobody chooses

to flee their homes; and for the tens of thousands

of Congolese refugees living in Rwanda, travelling

back home again remains a distant dream. Imag-

ine then, that on top of this lack of control over

your own path in life, you were all but confined to

one small corner of the refugee camp.

This is the case for Ms Nyirakamodokah Nyira-

habimana, 54, whose last ou�ng from her family’s

shelter in Gihembe camp was seven days ago.

Nyirakamodokah is almost deaf, and has been

effec�vely immobile from the waist down for the

last five years, owing to tumours on her body and legs. Three years spent in hospital did not succeed in revealing the cause of

the disability, so she gave up seeking treatment there. Now it is her 22 year-old daughter, Yvonne, who acts as her full-�me

carer. Sadly, Yvonne dropped out of school when she was in P6 in order to take care of her mother.

Nyirakamodokah spends most of her days siMng in front of the cramped shelter she shares with her two children: even for

Gihembe camp, where unemployment is the norm and recrea onal op ons slim, the monotony is depressing. “I last leO my

house one week ago,” she recounts, “to visit the GBV centre.” She walks bent double, with the aid of a s�ck. This arduous

round trip, which she makes unaccompanied, brings a liQle support to the family in terms of soap and other items to assist

those refugees deemed ‘vulnerable,’ a term belying her resilience and stoicism in the face of life’s obstacles.

Clarisse Muraza, aged just 12, faces similar challenges. Her legs became paralysed from the age of one, though the reason

remains unclear. AOer a successful opera�on on both legs, Clarisse’s

mobility has improved, though it remains par�al – she uses wooden

crutches to get about. Naviga�ng the gullies and steep muddy trails

which connect the houses and surround her hillside home in Gihem-

be, however, is far from easy.

She is some�mes obliged to miss school so that her single father can

do some repairs on the crutches. Her favourite subject is English,

however with four siblings to help look aOer now that her mother

leO the family to find manual labour work in Kigali, she has liQle �me

leO over to study. Serious and quiet, as her siblings return home for

lunch aOer their morning at school, Clarisse twists the newly rein-

forced �p of her crutch into the mud – a giO from Ririma Hospital in

Bugesera, it is clear they won’t last long for a growing teenage girl.

Refugees dealing with the consequences of a disability are all too

oOen kept in the dark when it comes to their future prospects, rein-

forcing the sense of isola on and disempowerment they are subject

to on a daily basis. No solu�ons are easy: a wheelchair is en�rely

unsuitable for Gihembe camp’s uneven environment. Nyirakamodok-

ah and Clarisse, although years apart, are living in the same quar�er

of the refugee camp, and are facing the same problems of mobility,

independence, acceptance and integra on. However, they remain

confined in their own existences, worlds apart from one another.

Ms Nyirahabimana outside her house in Gihembe camp

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Clarisse, a 12 year old schoolgirl from Gihembe

Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

5

The other Jolie: An urgent fundraising appeal

As you read this, Jolie Nyirakaragire, a young Congolese refugee girl, is lying in hospital in the south

of Rwanda, awai�ng treatment for serious kidney failure. She must undergo painful dialysis three

mes a week, the only thing doctors say can prevent her from dying at this stage. Watching over

her in the crowded wards of Butare Hospital, where beds are back to back and families rest on the

floor, are her two parents. They have had to leave their other children in Gihembe camp in order to

come here with their daughter, giving up the safety net of the camp's food and shelter provisions.

The story of Jolie’s family takes yet another turn for the worse: her mother has just been diagnosed

with a tumour in her breast, and is also struggling to pay for the required care. Indeed refugees in

Rwanda cannot enrol in the mutuelle de santé health insurance scheme available to the country's

ci�zens. Instead, they receive healthcare in the camps’ health centres. The lack of funds for excep-

�onal cases puts addi�onal pressure on those caring for Jolie: her treatment must be consistent if

it is to stabilise her chronic condi�on. Medical experts cannot foresee how long this will take, so

this young girl and her family live in constant uncertainty. Providing her basic lifesaving treatment costs upwards of US$ 980

per week, even before the required addi�onal medicine and lab tests.

Jolie needs help, now. If this appeal is to be successful, we need to speak to all those who will listen. The recent appointment of

Miss Nyirakaragire's namesake, Angelina Jolie, as UNHCR Special Envoy of the High Commissioner for Refugees throws a spot-

light on the daily hardships experienced by millions of refugees worldwide. Yet in this Butare Hospital ward, it is private acts of

generosity by individuals that will make a difference to one young girl.

Dona ons can be made into a newly created emergency fund set up to help refugees in Rwanda who are faced with life-

threatening long-term illnesses: if you feel you can assist Jolie in this me of need, please contact the UNHCR External Rela-

ons team as detailed at the end of this bulle n. We thank you.

The voice of refugee women:

The President of Gihembe Women’s CommiKee speaks up

As she walks through Gihembe camp, Jus�ne Baha�’s presence commands respect.

Almost every passer-by stops and greets her – she exudes a calm dignity, belying her

feisty aMtude as she fields ques�ons on what it means to be a woman living as a refu-

gee. “Womanhood is the same the world over,” Baha� points out, “whether you are

a refugee or a Rwandan na�onal, or whether you’re from another country. I can joke

with and relate to any woman that visits Gihembe camp – our status, refugee or not,

is the only difference between us.”

UNHCR’s partners in the camps conduct an�-GBV mee�ngs for men and women as a

group, and separately. But Jus�ne feels that holding these mee�ngs separately is per-

haps counterproduc�ve in the long term. Women find it easy to share their problems

with her, but even a husband and wife together can’t speak freely. “They must be

more confident and speak up, this change starts with women,” she says. Women

indeed s�ll have a voice, she stresses, but despite the provisions of tradi�onal cul-

ture, more balance is needed, and this starts at home.

Another issue she wishes to highlight is that of safety in the camp. “Men are idle,”

and this creates safety risks. She also raises the point, on behalf of all refugee wom-

en, that the chronic shortage of sanitary products is par�cularly challenging – women

in the camp are cuMng up their own clothes to use as pads, and this is uncomforta-

ble.

The final concern Jus�ne vents her feelings on is that of marriage documents. “As

many of us fled Congo without any documents, some people have no proof that they’re legally married under Congolese law.” This

causes many refugee men to remarry Rwandan women, leaving their official spouses behind to deal with their families alone. “I

urge UNHCR and the Rwandan Government to mobilize people living in the camps to get their legal marriage documents under

Rwandan law – this is a simple and easy process that the Government has facilitated before, though few took up the offer.”

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Angelina Jolie, UNHCR Special Envoy

Jus ne Baha , Gihembe Women’s CommiKee President

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Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

6

Hygiene and the environment highlighted in Kiziba

On Tuesday 8th May, our Field Office in Kibuye welcomed a visit by the

Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, General Marcel

Gatsinzi, alongside the UNHCR and WHO Rwanda Representa�ves. The del-

ega�on was accompanied by high level dignitaries, including the Governor

of the Western Province, the Mayor of Karongi District, and a representa-

�ve of the Armed Forces, Immigra�on, the District Police, and the JRS Coun-

try Director and ARC Camp Manager.

Despite heavy rainfall the night before, the group began their visit with an

inspec�on of a site next to the primary school buildings, in order to see the

impact of recent landslides on the structure and safety of classrooms that

are constructed on a terraced hillside. The Minister suggested that in-

stalling guQering around the roofs would collect and channel rainwater

away from the site, mi�ga�ng further damage. The delega�on was next

welcomed to the Secondary School, where all the pupils had assembled in

the courtyard to take part in a tree plan�ng ceremony. This, the Minister

noted, was not merely symbolic, but a concrete step towards improving

the environment in the camp, par�cularly as it helps bind the soil together,

reducing erosion. The Minister encouraged refugees to mul�ply this posi-

�ve impact by plan�ng more trees, poin�ng out the seed nursery in Kiziba.

The day was also marked by the official opening of new dischargeable la-

trines, a welcome dona�on to the camp by Deseret Interna�onal Chari�es

(DIC). A total of 14 latrine blocks have been completed, and there are tenta�ve plans

for a further 7 to be installed over the coming months. The DIC country directors, Brad

and Karen Wilkes, expressed sa�sfac�on that the health, sanita�on, and dignity of

users will greatly improve thanks to these new strutures.

Sustainability was the cornerstone of the Minister’s address, as he reminded refugees

of the need to stop cuMng trees outside the camp for firewood, and pointed to plans

currently underway at the district level to implement the use of new energy-efficient

stoves, and biogas in Kiziba.

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Minister Gatsinzi plants a tree

The ARC Environment Officer, LDS Hygiene educator, and LDS Country Director outside the new latrines. A cultural troupe greets the delega on

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Before ...

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… and aNer!

Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

UNHCR Rwanda launches

annual Genocide

Commemora on Service

On Friday 13th

April 2012, UNHCR staff in Kigali,

Kibuye and Byumba began the morning with a service

to commemorate 11 UNHCR colleagues and their

families who lost their lives in the Rwandan genocide.

This was the first such commemora on held by the Rwanda Opera on, complemen�ng an inter-Agency service

earlier in the week to honour all 63 fallen UN staff members in Rwanda. The inaugural event, at the end of the

na�onal memorial week, saw prayers and addresses read by both Rwandan and interna�onal co-workers.

In line with the country-wide theme of this eighteenth remembrance period, speeches focussed on the no�on of

‘learning from history to build a brighter future,’ with the Representa�ve, Ms Neimah Warsame, paying tribute

in the Kigali service to the courage and perseverance of all those now working together for development and

peace in Rwanda. Ms Warsame spoke of being struck by the dignified remembrance of the Rwandan people

during the commemora�on period, through their tes�monies and songs of reconcilia�on and hope, and reiterat-

ed that as staff of the United Na�ons, members of an interna�onal community, and as individuals, we can stand

together and say ‘never again.’

The Kibuye Office’s service featured remarks delivered by the

Chairperson of the UNHCR Rwanda Staff Associa�on and the Head

of Field Office, whilst Field Office Byumba’s speeches laid empha-

sis on the commitment to ‘never again’ allow such a tragedy to

take place. In all three events, the names of our eleven colleagues

who lost their lives during the tragic events of 1994 were read out

to those assembled, followed by a minute of silence. Plans to

construct a memorial plaque to honour these staff were present-

ed, in order to serve as a permanent reminder of the genocide,

and to remind us all that never again must we allow such a history

to be repeated. Rwandan staff members at the Branch Office sang

the hymn Ni wowe Mugenga wanjye Yezu (‘It’s you, Jesus, my

leader’), and the ceremony in Kigali ended with aQendees placing

a white rose at the foot of the list of fallen UNHCR colleagues and

paying their personal respects.

1 refugee without hope is too many

7

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Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

Interview with photographer Erick Gerstner

Erick recently undertook an assignment in Gihembe and Nyabiheke camps in order to take image for an upcoming photography

exhibi on which will form part of the World Refugee Day programme in Rwanda.

UNHCR Rwanda: What in par�cular struck you by the camps in Rwanda, compared to other African refugee camps where you

have worked?

EG: The Dadaab refugee camps near Kenya’s border with Somalia, have existed since 1991 and like in Rwanda, a large number of

refugees were born in the camps and have never known any different, yet there is liQle sign of permanent seQlement there.

Housing oOen consists of s�cks covered by plas�c shee�ng. Gihembe and Nyabiheke camps in Rwanda are set amidst the lush,

green rolling hills of Rwanda. Despite being established more recently, the quality of housing is far superior and the houses have

a feeling of permanency. What you realize, however, aOer a few days in the Rwandan camps is that looks are not always what

they seem. While housing is more permanent and of higher quality, houses are oNen extremely small and refugees have to live

in cramped quarters with households of up to 13 people in a ny space. During the rainy season, roofs oOen develop small leaks

causing huge issues with damp. The Rwandan camps are much less crowded and more manageable than the Dadaab camps, but

life as a refugee anywhere is fraught with challenges, and Gihembe and Nyabiheke are certainly no excep�ons.

UNHCR Rwanda: The photos you took aim to communicate the hardships faced by refugees and their resilience and dynamic re-

sponses to their circumstances. What is it about the power of an image that makes it a successful tool for advocacy?

EG: Photographs capture a split-second, a flee�ng moment in �me. With photography you have the ability evoke emo on, to

tell stories and to show the world how you saw and experienced this moment. It can bring the viewer into the scene and paint a

picture of events in a way where words fall short. For example, Eddie Adams' photograph depic�ng the murder of a Vietcong by

Saigon Police Chief at point-blank range not only provides a telling insight into the reali�es of war, but went a long way toward

shaping public opinion toward the war. This is the power of photography, and in advocacy the same is true. I hope this exhibi�on

will give an insight into what life is like in the Rwandan camps, and show both the good and the bad, mo va ng people to get

involved in whatever way they can to assist these refugees.

UNHCR Rwanda: What must you take into account in order to maintain sensi�vity when photographing individuals?

EG: It is extremely important to maintain the dignity of

your subject, something I try to do in all my work, espe-

cially when it comes to working with refugees. I also

make sure to always ask people’s permission first. While

shoo�ng in the camps, I was extremely fortunate to

have UNHCR Senior Field Assistant Chantal Uwimpuhwe

assis�ng me. She was able to explain to the refugees

exactly the purpose of the photographs and how they

would be used. Most were happy to have their photo-

graphs taken, but some refused and we respected that.

UNHCR Rwanda: What is it about the refugees that you

meet that mo�vates you to work for their cause?

EG: Refugees leO their homes with very few of their

earthly belongings, oOen under the threat of immediate

violence. Seeing their resilience, despite all the hard-

ships they face, is truly inspiring to me. Also, the realiza-

�on that refugees are no different you or me, people

with hopes and dreams wan ng to provide the best

future, opportuni es, and life for their family.

8

Newsflash » World Refugee Day, 20th June, is almost upon us. UNHCR Rwanda is planning a photography exhibi-

on, a Refugee Film Fes val, and a discussion panel on this year’s campaign theme: the dilemmas faced by those forced to flee

their homes. Stay tuned for more informa�on!

A refugee boy shows Erick his football: s ll a work in progress, this is made

from string, wrapped many mes around a condom.

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Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

9

The uncertain future of Rwanda’s brightest refugees

Dynamic and well spoken, Benjamin Nzabalinda, the Presi-

dent of the group of DAFI scholars in Rwanda writes “Of

course I am seeking a job. I am not comfortable now as I

have my degree without using it. I am frankly a hard-

working man, I don’t like spending my �me doing nothing.”

Benjamin echoes the sen�ments expressed by most of his

fellow DAFI scholars – the group of Congolese refugees who

have completed ter�ary educa�on thanks to a grant from the

Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Ini�a�ve Fund

(DAFI), funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The

purpose of the DAFI Programme is “to contribute to the self-

reliance of refugees by providing them with a professional

qualifica�on for future employment.” The recent cohort of

Congolese DAFI graduates in Rwanda have just completed

their studies in areas as diverse as medicine, literature, man-

agement and law. They have burning ambi ons. “As a clini-

cal psychologist, I now have many skills to help people

around the world that have experienced war, and other psy-

chosocial problems which affect their mental health, par�cu-

larly refugees,” says Prosper Ndayisaba, from Gihembe

camp. “Today however, as a refugee, I am unable to find a

job,” as despite their equality under Rwandan law, in prac-

�ce Rwandan ci�zens are given jobs more readily than refugees living in the country. Indeed Faus�n Nkuriyingoma adds that “there

is even a huge number of na�onals who are unemployed.” This is the prevailing reality which refugees have to face, despite living

like other Rwandan students for four years, building up their skills and preparing for the transi�on to professional careers.

That they may have obtained the highest marks, like Charles Munyageri, who received dis�nc�on in his Economics degree, means

liQle in the real world. All the scholars point to the fact that they must go an extra mile and prove themselves twice as much in or-

der to compete with other degree-holders on the job market – they need experience through internships, and they yearn to con-

nue their studies to Master’s level. Yet with no electricity now they are back home in the camps, somewhat cut off from the job

search given the difficul�es of accessing and affording the internet, even unpaid internships are hard to come by.

For some, the difficul�es associated with being a refugee melted into insignificance for four short years as integra�on with their

na�onal peers came about naturally. “At university, there was no difference between us and the other Rwandan students,” states

Fidele Komezusenge, who studied hor�culture and crop produc�on at the Na�onal University of Rwanda. He dreams of “being a

peacemaker and figh�ng hunger.” His fellow scholar, Soil and Environment Management graduate Jus�n Gashema agrees –

“university gave us life experience, par�cularly of working in a group and living in an external community.” Nevertheless, others had

a different experience. For Benjamin, “being a refugee in a crowd of students was like a shame. Once it is known you are from the

camp, nega�ve amusements were expressed against you and you can’t feel comfortable with that. I remember that he who was

always studying hard was said to study like a refugee. Some�mes I was told these words by people who were not even aware of my

status, when they realized that I liked reading a lot.” These prejudices notwithstanding, he states that “my colleagues and I really

enjoyed our �me at the best university in Rwanda.” Alongside his transla�on and interpreta�on studies, he enrolled in the students’

Congolese Diaspora Associa�on, “helping remember our na�ve country and reviving our culture.” “I am now struggling to find even

an unpaid internship that will keep my mind fresh,” says Benjamin, who hopes to one day assist with Congo’s development as an

interpreter. Vedaste Habinshu�, who studied law thanks to the DAFI programme, was a member of the university’s Law Students’

Associa�on as his extracurricular, a group which gave pro-bono legal advice, thereby bolstering his CV.

Upon gradua�on however, while his classmates went on to put their skills into prac�ce and start their careers, the reality of being a

refugee in a country where employment is not easily available has hit home hard. Mo�va�on, energy and hope marks the outlook

of most DAFI scholars now, however �me is �cking, and frustra�on with their paralysing lack of prospects is beginning to set in.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Fidele states “we request that UNHCR advocates to its partners, and to other organisa�ons, to

help us in our job search and professional development, so that we can leave the miserable condi�ons in the camps,” capitalising on

what they have learned and achieved through DAFI.

Vedaste Habinshu , Law graduate and jobseeker, Gihembe camp

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Qualified graduates for hire! » If you or anyone you know is interested in offering an internship

to a DAFI scholar in Rwanda, or could lend professional networking assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the

External Rela�ons team, as detailed at the end of this Bulle�n. This is one small ac�on that could go a long way to improve a

refugee’s life.

Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

Refugee parents praise new Early

Child Development Centres

By Cyriaque Ngoboka and Glenn Jusnes, UNICEF

Almost 20,000 Congolese refugees live in Gihembe camp, established in 1997. Today,

12,000 of the camp residents are under the age of 18. While many of the older children

aQend school, those under six have not had any exposure to early learning or s mula on. Since Septem-

ber 2011, however, thanks to UNICEF, UNHCR and AVSI (an interna�onal NGO that works on children’s

issues), the parents of some 2,000 children now send their children to Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres. Here, children five

years and younger play, sing and interact with other kids – all of which are important aspects of healthy early childhood development.

ECD is an approach to help children (under the age of six) develop their full cogni�ve, emo�onal, social and physical poten�al. A child

who benefits from ECD is physically healthy, mentally alert, emo�onally sound, socially competent and ready to learn. ECD maQers

because most of our basic brain connec�ons are laid down before birth, and the environments in which we grow up influence the

brain’s architecture and strongly affect whether children grow up to be healthy and produc�ve members of society.

Poor and disadvantaged children are oOen less likely to benefit from comprehensive ECD interven�ons that include early developmen-

tal s�mula�on, good health, adequate nutri�on and safety. And yet evalua�ons of quality ECD programs around the world demon-

strate that investments in ECD are among the most cost-effec ve investments a country can make. Quality ECD programs substan-

ally improve children’s chances of survival by breaking the inter-genera onal cycle of poverty and ac ng as a great social and eco-

nomic equalizer.

In a situa on like Gihembe, such interven ons are even more important. Olive Nyirazaninka, a mother of seven, is pleased to see her

four-year-old daughter Soleil Masengesho aQend the ECD programme. “I have been in this camp since 2007. Life here is difficult and

there are many risks, especially for young children,” she explains. “But thanks to this joint interven�on, our children are now in a pro-

tected environment during the day, where they learn to play together and make new friends,” Olive says.

UNICEF works through AVSI in Gihembe Camp to train willing female refugees to serve as ECD facilitators in the centres. And in collab-

ora�on with UNHCR, who runs this camp, the organisa�ons are also helping to put in place a child protec on network so that cases of

violence against children can be

prevented. Pierre Buduguri, is

happy to send his four-year-old

daughter Josiane to the ECD

Centre. “Children leO on their

own some�mes slip and fall or

can even contract diseases from

playing in contaminated mud.

Now they are taken care of by

trained adults during the day.”

“This is just the beginning,” says

UNICEF Child Protec�on Officer,

Mari Aasgaard. “A lot more

needs to be done to build a pro-

tec�ve environment where chil-

dren can be safe and thrive.

Child Friendly Spaces and a

mentoring system that provides

psycho-social care for vulnera-

ble and abused children will be

par�cularly important, but at

least for now children are in a

space meant just for them.”

10

STORIES FROM OUR PARTNERS

Delivering as One

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Congolese refugee children benefit from an Early Child Development Centre

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Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012

A UN Volunteer’s viewpoint By Jackie Kayitesi, Associate Monitoring Officer, UNV

Leaving my home in Kigali, yearning to work hard to change the fortunes of others, I headed for the

challenge of a life�me as an Associate Returnee Monitoring Officer at UNHCR’s Antenna Office in Gisenyi, in

the Western Province. I was confident that my technical proficiency and self-mo�va�on would help me

adapt to this new environment. By mee�ng so many returnees, and hearing their tes monies, challenges

and dreams, I have been mo vated to work even harder, enjoying every single bit of my work at UNHCR.

Because I am accustomed to travel and reloca�on, working in the beau�ful hills amongst the green scenery

inhabited by welcoming people has been my best adventure. Not even the rough terrain and at �mes really

bad roads and weather will dissuade me from hearing the heart-wrenching stories told to me by innocent

women and children every day in the course of their repatria�on to Rwanda and during my monitoring vis-

its.

By giving them food and non-food items, reuni�ng families and providing a shoulder to lean on at the re-

cep�on centre, I derive sa�sfac�on and reinforce my drive to work to make a difference in these peoples’

lives. Regular monitoring visits to those whom I have helped fully integrate into the community makes me

feel like I too have paid a visit back home. When I face the daily challenges of my role, I try to adapt to these

new situa�ons, inspired by the saying “even fish know that you must swim against the water currents lest

you get washed away.”

My dream is to have all Rwandan refugees return, and my message to them is this: Come, let’s build home

together.

Jackie in ac on, Nkamira Transit Centre, where in addi on to her role as Monitoring Officer,

she has been heavily involved in the emergency response in Gisenyi, Rubavu District.

”

“

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Photo Gallery: Nkamira Transit Centre

Making use of all available space, clothes dry slowly in this cold damp climate ©

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Congolese refugees reunited upon arrival in Rwanda

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Bath me can be miserable the world over!

Grass cut from around the Transit Centre for a makeshiN maKress inside a disused factory

Searching for a name on the distribu on list for food

and core relief items

The UNHCR Representa ve and Protec on Officer, and the President of the refugee community at Nkamira, address women’s issues with new arrivals

More images and updates are posted regularly to the Displaced World blog: hQp://anoucks-displaced-world.blogspot.com

For more informa on please contact:

Anouck Bronée

External Rela�ons Officer

UNHCR Rwanda

bronee@unhcr.org

+ 250 (0) 78 830 2705

@anouckbronee

UNHCR Rwanda has

officially joined the

twiKersphere!

You can follow what

we’re up to

@RefugeesRwanda