Beautiful Western Uganda
We made it to Rwanda!
It was a long, long journey but through beautiful Western Uganda so it
was bearable. We also gained an
hour and the extra sleep is always appreciated. Rwanda is an interesting, eerie place. The second you cross the boarder are
manicured roads, modern structures, and no grass-thatched roofs to be
seen. Even in the countryside I
felt like I may be in some part of the US or Europe. And the city, that’s even more extreme. It kind of reminded me of Dubai with
how fancy the infrastructure is.
Okay maybe that’s a little exaggerated, but after living in Gulu for so
long I’m fascinated by the little modern touches. One thing that really hits ya in the face is how Rwanda used
aid money. It’s really a modern
city, and even in the more rural areas, there are amenities such as electricity
and sometimes running water.
Going through Customs on the Rwanda side!
Tea fields in Rwanda
We’ve taken about a week here now and I’m relizing this is
one of the most intense two weeks in my life so far. Our lecturers speak of the genocide, but also seemed to
tip-toe around things, saying things like, “I am not afraid to say what I am
now” but then avoiding giving away if they are Hutu or Tutsi, and saying that
things are spoken of openly, but then also saying children are not told of the
past. Its just interesting because
in a strange way, one result of the genocide is all of the aid money that has
made the city as impressive as it is, yet no one speaks of it. I’m not making a judgment here, just an
observation.
Class time in the swanky SIT Rwanda office building
So far we have
been to quite a few memorials, one museum-like, built with government money,
others just in old churches, buildings, fields, where mass killings
occurred. Both types are
impressionable and informative (and emotional) in different ways.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial was very well done. It is a new building that takes you
through the genocide from start to today.
I can’t really explain much about it, just that it has a huge effect on
everyone who goes through it.
Furthermore, it takes it to a broader lever, teaching about the concept of genocide, showing this is not just an
“African phenomenon.” The whole
second level is dedicated to teaching about other genocides around the world,
even those not recognized as genocide (but that clearly were). It is so powerful to see
that these people suffered so much and yet can still acknowledge that this
happens elsewhere, that they are not the only victims. And as depressing as this is, at the
end of the exhibit, there are statements about genocide, one of them being that
genocide will happen again somewhere in the world. I would love to think that that’s just not true, but from
what I’ve learned, it is unfortunately almost inevitable.
The other kind of memorial is intense in a different
way. When we entered the first, an
old church where 10,000+ people where mass murdered, it was hard to even
breath. You walk through in a sort
of a daze, hearing bits and pieces of what the guide is saying….”these are the
piles of clothes from the victims,” stacked feet deep on all the benches and in
all corners of the church. “This
stain of the wall is where the lined up the children,” a whole wall turned a
blackish-brown. It’s hard to
believe that such evil existed, and still does exist. One thing every memorial has in common are the mass
graves. These are places covered
in huge concrete squares where bodies were put. None contain less than 5,000. And these are not just unique to the memorials; you may be
driving on a road in the country and on a hillside, or in the center of a
field, you’ll see these huge concrete squares decorated with flowers, and you
know people are buried there in the most impersonal way.
To end on a happier note tonight, we have been taking full
advantage of this modern city. A
few of the girls and I found a sweet internet café where we got on for the
first time in almost a week tonight!
The city is big and confusing, but very safe. People are so incredibly
nice here, aswell. To name a few
things: a man stepped out into the street to stop traffic for us so we could
cross, and didn’t even have to cross himself. Some waiters at a bar only had a small selection of food,
but gave us clear directions where to find a tasty dinner. We were trying to figure out where to
get internet when the place we originally tired had lost their wifi and some
onlookers kindly offered their advice of a place down the road. So thoughtful. When walking around at night, I also
felt the safest I have in Africa.
I think I wouldn’t even feel too concerned walking by myself (although I
wont try). We had a little culture
shock with the bodabodas here also.
They ride trust-worthy looking bikes, make you wear a helmet, and only
allow 1 passenger! No piling on
your wife, 3 kids, and the family goat here. I really like it here, but I appreciate that we have just 2
weeks. It’s a good amount of time
to see and learn, and also appreciate our home in Uganda.
Kigali at dusk, at the hotel just outside of town
Suggested watch: Sometimes in April -- we watched the other night, a very informative portrayal of the Genocide of 1994
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