Day 8: Tuzamurane & Abaga Cooperatives

Tuesday, August 6th - Kayonza, Rwanda

Written by Don Jack, WD4H Advisor

Yesterday, Monday, was a day of transition that brought us here to the small town of Kayonza. After a very early morning departure from Kigali we passed through Kayonza, where we would return later in the day, to the Akagera Animal Park which is situated on the border with Tanzania. The savannas, wetlands and lakes of the park offer a wonderful backdrop for an animal population that continues to recover after it too was devastated during and after the 1994 genocide. We saw impalas, warthogs, water bucks, giraffes, elephants, hippos, giraffes and more during the six hour drive through the Park. A couple of long stops allowed us to soak in the quiet beauty of this special place which sees relatively few tourists.

By the time we reached our hotel in Kayonza we had spent at least 12 hours traveling and the sun had set well ahead of our arrival. Our hotel, although modern and new had a certain amount of quirkiness for us since it sees many fewer foreign travelers the our previous lodgings in Kigali. A good meal after a long day left these exhausted souls ready enjoy a solid night of sleep on soft pillows.

When we awoke to clear blue skies this morning the hotel was already becoming more familiar as our new home. After breakfast several of us walked to the open stalls of a local market place. There were, of course, many vendors selling fruits and vegetables. There were also several stalls selling colorful fabric which could be transformed on the spot into your choice of clothing by any one of the many tailors pumping solid treadle sewing machines, sewing machines that have never imagined the existence of electricity. Yes, we are in Africa!

Sangwon and Ilayda have joined our group after having arrived overnight. Sangwon is a professor and Ilayda is a graduate student at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB. They are here to evaluate the potential use of highly efficient cookstoves by one of the co-operatives in the area.

For our first stop of the day we visited two new co-ops sponsored by World Dance for Humanity that are both centered only a short distance from Kayonza.  The Tuzamurane ("Let Us Lift Each Other Up") Cooperative wants to expand its farming business and possibly start manufacturing ventilation blocks which provide ventilation openings for solid walls. The Abagarukanarumuri ("Those Who Return With Light") Cooperative was founded by unwed mothers and they are also looking to expand their agricultural endeavors.

As has become familiar, our arrival at the meeting place, a simple building typically used for church services, was accompanied by singing and dancing and handshakes and hugs all around. We saw Tuzamurane demonstrating the making of ventilation bricks, a business venture they are working towards.

After all we’re seated the presidents of both co-operatives spoke about the history and objectives of each. We heard poignant stories from two of the members of the Abaga Cooperative about their struggles as unwed mothers, rejected by their families and struggling to regain more normal lives. One of the unwed mothers had a particularly violent story to tell.

Once the cooperative leaders had finished speaking it was Janet’s turn. Since both of these co-ops were new she asked a series of probing questions to help determine what their real needs were. There are three women in the Abaga Co-op who would like to finish their high school education. Sangwon, Heather and I each offered to sponsor high school for one of the women and each told from our own experience why education is important.

Janet stood to tell the women of Abaga how she too was once an unwed mother and how she had difficulty with her parents accepting that situation but also about how proud she is of her son today. It was obvious from watching the faces of the  women of Agaba how moved  they were by this act of sharing of her own personal history. When Janet told members of both co-ops that each family would be receding a goat the reaction of the attendees was overwhelming; a large number of people rushed forward and embraced her.

A very special surprise was a recognition of Janet’s upcoming 65th birthday by co-op members. We could recognize the almost universal tune as the women of the Abaga co-operative harmonized on a verse of Happy Birthday in Kinyarwanda. When the English version came around we all joined in. An impromptu birthday cake with four candles was offered to Janet so that she could make a wish after blowing out the candles.

Soon we had moved outside for the final activity with the two co-ops, the distribution of about 20 mattresses that were representative of a much larger quantity being given to members of the Tuzarmarane. We walked with one of the recipients to see her house where she lives with her husband and three children. It is a very small mud brick dwelling where they had been sleeping on straw mat. The mattress will make a huge difference in their lives.

There had been much accomplished during our meeting with the two co-ops. We were ready to move on to the much anticipated inauguration of Faye's First Step Preschool at the Icyerecyezo Cooperative. (See next post!)

Thoughts from the travelers:

Linda Jalaba: Today was amazing (like every other day since I’ve been here)! Meeting 2 new cooperatives, seeing how appreciative they were in receiving their new mattress and then seeing the 4 family members lying on it for the first time!

Heather Williams: I was so moved by the story of Ariette, one of today's co-op members and an unwed mother. She got pregnant during her third year of high school, but was so hungry to learn that she hid her pregnancy in order to finish out the school year. She would love to go back to school, but she has to take care of her child who is disabled. I was so moved by her drive and determination, and by all the women of the co-op in similar situations, that I decided I had to help sponsor one of them to continue their education. I believe in the power of learning, and I especially believe in the importance of educating women, so I am happy and proud to do anything I can to help these women get the education they want and deserve.