I recently heard on the radio that, a few years ago, during a very serious famine (partly due to the civil war) in the Sudan, millions of US dollars of relief money intended to feed the starving many, was actually used by rebels to buy arms for their cause. A more immoral story would be hard to come by and yet this is not a one off African scenario.
Diametrically opposite on that spectrum of food access fairness is the attitude and actions of one confident but self-effacing nun: Soeur Josephine.
Today I spend my last day in these magic Southern hills. I have locked the cottage, bid farewell to Papa Jacinthe and his family, said goodbye to Baptiste. I am going to sleep over at the Muganza Health Centre, where Soeur Josephine lives. She is expecting me. Standing next to her is a chubby little girl, Josiane, who must be 3 or 4 years old. Josephine introduces me to her.
‘She was starving to death, her brother died of hunger a little while ago in hospital. They could not save him and he was begging them to stop trying feeding him. I said to myself ‘Non!’ not her. She is not going to die, she won’t die. NO, she won’t!!!’
Josiane is not chubby from eating too many sweets but because of malnutrition... Josephine tells me that the little girl is starting to get better but that it was really ‘touch and go’ for a while.
Little Josiane is sucking on a nutritional pack that the government provides for children like her. She needs to suck on about five of them per day to gradually absorb the nutrients that she has been deprived of all her life. There is something peaceful, un-childlike and intense about little Josiane. I spend some time alone with her, I help her unwrap that life-saving food bar, I speak to her in a language that she does not understand but she lets me come into her world. Loudly and cheerfully, I say to her: ‘Yummy, good girl! yummy!! She is indeed enjoying the act of eating. I enjoy watching her eat! Another voice inside me quietly but resolutely invokes: ‘No, little Josiane, you won’t die! You will live! You will! Simply because you are so beautiful and so innocent!!!
Later on I take Josiane in my arms and we watch Soeur Josephine get stuck into her emails... Josiane is fascinated by the computer... from starvation to computer age within a few days, what a journey! I feel some life force coming back to her...
Josephine tells me, matter-of-factly that Little Josiane comes from a family of 10 or 11 children, that her parents aren’t coping at all.
Thank God Josephine copes... I admire her unassuming strength so much; I despise so much the weakness of the Sudanese war lords!!
Friday, March 26, 2010
More than a school
Today is my second last day at the school. On Friday, I am going to Kigali to do a couple of things in the ‘big city’ before flying off... It is also the day before my birthday, and I am secretly hoping that a special Rugerero event is on its way...
The community work at the school that I had painstakingly planned for last Saturday was cancelled the day before because of the visit to the ‘secteur’ of a member of the Senate. Everyone has been invited to attend... including teachers, parents... ‘Oh well!!! The white washing of classrooms I was hoping to witness before my departure would be a non-event...
- No!! says Frederic, the assistant to the Headmaster, let’s do it on Wednesday morning. We’ll cancel the classes, we’ll invite the parents and the children to help’. By then, I have adopted a more fatalistic attitude, bordering on the ‘whatever’ mindset... I’ll believe it when I see it.
Wednesday comes. I am about to see it, in its full African splendour. Sometimes, you gotta have faith. The repainting of the Sistine Chapel is about to begin...
The artists
Mostly mothers, grandmothers. They arrive from everywhere in small groups, so serene and gracious in their beautiful, bright dresses. They wait patiently... for a couple of hours before paining starts.
The magic brew
Gaspard, the President of the Parents Committee, has hired the local ‘lime and white wash expert’ to oversee the operation. Recipe: start the wood fire, mix the lime with salt, hot water in a huge caldrons. This is the first task to do: a boys and men task...
Tool making
As they arrive, women have their brushes made from a stick and some grass. NO! these are NOT brooms, but artist brushes!
It is a long wait before the water starts boiling and the mixture is ready... Good, this gives me a chance to shake lots of hands, to thank the volunteers and take more photos!!!
Action!
Suddenly, the magic potion is ready. What follows is a combination of the storming of the Bastille and the delicate painting of the Sistine Chapel
The splendour of Chaos...
Community Ceremony
Time now for a community ceremony. Laurent, the vice president of the Parents Committee has prepared the programme in details. The school yard is turned into a ceremonial area, under the equatorial midday sun.
In Rwanda it has to start with some traditional dancing, singing, drumming... Even the Muzungu is invited to join in. You don’t need to invite him twice to a bit of African boogie-boogie!
Lots of short speeches follow,
More speeches... including one from the School management to thank the Muzungu and Abana.
Gaspard, President of Parents Committee
More speeches... including one from the School management to thank the Muzungu and Abana.
(sic) ‘
Mr José, we are very happy of the work that you have done in our school. From your coming here until this time, we have the remarkable change in our school, we have the remarkable change toward our attitude about education.
You have done many activities in order to improve not only our knowledge but also to improve our attitudes according teaching – learning process.
The training received from you every Saturday allows us to improve our skills in English and in pedagogy.
Your activity about finding for us appropriate documents and didactic materials will help us to attempt at good teaching – learning process.
Your advice about education constitutes the guide in our daily life, not only when we are at school but also when we are out of school.
The manner which you want to keep the documents and all things tidy has been for us the model and we will respect what you have begun in continuing the task of progress our school.
Your effort in finding for us the good trainers shows how you think about our performance in our job and the quality of our students.
Your name will not be forgotten in Rugerero Complex School and we beg you to come back one day even if we remain in contact by technology.”
Muzungu Jose is also invited to make a speech and then a present is given to Jose the Anana muzungu on behalf of the school and parents.
JSome 120 uniforms out of the 500 made for the poorest of the children are given. Children and their parents are VERY happy.
The ceremony is over. I could not have hoped for a better birthday and send-off present. I am so impressed and touched by the feeling of community and celebration among the children and parents present. Light heartedness, simplicity, togetherness, celebration... beautiful!
Please, Rugerero school complex, whatever ‘education’ does to you, don’t EVER lose that!
You might even consider sending a few volunteers to many schools in Australia!
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