Ilona Dekkers

In this article Ilona Dekkers reflects on the current situation of Rwanda, in the aftermath of an internationally recognized devastating genocide. Her main focus is on child welfare. In 2007 she was part of the European youth delegation, which accompanied the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, during an educational visit to Rwanda.

The legacy of the genocide

On April 6th 1994, the assassination of the Rwandan Hutu president Habyarimana lead to the genocide. Hutu extremists wanted their revenge and began to systematically murder Tutsi and moderate Hutu. After a 100 day massacre killing a million Rwandans, many children were left orphaned. A decline in health services was the result of this. The Rwandan government faced a lot of challenges in rebuilding the country and this struggle continues until today. The most important purpose of the government is to restore the economy to pre-genocide levels. The transformation of an agricultural subsistence to a knowledge based economy, together with improvement of education, infrastructure and investment in companies could reduce poverty. One of the goals of the Rwandan government is to prioritize child welfare, especially for orphans.

Health care

The new health sector “Strategic Plan 2005-2009” aims to reduce poverty and to improve health. Rwanda has a community based health insurance scheme, which provides treatment access even to the poorest. The government is committed to fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and children’s diseases.

Orphans in Rwanda

According to statistics, Rwanda has about one million orphans. These children’s parents were either killed in the genocide or died from AIDS. Many of these orphans live in households that are run by children, and suffer from depression and other health problems. Most orphans feel severely marginalized from their communities and are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. The government and international organizations try to provide the orphans with health care and education; however the majority are still in need of more help. A new National Policy on Orphans and Vulnerable Children is now being implemented throughout the country. This policy will provide more protection to these children. School fees also have been eliminated, allowing more Rwandese children to receive the basic primary school education. A catch-up programme has been introduced to help children who previously were not able to attend school.

Nkundabana!

During our journey we visited the Nkundabana project. This community-based project is organized by CARE International.  Nkundabana means “I love children” in Kiniarwanda. The Nkundabana project consists of adult mentors who are trained to assist child-headed households. They give psychosocial support and guidance by providing the orphans with advice about hygiene, health and children’s rights. As a result both the material and the psychosocial needs of the orphans are met.

Shaping the future

On the last day of our journey, we accompanied the commissioner Louis Michel during his meeting with Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame. The president stressed the importance of development cooperation. The government has ambitious plans for Rwanda. Inadequate health care, poor infrastructure, lack of access to education, high population growth and poverty are the main focus points of the policy. Health care should be improved by providing treatment access for the most needy people and retaining competent health professionals. President Kagame promotes awareness of the effects of genocide and the consequences for children, in particular orphans. We should not be discouraged by the multitude of problems war struck that countries face, but make childcare an immediate necessity. The legacy of the genocide must not turn into a legacy of lost dreams!

Further reading