I have been back in Gulu for about two weeks now.  Rwanda was very emotional, and I am glad I was able to experience it.  It has been nice being back in Gulu, seeing familiar territory, and seeing familiar people.  It's also nice to use the little Acholi that we have learned.

Currently, I am in my first official week of independent research.  I no longer have any classes, I am solely attending to my internship and conducting my research.  My research topic is still the same: relief efforts of the World Health Organization pre-, during, and post-conflict in northern Uganda so I am looking at between 1987 and present-day.

I am interning with the World Health Organization office in Gulu.  This not only allows for me to conduct research on this exact topic, it allows for me to learn more about the organization.  My dream is to work for the World Health Organization one day, so this feels closer to making that dream a reality.

Goodbye Rwanda, Hello Uganda

Tomorrow, I will be leaving Rwanda and heading back to Uganda.  It will take 3 days for us to make our way back to Gulu.  It has been an interesting experience in Rwanda, a very emotional one.  Seeing the memorials of the genocide is something that I would recommend for everyone to experience.  The amount of development that the country has undergone over the past 20 years is stunning.

Also the amount of forgiveness is humbling.  People on both sides of the conflict are living side by side.  I went to a women's group in Butare which consists of widows and perpetrators's wives.  It was humbling to see the women working together after the genocide.

It's very bitter-sweet leaving Rwanda.  This is definitely a place I would like to return to, however I'm excited to go back to Gulu and start my research.

Rwanda by pictures.

View of Kigali:

 Murambi Memorial Site in which thousands of Tutsi were killed during the genocide:

View from Murambi, surrounded by hills, which did not allow anyone to escape because they would be seen.

On our way back from Murambi:

The swimming pool in Hotel des Milles Collines (aka Hotel Rwanda).  This hotel housed many Tutsi during the genocide.

View of Kigali from Hotel des Milles Collines: 

Genocide Memorial Sites

Please be advised: This post contains sensitive pictures and information.  The pictures and descriptions are from the two genocide memorial sites visited today: Ntarama and Nyamata, both of which were churches.  The Genocide in Rwanda started on April 7, 2014 and lasted until mid-July (approximately 100 days) leaving close to 1,000,000 Tutsi dead.  During the genocide, Tutsi fled to these churches for safety.  After 2 weeks, they became massacre sites.

As we made our way to Nyamata Genocide Memorial, there were graves and tombstones.  This was a church where people were killed during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.  It has now become a genocide memorial site.  Originally the bodies were kept in the same positions as they were at the time of the massacre, but as time went on, the bodies began decomposing, and therefore could not be left in the open.  As you walk in, you can see hundreds of thousands of clothes from those who were massacred.  It was overwhelming to say the least.  You can see holes in the ceiling from gun shots, you can also see the blood on the ceiling near the door where kids' heads were smashed against the wall.

In the back of the memorial is a mass grave.  I could only spend 5 seconds in there.  There are piles and piles of bones and skulls.  There are also a few graves.  On the skulls you can see where people were shot, beaten, you can even see machete cuts.  We were not allowed to take pictures inside, only on the outside.

Flowers left for those who were massacred.  This was on top of one of the mass graves.

Front door to the church.  The black door is the original.  On the right side you can see that the door was blown up, you can also see it at on the cement in front.  The killers used a grenade.

The second genocide memorial site, Ntarama Genocide Memorial, holds a similar story.  It was a church that people fled to for safety, but became a massacre site.  No pictures were allowed inside, but were allowed to be taken from the outside.

This is a side building to the left of the church building.  Grenades were used to blow away the wall.  Inside there are remains of school notebooks and textbooks.  Straight ahead you can also see a grave.

This is the left side of the main church building.  A grenade was used to break away the wall.

This is at the back of the church building.  Inside is the property of those who were massacred.  You can see bags, clothes, among other items.

This is the whole view of the back of the church.  The overall roof was constructed to preserve the memorial site.

These two building were behind the church.  The one of the left is what remains of the kitchen.  Foam mattresses were used to burn people inside.  The building on the right is the massacre site of children.  A blood stain remaines from where the heads were smashed.

This wall contains the names of those who were massacred.  This is not a complete list.  As more are discovered, their names are added.

This is the back view of the church building.  Hanging out of the window are the clothes of those who were massacred.

To end more on the positive side, I took some photos of Kigali, Rwanda on our way back.  This is the rural area of Kigali.

On to Rwanda

On our drive to Kigali, Rwanda.

Before leaving for Kigali, Rwanda, we had a chance to visit Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID) in Kampala, Uganda.  We had a chance to talk with some of the refugees and hear their stories.  The way that the refugees were able to come together and organize themselves to help each other out is no less than amazing.  They are completely independent of the government, and are supported by outside donations and also by portions of some of the income the members are able to generate.  The women’s group, that partners up with YARID, makes different types of bags and such, they then sell it which allows them to generate income for the group.  Seeing the organization and talking with the refugees was absolutely incredible and very humbling.  It really provides perspective and makes you think twice about the problems that you are facing.  Your problems become so small compared to some of the issues that they are facing.

Following our interaction with urban refugees, we visited the Nakivale Refugee Settlement.  We also had a chance to talk with the refugee population.  It’s also very humbling to hear about their stories and how they have come together.  One of the groups that we talked to was able to generate funding to build an adult school.  The school would employ the refugee population allowing them to make money in a trade other than farming.

While in Rwanda, we will be visiting a lot of memorials.  I am taking a lot of time to prepare for the week ahead, as I am anticipating it to be very emotional.  

More pictures to come soon.