Category: People

A father has sworn never to booze anymore after he drunk himself silly, lost his senses and causing panic in the family.

In a true story and not fiction as it might sound, Gaspard Nsabimana 45 a local taxi driver resident in Muhima normally retires home late every evening. After a days work, he enjoys a few beers with friends before finally returning home.

He is married to Agatha with whom they have a son of 4 years named Sebastian.

However, on 8th February, Nsabimana and wife woke up to the shock of their lives when they could not see their son in the house.

Earlier on 7th February Nsabimana woke up at 6am and left for routine work. Before he left, he told his wife that he would return home at 5pm to take Sebastian to saloon for a hair shave. Nsabimana had been promising his son a hair cut since the previous weekend.

One of Nsabimana’s monthly clients paid him that afternoon and headed straight at home at 5pm to pick up his son. He dropped his son at a local saloon located at Kinamba. Nsabimana also waited at a nearby bar having a few beers.

Unfortunately Nsabimana drunk himself silly before the son was done with the hair cut. He continued drinking and forgot all about the son until wee hours of the night.

However, Nsabimana’s wife retired to bed before father and son returned but though the son had been put to bed by the father. Nsabimana arrived at 1:00AM while the wife was already asleep. When she woke up in the morning, she noticed that only her husband was sleeping where their son’s bed.

Nsabimana’s wife screamed endlessly attracting local residents in the area. She physically kicked her husband demanding he gets out of the house to find their son.

Nsabimana was in shock himself and could not believe that he had forgotten his own son. He said it must have been the housemaid who was with their son that she normally took him along for walks whenever she went for shopping.

The couple waited for the maid to return as neighbors attempted to calm the wife that was already swearing and threatening to harm her husband bodily if she didn’t locate their son as soon as possible.

However, a local electrician identified as Lando Bizimana a neighbor and friend Nsabimana narrated to IGIHE.com how the child was found with his help.

As he was leaving home in the morning, he heard the commotion only to find his friend surrounded by people and an enraged wife. When Nsabimana explained to Bizimana what had happened,Bizimana reminded his friend that he had called him at midnight inviting him for a drink.

“I would have gone but I was tired. I remember him telling me that he was waiting for his son who was getting a hair cut at a saloon next to the bar.I found it strange that his son was getting a hair cut at that hour but didn’t mention it. So Nsabimana immediately remembered where the son was after listening to me”.

Nsabimana and Bizimana immediately drove off without telling anyone including his wife and returned an hour later with the boy in the backseat of the car, unharmed with a shiny bald head.

Nsabimana humbly apologised and thanked those that had kept his son for their generosity and paid twice the amount for the hair cut.

Nsabimana told everybody that he swears to cut off from the booze for he has learnt his lesson.

Residents of Ubutatu village, Agakomeye cell in Gatsibo district, after a long disagreement, allowed the cutting down of a historical tree known as ‘trinity tree’ to pave way for extension of electricity supply line in the area.

The decision was taken when Odette Uwamariya, the governor of the Eastern province was visiting the place in a way to collect the citizens’ ideas and problems.

Epaphrodite Nshimiyimana, the priest of Kiziguro catholic parish said that though the tree helped in explaining the holy trinity of God, there is no problem if it is cut off for the public interests as it cannot replace God.

He said, “The tree cannot replace God; if there is a general developmental interest, it has to be removed and it does not hinder our belief.”

In a letter written by Laurent Rutinduka, a priest now living in the southern province, he says that he is ready to take to court anyone who will cut down the tree without communicating to him for it shows God’s trinity.

According to Kiziguro sector authority, the tree is in a parcel registered in Rutinduka’s name.

This decision was taken after a long controversial disagreement over the tree. The tree has historical and religious beliefs attached to it.

At Nybugogo hero’s day was celebrated with all, officials as well as members of the community gathered at the centre du Marché for a short speech and later music and dancing, the speech was given by the executive secretary of Nybugogo sector.

With a grand population turnout, the people of Nyabugogo celebrated with enthusiasm, IGIHE.com interviewed some of the local residents and asked them what this day meant to them.

Faustian Ndaruhutse who works in the market as a charcoal vendor and is also a father of two told our reporter that this day signifies a good change in the attitude of Rwandans towards the importance of children.

Vestine Niraneza a vendor of groceries and a mother of four whose oldest daughter also works in the market said “this gives me hope that my children will be well taken care of no matter what kind of employment they pursue, for every parent worries about the welfare of their children, especially since many of them are now working to help their families”.

The Executive secretary of Nybugogo in her speech thanked all employees, workers, vendors and especially the children for their determination in helping Rwanda’s growth through their hard work.

She also encouraged all citizens to help in the fight against child abuse.

After the short but inspirational speeches the executive secretary told the residents “this day is your day, for everyone here is a hero, enjoy it and let us all remember those who have left us”

Shortly after the music and dancing commenced, and people from all corners begun to enjoy the evening through songs and stories, as others went to celebrate with family and friends.

Residents of Gikondo, Nyamirambo, and Kacyiru are unhappy with the service rendered by Local Defense (LDU) forces in their communities thus calling upon concerned authorities to intervene.

Some of the residents in affected areas have made formal complaints against the harsh actions by the local defense in their communities. IGIHE.com has investigated the claims.

A resident in Nyamirambo also a taxi driver only identified as Theoneste told our reporter that since his job requires him to drive around. “I have seen how the LDU beat people with buttons and I think it is appalling”.

Theoneste believes that the local community should do something about this before the situation gets out of hand. “There are better ways of dealing with these issues than by beating or threatening them. I have witnessed LDU mistreat food vendors and street children.”

Every household in a community pays a mandatory frw 1,000 monthly fee for neighborhood security. The is used to pay for the needs of the men and women that serve in local defense.

At Gikondo, residents complain that many of their Local Defense personnel lack uniform and this causes great confusion.

A local food vendor and resident of Gikondo Bernadette says she works till late hours of the night in order to get as many buyers as she can. This is her only source of income.

She told IGIHE.com, “I am always approached by the LDU without uniform. This scares me. I would ask those in charge to provide uniforms to the LDUs or some form of identification.”

Other residents complain of the level of competence of some LDU members that can’t read national identities and rather spend time asking unnecessary questions.

However, in the district of Kacyiru many of the residents are pleased with the work of the local defense.

Some Kacyiru residents told our reporter that Kacyiru has become a very safe place where people fell safe walking at night except for the rare occasions of robbers or the rowdiness caused by the people in the local pubs.

Mr. Saban who is the head of the local defense at kacyiru told IGIHE.com that the money that residents pay every month for security is a very small amount and has to be used wisely.

The cost for paying for uniforms, nutrition, health as well as salaries is much more than the total amount received at the end of the month and this may be the cause LDU may be acting improperly.

However, we believe that those who are not performing in accordance with laws should be reported to the police and dealt with.

Last Saturday shocking truth emerged just like in TV soap drama when a young gentleman realised that the lady he was about to say I do to in a church wedding can only be described as actually a liar, gold digger and a fraud. The gentleman is currently hospitalised.

The gentleman, who requested to be identified as only Ruhindo and his last name to remain anonymous, is in the prime of his age. He has had it all; a car, house, good job, the cash and all the love to give, but sadly Ruhindo ended up as the victim of gold digging.

Ruhindo works as a driver for a certain ambassador in Kigali. He has for the past one Year been happily engaged to a fraudulent lady until the eve of the wedding day when he discovered that everything he knew or thought he had known about the fiancé were bitter secretive lies.

The young lady, whose name is being withheld, was a student at national University of Rwanda. The lady and her boyfriend had been dating for over a year.

Ruhindo had helped pay half of the fiancés university tuition fees. He didn’t know that the young lady was actually spending the money elsewhere. Ruhindo was working in Kigali and his fiancé was mostly at the university. She unforgivably squandered not only Ruhindo’s money but also his good intentions.

Ruhindo had no doubts about his future wife. He would gladly take her wherever she wished to go. He would later after having fun with his fiancé, drop her off to a home near the National Police headquarters at Kacyiru where she claimed her relatives lived.

However, this eventually turned out to be a house belonging to Rhindo’s friend.

Before the bitter truth emerged, Ruhindo was confronted by one of the gentleman claiming to have been a boufriend to the lady. He also found out that she was a liar and a cheat and felt it was the right thing to do to tell Ruhindo about the woman he was about to marry.

Ruhindo had refused to believe the scandalous allegations against the fiancé. He insisted that the second boyfriend proves his allegations against the lady.

The second gentleman not only told Ruhindo the time and place in Kayciru where Ruhindo would drop off his finance, the number plate of Ruhindo’s car, telling him she had also lied to him that the car Ruhindo drove was her father’s car.

After the truth had finally set in, Ruhindo began piecing everything together. He questioned why he was never invited inside the house that was supposed to be her relatives. Why she would never show him any signs of public affection claiming shyness, and most importantly why she never allowed him to meet her friends or visit her in other places except her parents house.

Sadly the truth was revealed a little too late, for the groom and the bride were to be wedded the next day, when Ruhindo failed to get his fiancé to talk about it before the wedding. He was forced to confront her on the morning of the wedding.

After confronting her, he was expecting to find a devastated and apologetic woman. However, this wasn’t what he saw, before him was a woman who gave several excuses for her undue behaviour by telling him that she was seeing other people because she had to be sure of what she wanted. She never asked for forgiveness.

Without blinking an eye lid, she told Ruhindo that if he wasn’t interested in marrying her then he should be the one to tell her family. The family of the young lady that got on well with Ruhindo have claimed innocence in their daughter’s actions and sympathised with Ruhindo.

They swore they have no knowledge of their daughter’s whereabouts that had disappeared soon after the incident.

Finally what had started as a happy tale of a young man who had everything a woman would crave for until the most important thing of all was taken from him. Trust!

Ruhindo is currently in comma at a hospital surrounded by the family of the woman.

A scuffle ensued recently when a woman identified as Jeannette Nyiramazimpaka demanded to be reunited with her four-years old child currently living with the father.

This happened at Kabasengerezi cell, Muhima Sector in Nyarugenge District when Nyiramazimpaka claimed to have been denied access to her own child.

The furious mother said, “I had brought the child to visit his father. However, the father refused to give him back to me saying that I am not able to take care of the son. I tried calling his phone but it has since been persistently off.”

Theodore Rugemanandekwe, the father of the child explained to IGIHE.com that the mother brought a child complaining that she couldn’t afford taking care of the child.

Nyiramazimpaka is allegedly married to another man.

“The mother brought the child to me saying she wasn’t able to take care of the child. She also said the child was being mistreated by the step father.I asked her to return and take the child later in the evening after i had returned from work, but she never returned.”

Adolphe Nsengiyumva, in charge of the children’s right at the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDP), told IGIHE.com, that a child below seven years is obliged to remain in custody of the mother.

“If it happens that a child is not well treated, there must be negotiations between the parents otherwise the court decides the side to care for the child,” he said.

Baransaritse Pascal, the executive secretary of Kabasengerezi cell, said that it is the first time to receive such a case.

He said, “we use negotiations between the parents; if not the law intervenes by deciding in the favour of the child.”

Over 50 people living with disabilities in Muhanga district, Cyeza sector have expressed their dissatisfaction with the area authorities for denying them universal Health Insurance cover (Mutuelle de santé).

Gerturde Mukashyaka a representative of disabled people in Cyeza sector told IGIHE.com that their local leaders have been giving numerous excuses meant to deny them access to free medical Insurance .

“The law stipulates vulnerable people living with disability are entitled to a health insurance without paying any fee,” she further argued, “we have very stubborn leaders, we are tired of being told to wait as they gather funds, this sounds fishy because in other sectors similar initiatives are progressing well.”

Mukagatare fortune vice mayor social affairs Muhanga district “I don’t know Mukashyaka and her organization. She has never addressed the issue to my office. I’ am not aware of the 50 disabled persons and their organization. It’s my first time to hear this complaint and organization of disabled people in my area. Please ask her to come to our office.” Mukagatare explained.

Oreste Musengimana the focal point of disabled people at the district level confirmed that the arguments are valid since the officials already have a list containing names of disabled people but have reluctantly handled the matter.

“Some leaders are not aware of the laws that enhance the rights of disabled people while others ignore them, this is a problem we need to address with urgency,” he said.

Meanwhile the disabled persons in the area are seeking attention from the concerned authorities in rescuing them from the prevailing situation of lack of access to health services and their consideration in the one cow per family national program.

IGIHE.com had an exclusive interview with Sondra Myers, the editor of The New Rwanda: Prosperity and the public good, a handbook constituted of essays written by eminent figures in the field of Democracy and leadership such as: the Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dr. Clement Alexander Price, and Bishop John Rucyahana.

Basing on this handbook she invites all Rwandans to actively participate in the National conversation, as a way to confront and solve together challenges that may rise in the society.

IGIHE.com: What propelled you to write this handbook and why did you choose to call it “The new Rwanda: Prosperity and the public good”?

Sondra Myers:In April of 2008, with the cooperation of the OTF Economic Development Consulting Group, and with the endorsement of His Excellency President Paul Kagame, I organized and moderated a round table discussion, “The Role of Universities in Building a Culture of Civic Responsibility, Interdependence and Prosperity.”

One of the recommendations that grew out of that meeting was “engaging citizens in their own communities in discussions of public issues, values and policies by creating a ‘National Conversation on Prosperity and the Public Good’.”

From past experience I knew that having a text for such a conversation is essential—at least as a starting point to the discussion.

IGIHE.com: Why was the preface written by the president of Rwanda?
The President endorsed the project as it was presented to him by our mutual friend, Michael Fairbanks, founder of the OTF group and the Seven Fund.

He believed it was useful and in fact when he saw the handbook, he immediately requested a translation into Kinyarwanda, which we did.

IGIHE.com: What is the core reason of your interest in the national conversation?

Sondra Myers:Over the past twelve years, as countries were shedding colonial powers or authoritarian or dictatorial leaders and seeking democracy, it became increasingly clear to me that citizens play a central role in making democracy work and that becoming a citizen—developing both the will and the skills to do so—is difficult when one has been a subject all of his or her life.

Hence I got the idea of creating handbooks (My first was Democracy is a Discussion: Civic Engagement in Old and New Democracies) to be used as text for discussing such matters in formal and informal learning settings.

IGIHE.com: After talking to prominent Rwandans and other important people who follow closely what happens in Rwanda, what overall view did you get about Rwanda?

Sondra Myers:I have the sense that Rwandans are looking forward to and willing to invest in a bright future. There is a lot of positive energy—a can-do mentality—and, at the same time, a lack of corruption—that makes working here both productive and enjoyable.

IGIHE.com: Is it probable that you might have missed out another image of Rwanda perceived by small Rwandans?

Sondra Myers:Yes, I do not claim to be working with all Rwandans—and I am well aware that all are not moving forward as quickly as those who are well educated and reasonably prosperous.

However, I think that working with people in leadership, particularly educators, is valuable—and something that I have considerable experience with.

Others whom I hold in high regard work at the grass roots level, often with people who are suffering from poverty, disease and serious post-genocide traumas.

IGIHE.com: “You cannot sustain a prosperous economy if it is one that fosters entrepreneurship for the few but leaves the rest in poverty.” You highlighted this aspect, is it in any way referring to your observations of the new Rwanda?

Sondra Myers:It is an observation I make in my own country and in every country I know.
One of the most chronic and ever-growing pathologies in all our countries is the growing gap between the rich and the poor. It can only lead to serious conflict—even revolution–and cannot be resolved without addressing the problem head-on.

The American pledge of allegiance ends with “One nation—indivisible–with liberty and justice for all.” I firmly believe that all nations should strive for that goal.

IGIHE.com: After analyzing how different people compare and contrast Rwanda to their respective societies, in your opinion what assets does Rwanda have that can help it acquire all those lessons put forward in the essays within the realms of democracy, economic prosperity, or civil society?

Sondra Myers:Safety, lack of or minimum of corruption, strong and forward looking leadership, people of good disposition and a strong work ethic. Also, I would be remiss if I did not mention the post-genocide recovery.

Naturally there are lasting traumas and memories—but Rwanda has risen out of the ashes of the tragedy and is standing straight—ready to build a more sane and humane future. It is almost miraculous!

IGIHE.com: “In my view, the most precious right that an individual can have is the right to be responsible for the public good.” does this convey your own experience and how?

Sondra Myers:This statement conveys my belief that in the realm of rights—there is no right more satisfying to oneself and none more valuable to our societies than the right to be responsible for the public good. As we look around the world, there are not many who possess that right. It is above all, in my view, worth striving for.

IGIHE.com: What was the feedback of the first edition of the handbook by Rwandans of all levels?

Sondra Myers:As I mentioned earlier, I have worked for the most part with educated people who are above the poverty level—so I don’t really have feedback from the vast majority of Rwandans.

IGIHE.com: What message would you like to pass to the readers of our website Igihe.com?

Sondra Myers:I propose that people read the essays and discuss them with friends, family and colleagues; see them not as gospel but as “food for thought.” You can agree or disagree or have no opinion about them–but acknowledge that it is important for all of us to see ourselves as custodians of our societies. It is the only way that we can discourage outside or inside tyrants from controlling our lives.

Sondra Myers is senior fellow for international, Civic and cultural Projects at the University of Scranton, her works encompass:

– Co-editor of the Pluralist Paradigm: Democracy and Religion in the 21st Century (2006)
-The Interdependence Handbook (2004)
-Editor of the Democracy Reader (2002)
-The Democracy is a Discussion handbook (19996 &1998)

In a bid to enhance Rwandans to conduct their own national conversations, IGIHE.com will be publishing essays and respective discussion questions retrieved from The New Rwanda: Prosperity and the public good handbook.

Laure Rurangwa
Photo: http://matrix.scranton.edu

The new weekly radio show Ni Nyaminga also publishing a free bi-monthly magazine aims at inspiring and enabling Rwanda’s teenage girls aged 10 – 19 to reach their full potential.

Ni Nyaminga distributes its magazines countrywide in order to create awareness to the targeted group and to have their voice heard.

Speaking to IGIHE.com, Thornley, Brand & Communications Manager, Girl Hub Rwanda the initiator of the project, a day prior to the end of the road shows said the main objective in this context was to tour the country with popular artists and entertainers while giving away free copies of the magazine in order to let the age group where ever they are in the country know the importance of Ni Nyaminga for their lives.

Commending the initiative, Rwanda’s popular female singer, Miss Jojo said, “I am so glad that teenage girls in Rwanda can now have their voices heard, I think the innovation will change girls’ social behaviors.”

Nadia Umutoni aged 16 years and one of the Ni Nyaminga radio show presenters motivated by the project said, “I can now stand firm and speak without fear and I believe I will change the lifestyle of my age mates.”

According to Clementine Barada, Ni Nyampinga radio Producer, the initiative is also about fostering a culture for girls that gives them space, time and tools needed to experience their teenage years in the most positive way.

President Obama has now named Clemantine Wamariya to the board of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Wamariya knows more about death than a young woman should. She’s an American now, but hovering always in her memory is one of the horrors of the 20th century, the genocide in Rwanda, where she was born.

At only 23 Wamariya is the youngest person ever appointed and the first from Africa. She was still a child when she and her sister ran for their lives.

She didn’t see her parents until 12 years later, when she won an essay contest sponsored by Oprah Winfrey. Today, she’s a student at Yale and her early memories of Rwanda are not without joy.

Below are excerpts of an Interview with NPR News.

WAMARIYA: We had this huge mango tree in my backyard. Every afternoon we’ll have literally just tons of kids climb that tree and play and make as much noise as we want. And that tree became sort of a world where we could travel. You know, it was a train. It was a plane. It was a car. My memory of childhood is so rich, and I think that’s why I was able to just sort of live and overcome things that had happened, ’cause I remember how beautiful it was growing up in Rwanda.

MONTAGNE: Everything changed in the spring of 1994 when, over the course of just three months, one ethnic group, the Hutus, killed hundreds of thousands of people from mostly another ethnic group, the Tutsis. You were just six and alone in the house with your sister when the killers came for you.

WAMARIYA: Well, I just remember being in a room and being so scared because I did not know who or what was going to happen. I never knew what death meant. To me, whatever was happening outside, I called it noise. I didn’t know it was genocide until I started studying about it. But no one is telling you what’s going on because everyone is busy trying to find a way to hide and where to pray and how to pray and how to kneel and how to, you know, raise their hand up high so that they can pray more.

MONTAGNE: Do you remember running with your 16-year-old sister when you were six out of the house into a field? I gather you walked and walked and walked for days to get to the first of many places that you spent as a refugee for the next six years in Africa.

WAMARIYA: Yeah. I mean, how can anyone forget waking up and you know that someone’s going to come and get you. You do not know where they’re going to come – if they’re going to come from the front door, the back door, the window. You’re in a panic, absolutely panic, and jump out and go and run and crawl so much that, you know, your knees are completely bleeding but you can’t stand up. And all you could think about is your stomach. You know, from morning you think of what you’re going to eat to a night where what food, what water can you drink?

MONTAGNE: Your life changed so dramatically when you came to the United States, as a sixth grader.

WAMARIYA: Well, a sixth grader who hadn’t been in school until sixth grade.

MONTAGNE: Well, you did pretty well because you ended up at Yale. So how do you do well and still hold this other part of your life in your mind? I mean, how is it even possible?

WAMARIYA: Well, I have had so many incredible people in my life. You know, my first role model being my mother and then my sister, nothing can gander(ph) away. And so when I’m place in a challenge to finish the sixth grade, I will ask for any help I could get so I could get through. But then, you know, to realize that being in school is not only, like, oh, I have received an education, but it’s more to learn about others. You know, why we do things to each other as the way we do, such as killing a whole race. What does that really mean? You know, slowly, yes, that it – sort of learning about it, especially in eighth grade, that’s that question. And since then I’ve been hunting it down, trying to understand psychologically why do humans do such terrible things to each other.

MONTAGNE: Do you see your work in the future, your appointment to the board of the U.S. Holocaust Museum, helping you find an answer?

WAMARIYA: I think just sitting with incredible leaders who are making decision of others – they might never have an input of what it means to grow up in a refugee camp as a little girl. You have no mother, you have no father. Am I going to give them an input what it means to live in seven countries where people look at you and they think, oh, you are nobody.

MONTAGNE: Is there a particular person who didn’t survive that you think about or that you want especially to be remembered?

WAMARIYA: There are too many. And it’s not only people that I lost in the genocide. I am most talking about people that I lost along the way, you know, living in refugee camp and dying with diseases that can strike you in a second. Those people had become my family. What I want to remember is the joy that filled my house every Sunday when we had visitors and the joy that I had playing in the mango tree.

MONTAGNE: Clemantine Wamariya, thank you for taking the time to speak with us.

WAMARIYA: Thank you so much.