La vie africaine....

My time is winding down...I will be leaving here on Saturday afternoon, March 1st. I'll see everyone in Charlotte on Sunday afternoon, March 2nd. A few quick notes for today:

• I killed a snake in the house two nights ago. Yep, my vegetarian self chopped the serpent into three pieces with a South African hunting knife! Unfortunately, I did not get a picture...
• I'm going to Congo (aka DRC)! The border's only a few miles away, so it's easy to get the extra passport stamp...
• We're going to look for hippos tonight at Cercle nautique. They often graze along the lakeshore right along the road...

My co-workers and I in the Ruyigi field office (Bugera (aka Father Mo's long-lost twin brother) and Isidore)

Loading the repatriation convoy at Camp Nduta

My home in Bujumbura

Yesterday we finally made it to the beach. It's about 90 degrees here. There are beautiful beaches on Lake Tanganyika-- the water is wonderfully warm and there are the soaring mountains of Burundi and Congo in the distance. There's also a legendary crocodile named Gustave, but fortunately we didn't see him :) This week I'll be finishing up some reports in the LWF office, shopping at the market, and saying goodbye to Burundi :( It really has been an amazing experience and I'm looking forward to sharing stories with all of you..

Hi from Bujumbura!

I've returned to the capital of Burundi after two weeks in the rural areas of Burundi and Tanzania. The remainder of my time will be spent at the LWFoffice in Bujumbura, writing their country strategy and whatever other documents they throw my way :) So far, I've been sorting through a lot of UN statistics (as you facebook junkies may have learned from my facebook status update!) on how Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the region, despite being surrounded by several of the most conflict and poverty-stricken countries in the world, like Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda and Kenya, and one of the poorest in the world (169 out of 177 countries measured, according to the research). Upon our return to Bujumbura, I rode through neighborhoods I hadn't seen before, where stark reminders of the conflict still remain: crumbling government buildings and bombed-out houses nearly covered with weeds. Throughout the country, you see young military and police officers (some wearing secondhand American high school letter jackets), stopping traffic with Kalashnikovs strapped to their backs.

Still, there are signs of hope on an individual level:
villages who are welcoming returning refugees, secondary students who returned from Tanzania and are helping their Burundian classmates with schoolwork, formerly non-literate basket-weavers writing receipts as they sell their their handicrafts, women accessing water from wells instead of walking long distances to rivers and streams, primary students attending classes for the first time, packed churches (I attended a 7 am mass with over a thousand people, packed onto tiny benches for nearly 2 hours)...

I'm back! It's Wednesday, I know, but I just now got easy internet access. Last Thursday, we left Tanzania and returned to Burundi, settling for a few days at the LWF field office in Ruyigi, a VERY small town in eastern Burundi.

Friday: We visited a basket weaving cooperative in Cendajuru, a mountain village located between Ruyigi and the Tanzanian border. Many of the women are returned refugees who learned their weaving skills through TCRS in the camps and are making these baskets from natural and recycled materials. I worked alongside them for a few moments- but my basket-weaving skills are on par with my knitting skills (ie below zero), so they will not be recruiting me to the co-op anytime soon! These women have now resettled in Burundi - some in their villages of origin and others in villages near the Tanzanian border. They seemed to be enjoying their work immensely and are now working on marketing the baskets outside of Burundi. I bought quite a few to bring home - some as gifts, some to sell. I'll try to post pictures tomorrow, so you can take a look. I've got a few ideas on how to market them, but welcome any contributions.

The remainder of Friday and Saturday were spent visiting various villages where the residents are marginalized- one village consisted of expellees - Burundians who had been living peacefully (but not legally) in Tanzania. The government suddenly and forcibly removed them to Burundi; they were working in their fields one minute and the next they were returning to Burundi on foot, leaving all their possessions behind. We visited a school where there are two teachers for 165 students- the lead teacher is literally living in the back of the classroom due to lack of resources. LWF is currently assisting this school to get desks for the students (they're currently on the floor with just the teacher and a chalkboard)..

It's difficult to summarize what I've seen and experienced here. In some ways I feel like I've been here forever, but there have been so many different and intense experiences that it's also flown by. What I've sensed most profoundly is the need for a place to call home, to be settled. After talking with so many different groups (refugees in camps, those on their way to the US, those in limbo, returnees, displaced villagers and those who never left their homes), it's clear that the ones living in uncertainty had the most distress. Seems obvious, I know, but it reiterates that helping people create a home (whether in the US or returned to their communities of origin) is critical. Lacking that sense of home and community is what makes it difficult for me to be here, though I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. So, for those of you working so hard (my co-workers at home :) to provide that for refugees, keep doing it. For the rest of us...don't take it for granted. That is one important lesson I will take from here..

Thanks again for the comments..they are much appreciated! I have felt very safe during my time here (no rebels lurking in the bushes, as far as I know) and have been working too hard to get into any trouble :)

Today's visit was to Camp Kanembwa, which formerly hosted thousands of refugees and now hosts only those who are on their way to the US and other countries for resettlement. Most families are only at Kanembwa for a couple of months. We conducted several interviews with those who had been approved to resettle in the US, but whose cases had been delayed for a year or longer. One woman, Chantal, is now a single mother of four - her husband passed away after they were moved to Kanembwa from another camp. Another man, Bahati, has been waiting since March 2007 with no word on his case. I wanted to hear their thoughts and fears and expectations on coming to the US, but to them that life is still too far away to even consider, though they had a few questions about education for themselves and their children. My sense is that they feared that somehow their cases would be denied and they would have little option(which, according to my understanding of the process, would be very unlikely to occur at this point, but it's hard to explain that to them). I went to the camp with specific ideas of what I would hear today- though I really did want to hear the truth, I expected good or concise sound bites from those whose future was settled. What I got was the truth, which is rarely as simple or straightforward as we'd like it to be. Ideally, everyone could return to a safe and familiar home, and not have to struggle against a new language and culture, but in our broken world we know that will not happen. Like those who continue to live at Kanembwa, our hope must be in one greater than ourselves....
Thanks for all of your comments and encouragement- it's good to know you're reading this! I'll probably be internet-silent til next Tuesday, but will post more then!!

A group of children at Camp Nduta. Nearly 40,000 refugees still reside there, most of whom will return to Burundi. The government has set a deadline of June for all of them to go, but given the logistics involved in moving such a large group, it's unlikely to happen. Nduta is in a forest about 45 minutes drive from Kibondo (the town where I'm staying and where most NGO offices are located). The houses in the back are typical of the living conditions and are arranged in blocks and rows. It's been raining fairly steadily and the muddiness has only increased from what you see in the picture.

Two children on the IOM bus, on their way to the Kibondo airstrip and eventually the US! They will spend 2-3 days in a transit center in Nairobi (where they will receive the USRP shirts and flowered dresses that our agency staff is so familiar with), then on to America. Most people were unsure of their final destination, though we met one family going to Colorado and one to Idaho. I told them to make sure to wear a heavy jacket!!

Today we traveled with the repatriation convoy. At 7:15 am we left the office, headed to Camp Nduta, where 40,000 refugees live. More rain last night had created an even muddier mess, and when we arrived, 70 Burundian refugees were waiting to load onto trucks and return to their country. We traveled with them as they crossed the border and landed at the UN reception center. Provisions were lined up in neat rows to be distributed- plastic buckets, tarps, cornmeal and farm tools were among the items.

I can only imagine their fear of the unknown. After years of living away, what will they find? I know that I myself feel overwhelmed after just a few days here. Even though everything is graciously provided by my hosts, just traveling, speaking different languages, adjusting to all the new details of life- I still can't light the stove or make a phone call or get coffee. I'm sure I'd figure those things out if I were here longer, but not knowing can be a bit disorienting.

It is only a small glimpse into what the returning refugees must feel. I can't pretend to truly understand the uncertainty, though I imagine that returning must be better than an extended stay in the camp.

All the NGO staff members that I've met work very hard (harder than I've ever worked before) and under very difficult conditions, with limited resources. It's impressive, and not something I could do...I've enjoyed my time here immensely, but it's not an easy life- in some ways, it feels like I've been here forever, but I also can't believe it's almost half over. I wish I had more time to talk with people, to get a more in-depth look at daily life here.
Tomorrow's plan is to visit community development projects among marginalized people in Tanzania and observe a meeting with the local village facilitators in charge of implementing TCRS' (Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service) work in the field. (TCRS is currently transitioning from working primarily with refugees to providing community development in Tanzania.)

Pictures are pending!

Today we saw two endings to the same difficult story-

This morning we watched as Burundian refugees from one camp (Kanembwa) boarded a bus on their way to an airstrip to fly to the US. They seemed a bit nervous, and most didn't even know what state they were going to, but SO excited.....to finally be in a place of stability and peace after so many years of turmoil. That was the story I heard time and again. They asked about education and work- how long would it take to get a job? Could the adults continue their education?

Ironically, most of these refugees had never even been to Burundi- their families had fled many years ago, seeking safe haven in places such as Congo and Rwanda, finally ending up in Tanzania as war and genocide broke out in those first countries. If they had returned to Burundi, there was no place for them. They didn't know what to expect in the US either, but their eager anticipation was obvious. I collected names (and gave out my email address) - I am curious to see how these stories will play out in the coming months. As I watched the plane take off, I was excited to imagine what their futures will hold.

This afternoon, we visited Camp Nduta, another refugee camp in the Kibondo area. These refugees have been hosted here for many years, and the camp is scheduled to close in June 2008. The vast majority of its residents will not be eligible for resettlement and are currently registering with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to repatriate to Burundi. Once a large enough group is registered, UNHCR schedules a convoy. All the registered refugees, along with their luggage and their livestock, are taken to the transit center, which we visited this afternoon. The kids in the courtyard were excited and happy to pose for pictures (I wonder how many mzungus like myself have taken their photos).

The transit center consists of several long tents centered around a courtyard. After spending the night at the transit center, they will board vehicles and return to a reception center in Burundi (the drive from the transit center to the reception center is about 2 hours). From the reception center, they will receive their belongings, along with several months of provisions, and be transported to the commune office (like a town hall) in the town they registered for (theoretically their hometowns, but many people don't really know where they're from, so they register for a town close to the border). From there, they will start their lives over, building homes and growing crops. We will accompany the convoy on Tuesday morning as it returns to Burundi.

The heavy rains began to pour as we approached the camp, creating a desperately muddy path to our destination. Our task for the afternoon was to deliver newspapers (written in Kirundi, the national language of Burundi) that provided updated information to Nduta refugees on the situation in Burundi, telling stories of successfully repatriated refugees and increased political stability in the country. We interviewed one refugee who had been living in Nduta since 1997, and, like the ones who were heading for the US earlier this morning, had never been to Burundi. His resettlement application was pending, though likely to be rejected and he knows he will probably return to Burundi. The country is currently in a place of relative political stability, at least more than it has known over the past few decades. People are rebuilding homes and planting crops, some returning to land left by their families and others starting life in a place they've never known. Like the ones leaving for the US, I am eager to hear how these returnees will play a role in rebuilding their war-torn country. LWF-Burundi (the organization I'm volunteering with) is working with these returnees to gain food and water security, increase their livestock, and create new livelihoods, among other projects. We'll be observing these and other community development projects later in the week (Tanzania on Wednesday, and Burundi border provinces on Thursday and Friday).

American village in Tanzania...

Kibondo is a small, mountainous town in rural western Tanzania. It's the headquarters for a number of international agencies (UNHCR, IRC, TCRS...) who work in the refugee camps located at various points outside the town and we've been visiting with some of the (mostly American) staff over the past few days.

Our plan for today is to visit Kanembwa, which formerly hosted up to 15,000 refugees at one point. Now it is the site of the 'American village', home to those who have been accepted to resettle in the US and are undergoing medical screenings, background checks and attending cultural orientation classes on life in the US. We will visit the camp this morning (Monday) and accompany a busload of refugees to the Kibondo airstrip, where they will board a chartered flight on their way to new lives in the US! It's possible I will even meet some who are on their way to North Carolina. We plan to interview a few of them about their expectations and even follow-up once they arrive in the US..

Right now, however, we are waiting for our camp entry permits to arrive from the capital of Dar es Salaam. There is a lot of waiting, and not a lot of hurrying, in Kibondo. Waiting...for someone to arrive, for electricity to cut off or to be restored (it's provided through generators so only has certain hours of operation- generally it's lights out at 11 pm), for the guards to pump water at the well so we can shower, for water or food to heat on the kerosene stove, for rains to end so that we can begin a journey, or for rains to come so that crops will grow....
It is good practice for all of us to wait, to realize that we (esp. as Americans) live our lives creating this illusion of control that we don't really have. To live in a place where even basic needs are frequently subject to inavailability....one more easily remembers to Whom we are truly indebted. I haven't lacked for anything that I truly need here. There is more than enough food (believe me!) and water (even hot water for showering, thank goodness!) and even Internet (though I still haven't had enough extra time/technosavvy to post pictures yet)... So I won't make anymore false promises about photos. And I will continue to have faith that the permits will come! Thanks for the comments...will post more after our trip.

Habari za asubuhi (good morning) from Kibondo, Tanzania!

Yesterday's 7-hour journey brought us (myself and LWF staff) from Bujumbura, Burundi to Kibondo, Tanzania, where the headquarters of TCRS are located. The countryside definitely fits the description of 'the land of a thousand hills'. Our plans are to visit development projects in rural Tanzania over the next few days and the Burundian refugee camp located in Nduta, Tanzania. We may also accompany a repatriation convoy leaving the Tanzanian camp and returning the refugees to Burundi.

internet access is much faster here, so i promise pictures will be posted soon!!

My apologies to those who have been eagerly awaiting my next blog posting- the internet is a bit less accessible than I originally thought (and I've been working like crazy, seriously!) Life has been fairly uneventful so far, but I'm heading out of town tomorrow and should have more stories to tell.

Missionaries, misfits and mercenaries

Supposedly, those are the three types of people you find in a place like Burundi, and on the continent of Africa and the developing world in general….those who want to save the world, those who want to find a world where they can belong and those who just want to live on the edge. The unusual melange of expatriates that you find here definitely redefine the concept of eclectic community. So far, I’ve fit right in so which one am I?? Feel free to cast your votes in the comment section.

When I landed late at the airport, my host was playing volleyball at the beach. Flights into Burundi are few: a total of 3 airplanes take off and land each day at the Bujumbura International Airport. It’s highly convenient when picking up visitors at the airport- the flights are spaced far enough apart that you only need to listen for an airplane flying overhead to know when someone has arrived.

Some highlights so far:
My lost luggage was recovered on Monday afternoon. Apparently, my flight was overloaded and they needed to leave a few pieces behind in Ethiopia, but they sent it on the next flight.

I went running last night around the local golf course/horse club. During the colonial era, the Belgians imported a bit of home away from home and built stables, a golf course and badminton courts. Not the extracurricular activities I would’ve expected, but it’s a social hub of the expat community.

Staying up til 3:30 to watch the Super Bowl halftime show live on ESPN, then falling asleep to the early morning Muslim call to prayer from the Egyptian embassy next door.

Being a passenger on both the left and right sides of the car- both kinds of cars are on the road. Fortunately, they’re all driving on the right side of the road (if you don’t count swerving to pass overloaded bush taxis, people wandering into traffic and bicycles carrying entire families and 50 pound sacks of potatoes).


Safety, so far, has not been a problem. There are four dogs and two security guards monitoring our gated compound around the clock.

My days have been spent editing and revising and ‘translating’ Tanzanian/Burundian/Dutch/French English into standard English. Along the way, I’ve been amazed at all that LWF is doing to support refugees who are returning after they fled during various uprisings and civil wars that tore the country apart. The political climate remains unstable, and an influx of people whose needs outweigh the country’s resources could tip the scales toward fighting again. This relief and development

Tomorrow we’re heading to Ruyigi, in eastern Burundi where the majority of the relief and development projects are taking place, then on to Kibondo, Tanzania to a refugee camp and possibly the transit center where refugees headed for resettlement in the U.S. and other countries receive orientation.

I’ve been working too hard to make it back to the beach yet (I know, feel sorry for me- the weather so far has been perfectly summery)….

Pictures later (internet won't upload)...comments are very welcome and virtually my only form of communication from home.

Hi everyone! I'm here. Despite an earthquake this morning (which I slept through) and losing my luggage somewhere in Ethiopia or Rwanda (don't worry it will reappear tomorrow, I have faith).
Tuesday is a national holiday so I may spend it at the beach or horseback riding! Tough life, eh??Despite being landlocked, Burundi has a beautiful lakeshore.

Will post pics soon!