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).