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THE GENOCIDE THAT
ERUPTED IN RWANDA IN 1994 TOOK A CATASTROPHIC TOLL ON MANY PEOPLE. Thousands of
families fled into neighbouring countries to escape conflict. During the
exodus, and when most of the refugees returned to Rwanda in 1996, many children
became separated from their families and friends. Seven-year-old Esperance was brought to a children's centre in Ruhengeri, northern Rwanda, by an elderly woman who, finding her stranded and alone, took Esperance under her wing. "I came from Zaire with my papa On the way he got sick and was taken to hospital that's where he died My mother and brother are also dead After papa dicd I was alone so I followed all the people who were walking to Rwanda" At the height of repatriation from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) more than 150 people a minute were coming across the border back into Rwanda. Thousands of children were lost along the route. Amidst the chaos, Save the Children workers mobilised themselves into action. Armed with megaphones they advised parents to hold on to their children. Lost children were told where to go to for help. As well as preventing children from becoming separated, Save the Children also worked to reunite children and families who had lost each other on the long trek home. With staff in every district in Rwanda, we were able to track down parents very quickly. Of the 7,000 lost or unaccompanied children who came across the border in just a few days, 95 per cent were reunited with their families. Our national staff are the bedrock of this work. They understand Rwandan society and speak local languages. It wouldn't be possible to mount such a massive emergency tracing programme without them. Knowing where and when an unaccompanied child like Esperance has been found and in what circumstances, is crucial to us. It helps us identify and document them. We also photograph lost children and place their picture at key sites such as distribution centres, children's centres and local authority offices. We make sure that everything we do is in the best interests of the child. For Esperance, the knowledge that she was alone was distressing. At the child centre in Ruhengeri, workers are trying to find her grandmother."I saw her before papa was sick."Esperance said."She had my baby brother and cousins with her. I would like to see her so I could live with her." |
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