“I think Rwanda is going to be paradise.” — Richard, the kind driver who took our group to see the country’s mountain gorillas and told us about his family’s losses during genocide.
As part of my mission — feeding my family, feeding Africa, feeding my soul — I will dedicate one weekly post to each of the 53 countries in Africa. I start with Rwanda, where my passion for Africa began.
Eleven things you should know about Rwanda:
1. About half of the remaining 700 mountain gorillas left in the world live here; the other half are just across the borders of the DRC and Uganda. These are Dian Fossey’s gorillas in the mist. And they are the second most amazing beings I’ve ever had the honor of being with; the first are the people of Rwanda.
Guhonda, the largest known among the endangered mountain gorilla (Photo by Jack Soper)
2. Today, 9.3 million people live in Rwanda. The country is about the size of Maryland, which has about 5.6 million people.
3. Almost one million were killed in three months during the 1994 genocide; more than 553,000 women were raped, 63 percent of whom contracted the AIDS virus.
4. Rwanda grows (and serves) the best tea and coffee I’ve ever had.
5. Many families are headed by children, as there are one million orphans, most from AIDS or the genocide.
6. Plastic bags are illegal throughout the country.
7. A staple of the Rwandan diet is cassava, a root vegetable. Being “food secure” means you have two meals a day until the next harvest.
8. The per capita household income in 2007 was $370.
9. Most people in rural Rwanda, which is most of Rwanda, do not have running water or air conditioning.
10. There are fewer than 60,000 vehicles in the entire country.
11. Rwanda could be paradise. But the people there need our help. The United States, with the rest of the world, ignored Rwanda in its greatest time of need. Now the country is making great progress 15 years after genocide. Still, women and children struggle the most here, true of most of Africa.
How you can help put this country of beautiful people back together:
• Support a woman through Women to Women International for $27 a month.
• Buy a pig ($30) or a goat ($40) for an orphan raising his or her siblings through ZOE Ministry.
• Spend $160 for a sewing machine to give a Rwandan the skills to survive through Rwanda AID.
• Provide a $500 scholarship for a school-aged child or a $1,000 scholarship for a college student in Rwanda through the Left to Tell Charitable Fund.
Dawn – I love what you are doing. Your personal passion is so inspiring. We all have a responsibility to the world to help others. Thank you for sharing this information.
Thank you for sharing! We just watched Hotel Rwanda again the other night and I still cant believe that the US stood around and let that happen. The people of Rwanda are truly amazing…. I read “Left to Tell” an inspiring story of a woman and how she survived the genocide. I highly recommend it. Looking forward to learning more about the other 52 countries of Africa. thanks!!
Dawn – Reading your descriptions of Rwanda takes me back there. Thinking of riding the bus and all the pot holes in the road just came to mind. What a beautiful place Rwanda is. I love that you included the ways to help. I’m wondering if you are planning to include recipes for your African feasts. I would be interested in trying them out.