Rwandan children struggle to survive

The situation for children in Rwanda after the genocide has been difficult. Many of them live alone in homes without parents, and often the older children in these child-headed households struggle to take care of younger children. Other children are surviving alone on the streets or living in orphanages. Still others have been detained in re-education centers.

Photo by Donald Miller (Used with permission.) See more photos of Rwanda
in his Photo Gallery.

Photographer, Vanessa Vick, illustrates their struggles in three  photo essays published in a The New York Times feature:  Children of Rwanda's Genocide: 

• Photo Essay 1: Go to families without parents and click on "next" under the photo to see images of life in child-headed families in Rwanda. Click on next below each image to see all the images.
• Photo Essay 2: Go to surviving on the streets and click on "next" under the photo to get a glimpse of the children living or working on the streets. Click on next below each image to see them all.
  
  
• Photo Essay 3: Finally, go to orphans and detainees and click on "Orphans and Detainees Photo Essay" under the photo to to visualize the life of children living in institutions. Click on "next" below each image to see them.

Your reflections:
Can you imagine how difficult life is for these children? What are your thoughts on their daily struggle to survive?

Comments

[Yong Jin Lee]

In the pictures, many children look thin and do tough work although they are too young to do that work. I realize that they lack food. Many children struggle to survive because of the 1994 genocide. Many men died, so women and children need to work to survive. Children are suffering even if they haven't done anything. If the UN or western governments had intervened, children would not have to struggle to survive like this. The UN and western governments must help Rwandan children to improve their lives.

[Sung Hwi Chung]

The situation of the Rwandan children is almost similar to situation of Korean children who survived after the war. They did not have their social life and gathered garbage. Also, they begged food from the rich. The teen years are the most sensitive time in any human's life, but life of Rwandan children is very awful. If Rwandan children live like this, they might get very mean personalities. Children are the future of this country so the government has to cares more about them. I think the Center for Street Children is very useful organization for street children and orphans. The Rwandan government has to make this kind of group for Rwanda's future.

[Mi Hye Ahn]

When I saw the pictures, I felt pity for the Rwandan children. They gather garbage and charcoal to live. It gave me a shock because I didn’t know about that. It is difficult for them to do it, and it is not suitable for them. In their childhood, they should be studying for their future. But, Rwandan children were robbed of their chance to study, so I think that they will suffer for a long time. Therefore, we have to be concerned about Rwandan children and help them.

[Eunjin Kim]

When I saw the pictures of Rwanda’s children, I felt compassion for them and I was very shocked. Generally speaking, most people concentrated upon how bad genocide is after the genocide, so many people didn’t know about the situation of the Rwandan children before seeing these pictures. Now, however, we can know how terrible their life is. Their life looks too hard. Working to live by themselves is a tough job for little children. A lot of children of the same age in other countries usually study, not work. So many people who know how have to help them to survive and to study.

[Lim Ju Hee]

After I saw the photo essay, I was shocked and couldn’t believe it. The sight is still vivid in my mind. Many Rwandan children are homeless and some children have a home, but they live alone without any family. Through finding charcoal pieces or digging for refuge, they make a bare living. They want to go to school, but they can’t afford to go. Their lives are miserable and they don’t find their lives worth living. I hope many people are concerned about Rwandan children and help them by various means such as money raising and medical care service without fee.

[Sujeong Hong]

When I read articles about Rwanda, each time I realized that what I suffer is so small. During the war, the children not only lost their families but also suffered emotionally. Also, while they are children, they can’t afford to have a romantic vision of childhood and are very much worried about how to live. It is hard for me to even imagine this kind of situation. I hope they conquer these difficulties, and I hope one day I will be able to help them.

[Seo InJi]

When I saw images about Rwandan children I felt really sorrowful, and I also wondered why children had to suffer like that because adults were fighting. The hurt of the genocide in Rwanda has remained and is too much for them today. Now everyone knows that if other countries had intervened in the genocide, many victims would have survived. We shouldn’t make mistakes again. These days Rwandans need to be helped a lot. We have to help them as quickly and effectively as possible.

[Lee, Eun Hyun]

When I saw these photo essays I had a sympathetic feeling and wanted to help those children. I think the experiences of childhood can color their entire life. The Rwanda genocide ruined children's dreams. I have never experienced such a difficult situation, so I don't know for certain their pain but I understand it is painful. I think we have to help them and give them a new life and new dreams.

[Demba]

These children struggle every day to survive. They don't have enough food and eat unhealthy food. Maybe they work very hard to have something to eat or even beg in the streets. As a result of not having secure shelters, they catch diseases very easily. So, people should help those children to succeed in their lives.

[Katrina Veal]

When I saw the pictures of the Rwandan children, I thought that this was very heartbreaking to see something like this. Many of the children have little or nothing to eat, their living off the streets, and also without family. How could the United States not step in during or after the genocide and help those poor children? I could not imagine living on my own as a child without my family. I understand what they are going through and hope soon someone will feel their pain and help them, even if it's just giving a little something. "Every little bit adds up to something!" I wish I could chat online with one of the orphans just to show that I care about them and what they are going through!