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Whose Children Are They?(AllAfrica.com English Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Kigali, May 18, 2006 (The New Times/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --I am not an ardent fan of local FM radio stations, but for lack of any alternatives, I sometimes tune in and listen as young men and women (who, in other peoples' diction are called DJs and presenters) scream their lungs out in the name of "presenting". But on this particular day, Monday to be precise, as I prepared to go to work, I heard some voice (on the radio) appeal to me to "help the First Lady Jeannette Kagame support children." The voice actually went ahead to ask me to "treat every child like my own". Eh? That quite caught my attention. Here was the most important woman in the whole country 'asking me to help' her look after Rwandese children. I was moved and of course this put my mind on a racing course. I have been seeing children on streets; I have seen documentaries and I have read reports. You may think that what I am saying, you have heard or read and trust me, that's what I thought too, not until I read the recent report by the Parliamentary Select Committee set up to investigate the controversy surrounding the Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG). The report, due to be discussed in parliament was compiled to ascertain the conditions under which genocide survivors are living to-date. The 547-page report is a thought provoking one. Though I have been reading reports for as long as I have been in this profession (it is not a very short time-though), I wouldn't be wrong to say that the report is a product of hard work and responsible analysis in most areas. When I dug deeper into the report, one thing struck me; the horrifying and appalling circumstances that children left behind by the genocide live in. The children, who lost their parents and families during the genocide, are facing difficulties in acquiring education, medical and shelter facilities and yet, FARG is there, existing to take care of these needs. All, with five percent of the national annual budget and a nation of 8 million plus people. And it seems as though the authorities have not had a clear picture of what has been going on with regard to the most vulnerable of the genocide survivors-the children. Here is why! Enter Christine Nyatanyi: Nyatanyi is the State Minister for Communal Development and Social Welfare in the Ministry of Local government, but though FARG, an association that falls under her Ministry and which (to most) is supposed to help survivors, yet Nyatanyi is the least informed about the fund (FARG), this has done a lot in contributing to the suffering of these (survivors) people. What most people who have read the report about FARG have actually failed to determine is whether Nyatanyi is indeed not informed about FARG or if (like some people), she has chosen to ignore the weak and vulnerable. Whatever the case, being ignorant about something that you are paid to be in charge of and act or, even worse, ignore such a matter, is tantamount to a crime. When I read the report, one thing that really pleased me is the will by the government to reintegrate most of these children into normal social life by especially encouraging them to pursue education, as a tool that can be relied upon for better lives. But as was the objective of the report (to ascertain the problems that survivors go through), the committee members visited Nyatanyi to find out exactly what was going on with regard to education. Unfortunately, and to the disappointment of many, Minister Nyatanyi, who is a mother herself, according to the report, told them 'lies'. On education, Nyatanyi said that "there is no problem with school fees for students under FARG.The problem only arises when there is a delay in receiving receipts". On the contrary, the commission found out that there is a big problem in the education sector where they found out that most schools were responsible for the poor livelihood of beneficiaries. The report pointed out G.S ESPANYA, G.S des Parents Huye and others as the major culprits. On the issue of orphans who complete A-level education and fail to get government scholarships to pursue university education, Nyatanyi is quoted by the report as having said that "the students are given projects that help them attain a normal livelihood". The Commission, however, established that this was false because these children are living in appalling situations all over the country. The only people who have benefited from this scheme were children living in the Kimironko communal settlement. And that even then they received an inadequate number of Tuvugane village phones. This is just one simple example of how far some of our leaders have gone to 'help' genocide survivors. And even when I was writing this, I could not help but think of how the First Lady was appealing for help to support the most vulnerable children. What I didn't want to think about is Mrs Kagame appealing to Nyatanyi, it would definitely be a waste of time. |