tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-121450122024-03-07T19:22:21.469+00:00msichana<b>HIV/AIDS,</b> Gender Inequality, <b>Poverty,</b> 'Development'</p>
<p>Msichana is the swahili word for girl.
I started this blog to share my experiences vounteering in Tanzania in 2005, but continue to post thoughts about development, aid, AIDS, Africa, etc. I tend to write best while travelling so look for most frequent posts when I'm on the road...<br>Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-25759549036246122002008-07-08T13:42:00.005+01:002008-07-26T16:18:36.426+01:00More Famous than Ben AffleckOn Thursday a delegation of VIPs from the Congo and UNHCR came to talk to the refugees. I asked if I could bring the bub and the Cripple along in the afternoon as we would just be sitting and listening to people talk (and I’ve learned that in Rwanda people really like to talk, so it would probably be quite a long event). The camp director said sure I could bring her, but we would be mobbed so it Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-91693646760356171782008-07-07T10:14:00.004+01:002008-07-26T15:59:45.166+01:00A weekend breakThe Fourth of July is Liberation day, a public holiday here, so we were blessed with a long weekend. We spent Friday in Kigali at a really lovely guesthouse and heard that the holiday was a very big deal for the manager of the guesthouse. He had hidden under a bed for five weeks during the genocide and was freed when the capital had been liberated fourteen years ago. It’s the kind of story you Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-32521949402527364552008-07-05T09:37:00.001+01:002008-07-26T15:41:50.784+01:00Mazungu na BebeFriends will know that as much as I’ve enjoyed coming back to Rwanda again and again, I’ve found the people much more reserved than in other parts of Africa and being here long term can be a bit lonely.Travelling with a baby has completely changed that.From the moment we stepped off the plane – when someone from immigration saw me crushed under the weight of bub and luggage, asked me to sit down,Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-67695144486626991602008-07-03T15:08:00.009+01:002008-07-26T15:37:00.932+01:00What AM I doing here?I'm in Rwanda doing my PhD research on the refugee camps here. I haven't been to camps in other countries, but I think the ones here are particularly hopeless. The Congolese refugees have been in the camps for more than 12 years and there seems to be no solution - there is still conflict in the region they fled from in the DRC and Rwanda doesn't want to integrate them into the country here. So Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-22535509924001455172008-07-02T11:57:00.004+01:002008-07-02T12:04:33.367+01:00Back in ByumbaIt’s been an awfully long time since I’ve blogged. I have always thought quite carefully about what I’ve posted on here and tried to keep the focus on the wonderful people I’ve met during my travels and perhaps have less of a personal focus. Last August my daughter was born and now, at almost one, she’s with me in Rwanda. Life has changed enormously and it seems only right to include more of Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-74436765780308333882007-03-28T15:19:00.000+01:002007-03-28T16:56:30.766+01:00Kibuye and Kiziba campI didn't realise the buses ran so infrequently to Kibuye (every two hours) and only just caught the last one on Saturday arriving after dark. Kibuye is quite small and there were no taxis about, only moto-taxis, and as I was travelling with my suitcase the only possibility of getting to the guesthouse was on foot. After a few minutes walking I was joined by a young man who offered to carry my Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-86519559922284574362007-03-24T10:03:00.000+00:002007-03-25T10:25:59.165+01:00Gihembe refugee campMany people don't realise that Rwanda is the home of many thousands of refugees stemming from different conflicts in the region. This week I visited one of the largest refugee camps in the country, Gihembe, which is about an hour north of Kigali quite close to Byumba, a Rwandan town with a fairly large population in the middle of a tea growing region that provides jobs for about 60,000 people. Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-41423245673940458912007-03-19T08:30:00.000+00:002007-03-25T10:27:45.159+01:00my weekend in Goma and GisenyiAfter quite a busy (and thankfully successful) week doing my research in Kigali I decided to take advantage of the weekend and explore the country a bit. I caught the last bus on Friday to Gisenyi, known as a gorgeous retreat town at the top of Lake Kivu, and arrived about four hours later well after dark. Being a bit of a spontaneous decision I had no idea where I was staying and jumped on the Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-4152874831842281382007-03-13T12:58:00.000+00:002007-03-14T20:25:13.535+00:00a short diversion to Butare (Huye)Over the weekend I went to Butare (now renamed Huye) in the South, a town known as the intellectual centre of Rwanda where the main university is located. The journey took a good two and a half hours squished in the minibus, but the views along the way were well worth the discomfort.At one point during the journey the driver screamed to a stop, the fare collector jumped out and chased after two Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-53745911441799625902007-03-08T19:50:00.000+00:002007-03-09T12:25:13.666+00:00NyamataToday was a public holiday in Rwanda. As all the offices were closed I thought it best to take the day off and venture out of the capital to Nyamata about 30 kms away.On my way to the main bus station a little boy came up to me and asked me for something to eat, so I popped into the nearest shop and bought him some peanuts and chocolate milk. Within seconds about a dozen more streetkids appeared Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-89556022609910910982007-03-03T20:14:00.000+00:002007-03-09T12:50:25.737+00:00a Sunday by the Pool in KigaliSince arriving back in Rwanda two days ago, I've wandered round Kigali to work out where things are, tried to get back to feeling normal and well rested after not sleeping at all on the long journey here (just about there!) and spent a fair bit of time doing as much research as I can on the NGOs I'm going to try and talk to this week. This afternoon I thought it was a bit too nice to spend the Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-44010156891295571032007-01-21T14:43:00.000+00:002007-01-27T15:21:43.923+00:00EssaouiraOn Tuesday we had a wonderful day being pampered at the spa and set off for Essaouira Wednesday morning(ish!). After many dodgy African bus rides between us we were expecting to show up and see a piece of crap that would make the journey a bit of a religious experience, but no, the bus looked like a National Express (nicer than Greyhound for the US folks)! We climbed in and two and a half (prettyNatashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-24810971770846628102007-01-17T12:19:00.000+00:002007-01-22T17:55:36.154+00:00Marrakech Last Sunday my friend Gillian and I took off for Marrakech. We didn't really know what we were heading into - just looked forward to warmer, sunnier weather than miserable old England.The first sight that greeted us was the fantastic mosque (left) next to the amazing Djemaâ el Fna (below) square. The picture doesn't really do the square justice - there seemed to be a million people and a millionNatashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-1133399045609847102006-12-01T00:56:00.000+00:002006-12-01T09:55:53.552+00:00Today is World AIDS DayI'm sure at some point today you'll hear the stats (there are over 40 million people living with AIDS, most of them women, most of them in developing countries, most of them poor) and you'll think that's awful and move on with your life and not think about it too much. The numbers seem so huge you can't put a face on it and you probably think it can't happen to me.I just spent about 6 months Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-64458357412134701902006-09-26T23:49:00.000+01:002006-09-27T00:02:39.185+01:00Torture, part 2I've just received an email from Amnesty International on the new torture legislation being negotiated between the US Senate and White House. The legislation allows sexual abuse such as forcing prisoners to strip and dance naked as part of interrogations and redefines rape and sexual abuse:the new bill could make prosecution for rape and sexual assault more difficult by requiring proof of Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-58821929770963210822006-09-24T11:40:00.000+01:002006-09-24T11:42:08.528+01:00TortureThis morning I found an op-ed against torture by my favourite author, Edwidge Danticat, in the Post. As she writes in the column, it's really difficult to comprehend that the 'world's superpower' is openly discussing which methods of torture are ok. As if any method is. Although I realise this post is a bit off topic, I think it's worth quoting in entirety:Does It Work?By Edwidge DanticatSunday, Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-22269753148472950802006-09-21T20:22:00.000+01:002006-09-21T20:33:35.601+01:00Mandatory testingI'm in the middle of a mad bout of work and apologise for not posting frequently... can't imagine it changing for the next month or so but I will try to write if I need a bit of distraction.I was just scanning the Washington Post online and noticed the CDC Recommends HIV Tests for All Americans 13-64. My initial reaction was that's great, maybe regular testing will both normalise the disease and Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-58717301343600422842006-08-24T14:29:00.000+01:002006-08-24T15:06:44.716+01:00MsichanaThe reason I had my heart set on going back to Mwanza this year was to see Sabina, an incredibly bright and vivacious little girl I taught last year at Hisani. She was one of the community children that came every day for lessons, though I'm sure she taught me far more than I managed to impart to her. During one of the weeks I was teaching, I switched from doing mornings to afternoons so I could Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-1155917362036120352006-08-18T16:00:00.000+01:002006-08-18T17:18:16.340+01:00ReflectionsAlthough my post isn't about the film, I thought the following quote from today's Post was quite apt:[Heading South] doesn't make the mistake that so many Westerners-in-World-3 make, where they concentrate so fully on the horror of the posh observers, they pass on the horror of the exploited. What happens is horrible, and perhaps its biggest horror is how helpful it is to Westerners. It's a Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-1154261861483924002006-07-30T13:03:00.000+01:002006-07-30T13:22:17.076+01:00The last few daysI'm back safe and sound in England.So now that's three trips to Africa, no cases of malaria, no other strange tropical diseases or infections (except for the itchy bumps that look like mozzie bites), no muggings, no physical injuries that weren't self inflicted (accidently), no upset stomach, no other 'bad' things... the 'dark continent' is not nearly as dark as people fear.There are a million Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-1153234552375411662006-07-18T15:19:00.000+01:002006-07-18T15:57:03.270+01:00Paradise foundI've only got a few days left in Tanzania before I fly home and couldn't think of anything better than escaping the cold and dreariness of Arusha and spending my last weekend in Zanzibar.I spent a few hours on the beach enjoying the sun and tranquility. The boys collected seaweed, the men built dhows and, amazingly, I was the only tourist in sight!I stayed in a gorgeous hotel in Shangani, the Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-1153071089851022992006-07-14T17:13:00.000+01:002006-07-16T18:31:29.950+01:00ICTR ArushaThough I've had a lot of fun fitting in as much as possible along the way, the real reason I came back to East Africa is to do some research. I'm looking into the effects of HIV on justice for the Rwandan genocide. While in Rwanda I spoke to people in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) office in Kigali and my last two weeks in Africa I'm working at ICTR Arusha.The Arusha Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-1152704811868744572006-07-10T12:08:00.000+01:002006-07-12T13:20:31.606+01:00Safari picsAbby and I just got back from a three day safari on the Masai Mara. I think the pics below probably speak more eloquently than I could...Today we went to a giraffe sanctuary just outside Nairobi and I was able to feed (and pet) my favourite animals!Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-1152718308276197622006-07-06T16:11:00.000+01:002006-07-12T16:31:48.420+01:001994I'm writing this a few days late because I needed time to think... I still need time to think. As much as I have read, heard, seen and felt about the Rwandan genocide, it is something I don't think I will ever be able to come to terms with. I can't imagine how those that lived through it can.The week I spent in Rwanda I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. The scale of the killings wasNatashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12145012.post-1152024556597624632006-07-04T15:46:00.000+01:002006-07-04T16:32:31.166+01:00Kinigi, RwandaWe were in Kinigi from Friday to Monday at the base of the volcanos, it's at a really high altitude and I felt breathless and tired most of the time I was there. Kinigi is a tiny village and tourist destination for all who trek the gorillas, monkeys and other wildlife on the volcanos. Most stay in Ruhengeri, a much larger town about 16 kilometres down a really bumpy road, and travel to Kinigi Natashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05133441088819389528noreply@blogger.com1