Helping Genocide Survivors During Lockdown

We're making a little post on behalf of AVEGA-Agahozo, an organisation representing genocide widows in Rwanda. One of our project members works there and wanted to share this message:

Hello friends. Times are particularly difficult at the moment as we enter the memorial period for the 26th anniversary of the genocide. Due to COVID-19, memorial sites have been closed and communal events are on hold. This also means that our group counselling support sessions are unable to meet. AVEGA has many vulnerable members and we are trying to assist them in two key ways:

1) Delivering food and basic supplies to those who are particularly vulnerable, which include elderly and disabled widows with no surviving family and those who already have compromised immunity, such as those living with HIV/AIDS. It's particularly important that these groups do not leave their homes and risk infection.

2) Providing airtime packages to community counsellors in each district of the country so that they can regularly call up counselling clients to make sure they're okay during this time. We're also hoping to expand our national helpline, but it's important that those in counselling for trauma and depression are not alone at this time of year.

I know that there have already been a lot of appeals for help around the world, so I'm not going to push it. Everyone in the AVEGA office has already given what they can. If you would like to make a donation you can do so directly to our MTN mobile money (momo) account: Agahozo Avega 0788 520 122. You can also donate to that number using PayPal or a credit card through HeptaPay or WorldRemit or you can donate to Survivors Fund (SURF) in the UK who will pass on the funds.

All money will go either to airtime for counsellors or to food packages for vulnerable survivors.

Murakoze cyane/Thank you very much.

Kwibuka 26

Today marks the 26th anniversary since the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

The photograph above is taken from this article commemorating musicians who were killed. 

You can find out more about how COVID-19 is affecting memorial week in the Survivors Fund newsletter, here.

Innaction

 

Well hello.

A little update on lockdown in Kigali.

We're at the end of week two of lockdown and it's been extended until 19th April, though whether it's lifted all depends on how many cases there are. The number has been rising extremely slowly over the past couple of weeks. We're now at 89. The airport is closed and most of the foreigners who wanted to leave have left.

Marion and Dés are sitting it out with their cats and family, respectively. The government has been really quick to respond. Rwanda has been on high alert for Ebola for the past few years. Although there's never been a case here, the isolation wards and sanitation supplies were already in place. Food is being distributed to those most affected and communities are organising emergency supply boxes. So, things remain optimistic. 

Marion has been in quarantine with the action from Bugesera Lodge, so tinkering with that. Dés helped to replace a hammer butt and it's almost ready to reinstall, we just can't get it there, which is a shame as lockdown is the perfect time to learn to play.

 

Above is the Bugesera action on the left and our Lirika action lying down - see the blue flip-flop hammers? Desperate to give that a try. Our volunteer, Charlie, got it 90% of the way there and Paulin has put on the last few hammers.

This allows us to sit it on top of the new keyboard so that we can eventually test the new piano. The keyboard needs a few things doing, still. The key punchings need to go in and the capstans. Everything's a little thrown together at the moment, but you get the theory.

Old action on a new keyboard.

At the moment, we're not sure when we'll be able to start work again. We're hoping all of our followers are safe and well, and not talking to the furniture yet. We'll update as soon as we can.