Christmas in a refugee camp: Giving hope in face of despair

Christmas is associated with the birth of Jesus Christ, who was a refugee, according to the Holy Bible. Jesus’ parents had to travel a great distance from one place to another in obedience to a political mandate they did not fully understand. Exhausted from a long day’s journey, they sought lodging but were turned away, so they took shelter in a stable. In an animal shed, the labour pains began and Jesus was born in a manger. The tale of Jesus’ birth and his early life can be equated to that of Burundian refugees in Rwanda, more than 50,000 of who are at Mahama camp in Kirehe District. Burundians started fleeing their country in April after a political stalemate over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s insistence to remain in power beyond his ‘constitutional mandate’ signalled instability. Mahama Refugee Camp was improvised when refugees started thronging Rwanda in search of safety. Life in Mahama camp is shedding off the despair in the faces of the refugees who left behind their comfortable homes. Officials at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, together with partners, visited the camp on Wednesday to celebrate an early Christmas with the refugees. It was an emotional celebration, complete with dances, music performances and sharing food and drinks. The camp has been in existence since April this year although people are yet to come to the realisation that things might never be the same again. Burundian Refugee drummers at Mahama Camp entertain other refugees during the Christmas celebrations early this week. “I don’t know if I’ll ever go back home because, often times, we receive news about what is happening back home and I lose hope. For my entire 18 years, I have never been outside my country and the first I do, I’m a refugee,” says Gerome Bikorimana. “It’s really sad and I don’t think life will ever be the same again. I lost my father and sister back home, this Christmas period won’t be the same for me.” For Bikorimana, the celebrations were an event that took away his sad memories for a few hours but when they end, he’ll go back to his sad memories and thinking about his future. Ornella Irakoze was almost completing secondary education when the conflict started with hopes of joining University to study medicine but that dream is no more. “My parents are broke because we left all our property and money behind. My father was a businessman while my mother was a teacher but with lack of stable jobs, it’ll be difficult for them to look after me and my two siblings,” says Irakoze. “There are no schools in the camp for us to go to and besides the education system is different from the one we had in Burundi. So, it’ll take some time before I can start school again.” People have started going out to neighbouring communities and towns to look for jobs. Most refugees engage in menial jobs at construction sites, causal work, such as washing clothes, selling foodstuff and putting up shops. There are more than two shops in the camp. Happy for Christmas gesture However, some people were happy that government, together with other partners, remembered to celebrate Christmas with them despite their situation. The refugees were treated to juice and biscuits, while entertainment was provided by musician Danny Vumbi. Refugees also organised themselves and performed at the event. One of the Burundian youngsters showcases his acrobatic skills during the festive season celebrations at Mahama refugee camp. (Photos by Doreen Umutesi) Girls performed traditional dance while the boys played the drums in the signature Burundi rhythm. Staff from United Nations High Commission for Refugees also performed Christmas songs. Although the rain almost spoilt the fun, children were determined to enjoy the day as much as possible but that didn’t mean that the painful past is going away anytime soon. “It was heart-wrenching leaving behind our homes and communities we so much loved but the most pressing concern was the family’s safety and future,” said Maimuna Niyonkuru, sitting in front of a small, but tidy tent. Niyonkuru lost her husband two years ago and has to fend for herself and her two children. “It’s difficult to start all over again when it’s against your will. I didn’t leave my country because I wanted to but because I want to live to see my children grow, study well and become responsible adults. However, that’s a challenge now since we had to flee without anything, not even enough money to last us a couple of months,” Niyonkuru said. Although life is hard now, the family planned to have some drinks during this festive season and also ask for permission to go to town. Niyonkuru says that she wants the children to enjoy and temporarily forget about their situation and be happy like other children. “The camp authorities are now constructing permanent houses for us and I hope, very soon, my children and I will move into one. I have also enrolled them in a transitional school so that they are prepared to resume their studies,” she added. Things might never be the same again for the refugees in Mahama camp and as they give and receive gifts from friends and relatives this festive season, their biggest gift is the newfound freedom; a place from where they can pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives again. The camp has 1,500 students in transitional schools, dubbed Mama A and Mama B, which are preparing them for the Rwanda education curriculum as they hope to resume studies. “My biggest wish for the new year is that we’ll be able to go back home some day and reunite with our friends and family members,” said Niyonkuru. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Christmas in a refugee camp: Giving hope in face of despair