Barefoot Artists

In 1994, during a period of only 100 days from April 6 through mid-July, approximately one million Tutsi and moderate Hutu sympathizers were killed in Rwanda. Carried out mostly by two extremist Hutu militia groups, the Interahamwe and the Impuzamugambi, this genocide is the largest organized killing of human beings in the shortest period of time in modern history. Its brutality and destruction left its marks all over this small and verdant country. Even 13 years later, everyone who survived carries the terror and trauma of genocide in his/her daily life.

In 2004 at an international conference in Barcelona, Lily Yeh, Founding director of Barefoot Artists, Inc. , met Jean Bosco Musana Rukirande, Regional Coordinator of Red Cross in Gisenyi. Rukirande talked about the situation in Rwanda, 10 years after the 1994 Genocide; Yeh was deeply moved. She decided to visit Rukirande after her project in Korogocho, Kenya at the end of July. Rukirande showed her two sites, a crusty structure containing a mass grave of genocide victims in Rugerero Sector of Rubavu District and a nearby survivors village. He told Yeh that both sites needed help urgently.

This need shaped the Rwanda Healing Project, which contains two simultaneous and complimentary programs: 1) the construction of the Genocide Memorial Park and, 2) the transformation of the Survivors Village. The Genocide Memorial program looks at the past, violence, destruction and death; the Survivors Village program deals with now and the future, development, new possibilities and hope. We can move forward to our future only when we can fully understand and embrace our past.

Thus, this multi-year, multi-dimensional art project expands the boundaries of Art as a vehicle for healing and transformation of individuals, families and community. The process engaged 100 mostly female-headed families with several hundred children from the Survivors Village in the Rugerero sector, dozens of workers and volunteers from the nearby city of Gisenyi, professionals from Kigali, as well as dozens of volunteers from the United States.

Project Goals:
Healing through remembering
Healing through storytelling, art making and sports
Healing through creating hope for the future

Volunteers – This year, 20 volunteers in two groups came to the survivors village. The first group is a 13-membered team composed of professionals in the field of art, education, business, writing, medicine, and museum administration. The team consisted of the following members: Lily Yeh, Alan Jacobson, Michele Hemenway, Chris Landy, Meghan Morris, Chris Noble, Jim Plumb, Susan Plumb, Eric Reynolds, Rob Shetterly, Daniel Traub, Terry Tempest Williams, and Brooke Williams. Six of the twelve were first time volunteers; seven were returning volunteers.

The second group was composed of 7 students from Thomas Jefferson Hospital & University, including Jen Heckman, Corinne O'brien, Karen Connolly, Komal Soin, Dana Johns, Jed Calata, and Sam Grodofsky. They conducted a four weeks residency (June 15 - July 12) in the village on sanitation, nutrition and AIDS assessment.

Rwandan partners:
Jean Bosco Musana, Barefoot Artists project host, Regional director of the International Red Cross, and Mabete Niyonsaba Dieudonne (Dieudonne) – Executive Secretary of Rugerero Sector. Other participants: Louis Gakumbaoz, Damas Ndebwohe, Lea Mukangwije, Clementine Mugurwinka, Fabrice Mutabazi, Dortea, Michel Habumugisha, Brice Rukirande, Francois, Mukamunana Joy, Madar Hareri, Marie Aimee Mujauiyera, and Lisa Alain Giovanni Dusabe of Rwanda PSI (Clean water in Rwanda).

Hundreds of children and adults from the village and nearby area took part in various programs and activities. Over one thousand people participated in the Genocide Memorial dedication ceremony, including Mabete Niyonsaba Dieudonne the Executive Secretary of Rugerero Sector, Barengayabo Ramadhan, Mayor of Rubavu Directrict, and Joseph Habineza, Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Rwanda.

1. Healing through Remembering, the Completion and Dedication of the Rugerero Genocide Memorial Monument/Park

Upon arrival in March, Lily Yeh, Fonder and lead artist of Barefoot Artists, Inc. conducted mosaic workshops for ten adults, including master mason Francois and his apprentices. Together, they completed the mosaic work of the whole memorial monument including the steps in the front and back of the memorial structure and as well the powerful words and floral designs on the monument itself.

“Genocide is a big problem. But the survivors must continue to live. When they see beauty, they see hope. When the authority chose our site to be the formal site, for me, I realized that we have done something important for the community and our country.” – Jean Bosco Musana

During our co-creative process in designing the monument, the villagers gave us these words for the Genocide Monument. The officials also gave their approval. They have designated this place as the official genocide memorial site for the whole Rubavu District. April 5th, two days before the national day of mourning, was chosen for the dedication ceremony. Residents in the survivors village and the nearby areas were mobilized to clean and landscape the memorial park and its surrounding area for the dedication ceremony. On the day of the dedication, over one thousand children and adults attended the ceremony, including Mabete Niyonsaba Dieudonne, Executive Secrectary of Rugerero Sector, Barengayabo Ramadhan, Mayor of Rubavu District, and Joseph Habineza , Minister of Youth, Culture and sports from Kigali. Through the ceremony, the genocide memorial park was officially given to the government and villagers for safe-keeping.

Dozens of families and hundreds of children shared their stories, dreams and aspirations through multiple workshops (painting, photography, pen pal project, dance performances, and sports) and video interviews. The creative output by both the local participants and international volunteers are being presented in the fall through exhibitions at the Center for Visual Art, Metropolitan State College of Denver and at the YMCA in Louisville, KY. Exhibitions are also being planned in Denver, Salt Lake City and Philadelphia in the spring of 2008. Chris Landy and Barefoot Artists are collaborating to produce a 28 minute documentary film about the project and the Rwandan people that will be featured on line and hopefully on PBS stations in different states.

Barefoot Artists has set up an on-going Saturday learning program including visual and performing arts, English, and sports (soccer). Clementine Mugurwinka, a core member of the Rwandan team was a formidable athlete who competed in track and field in the 1984 Olympic Game in Los Angeles. She organizes sports activities and taught traditional dancing to the village children. Art teacher Fabrice taught children painting and design. He encouraged children to draw inspiration from their home environment and the landscape around them. Fresh and delightful, many of the images emerged from workshops were turned into beautiful public art on the walls of many homes in the village. The originality and authenticity of these images gave the village a unique look that reflects the local sensitivity, confidence and the daringness to innovate and be different.

Mukamanana Joy, a newly hired English teacher, teaches English lessons weekly to the village children. Her effort will become the foundation of a pen pal project, through which we hope to engage dozens and even hundreds of village children and teens.

Performing arts – Dancing and singing are essential elements in the life of this village. They dance and sing to celebrate their tradition and to show off their physical beauty and talent. They welcomed us with songs and dances, through which they express their joy and gratitude.

During the welcoming ceremony, there was this woman wearing a long, bright yellow scarf over her shoulder. She bore a deep scar on her neck, the result of a brutal machete cut during the 1994 genocide. Miraculously she survived. Raising her hands high towards the sky, she smiled and sang. She danced her rhythm of triumph and life.

In April, Barefoot Artists brought over 500 pen pal letters from American youth in the states of Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Georgia. Each letter contained the name, photograph of the writer, age, name of school, images, and words. Teachers used this as a precious opportunity to educate their students about the dire situation in Rwanda and other places in the world. Children and adults in the village who have seen the letters were deeply moved and encouraged by the personal messages contained in the letters and the abundance of love coming from America.

During our visit, Barefoot Artists members conducted workshops in which children created numerous drawings and big banners reflecting their village environment, life, and dreams. They have also created many beautifully decorated pen pal letters containing their own photos and personal messages to the young people in America. Participants of the project in Louisville are so inspired by the responses that they rename the project Freedom Writers’ Diary. Barefoot Artists is helping them to set up a structure through which an on-going and well-matched pen pals program will be established for the long haul.

3. Healing through Creating Hope for the Future through water, health and economic development projects

a. Installation of rainwater harvesting system for 100 families with gutters and water storage tanks

The water situation at the survivors village is very difficult all year round because the whole village of 100 families get water from two faucets. One is located in the middle of the village, the other, next to the office of the Executive Secretary approximately 300 meters from the village center. There is usually a long line of yellow jerricans waiting to be filled at the faucets. Sometimes the faucets yield no water. The situation gets desperate if that happens in dry season.

“The greatest problem with this centrally located water pump system is that the Regie Company must constantly perform maintenance on the outdated pipe system. When maintenance is performed, the company must shut off all the water supply to the villages. Not only do villagers suffer from having less water, but they must walk 1 hour or 7 km to the Sebya River (a tributary to Lake Kivu) to get contaminated water for washing, cooking and sometimes drinking. This creates a major problem for the transmission of bacterial, parasitic and fungal diseases.” –JeffHealth report of 2007

Rwanda, a lush and beautiful mountainous country, is blessed with moderate temperature and two rain seasons a year. During her previous visits, Lily Yeh, the founding director of Barefoot Artists, noticed that all the homes in the survivors village have corrugated roofs. But no home has any device to collect rainwater. With Yeh’s urging and encouragement, Jean Bosco Musana, Barefoot Artists Rwanda director and Michel Habumugisha of Red Cross worked with villagers to produce a rain harvest water storage system design. To test the effectiveness of the design, Barefoot Artists sponsored the construction of two. The design proved to be successful.

To ensure high quality of workmanship, control the cost of construction, and require direct participation of villagers in the installation of the rain water harvest systems, we decided to work with the Kigali based Roto company with expertise in producing high quality water tanks and rainwater harvesting engineering. Roto sent one engineer to the survivors village who worked with local masons and trained six villagers in construction and engineering to complete the installation of water tanks for 100 families. Working with government officials, the villagers are planning a ceremony to celebrate the completion of this life sustaining water project in August.

“People are very happy. They say that now with water their toilet must be clean.” – Jean Bosco Musana

Over the past 25 years Population Services International (PSI has worked in partnership with local governments and local affiliates to improve the health of low-income and vulnerable populations around the world. In April, Barefoot Artists sponsored Alain Giovanni Dusabe, manager of PSI Kigali-based office, to provide the village’s 100 families with clean water for one year. Giovanni conducted a workshop in the survivors village on safe water, including how to properly use the PSI product and water management. Jean Bosco Musana will monitor PSI’s monthly deliverance of its product to the village. The team of ten health workers will oversee the proper use of the solution by each household. This should improve the overall health situation in the village.

Barefoot Artists team member Alan Jacobson is working with the local government officials to launch this enterprise. Materials and two oil production machines were brought in from Nairobi. Government has assigned land to grow sunflowers to produce seeds for oil production. For this year, Jacobson has purchased enough sunflower seeds to get the production started. Twenty some people are being trained in this business venture.

To create job opportunities for women in the survivors village, the Widows’ Association requested assistance to set up a sewing and training program taught by a professional tailor. Barefoot Artists sponsors a one year program in which 12 women will be fully trained to get jobs in nearby Gisenyi, to take on sewing commissions or to form their own businesses. Under Musana’s guidance, Clementine and Lea, the project leaders, have secured a building, purchased six sewing machines, fabrics, cabinets, and hired a sewing teacher. Training started at the beginning of July, 2007.

Sensing the vulnerability of young women in their teens, two Barefoot Artists team members, Terry Tempest Williams and Meghan Morris, launched a support program for them providing adult guidance, skill training, health information, and a structure for mutual support of group members.

In October 2005, the Office of Advance Population Health and a team of Jefferson medical students began working with Barefoot Artists to design a community-oriented primary care health needs assessment of the Survivors Village in Rugerero. The team of one physician, one resident, three medical students and one public health nursing student worked with community leaders to assess the health status and needs of the Survivors Village. The goals of this assessment were three-fold: 1) to document the needs of the community members through key informant interviews and focus groups, 2) to evaluate and document the health resources currently available through site visits and semi-structured interviewing of established organizations and 3) to better understand health needs in context of the unique social and political history of Rwanda.

From mid-June to mid-July 2007, seven Jefferson medical students went to Rugerero survivors village to continue their research work on humanistic medicine. They helped to set up a 10-member health team in the village to monitor hygiene practices in the village. The team members created some lovely paintings, translating the health lessons into pictures, which can instruct lessons on health and hygiene to other villagers.