Four years ago, Rwanda took the radical decision to shut down all 34 of its orphanages—making it the first African country to do so. The move aimed to place children in family-based care, but the transition was fraught with difficulties. The country’s orphanages had grown in response to the 1994 genocide, which left thousands of children without parents.

Occasion

Since 2005, I had been involved with an orphanage in Rwanda, returning regularly and funding a baby home for the youngest children. In 2014, the Rwandan government announced the closure of all orphanages—but without a solid plan for the children’s welfare. This decision put many at risk, forcing them into unstable living conditions.

Approach

Alongside photographer Anaïs López and filmmaker Anisleidy Fonsecca Martínez, I returned to the orphanage in 2014 and 2015.

• On our first visit, we taught a group of children photography, allowing them to document their own world.
• Six months later, we went back to see where they were living after being removed from the orphanage.
• We managed to raise funds to help some children continue their education.

Quote

“By June 2015, Samuel was living with his grandmother in a mud hut with no windows, in the village of Karongi near the orphanage. His grandmother worked their small piece of land during the day. Her two sons were away studying and not living at home. Her two daughters were dead. Samuel’s mother had died soon after giving birth to him. The second daughter gave birth some eight years afterwards and died a few months later, not long after Samuel’s arrival, leaving behind 10-month-old Carine. Her husband had participated in the 1994 killings and was in prison. Many of their possessions were taken away by neighbours as compensation for his deeds. Samuel was only getting one meal a day and supper only every other day. “Grandma doesn’t like me,” he said, weeping. “She only cares for Carine.”

Publication

Read the full publication here.

Publication Details

???? Appeared on: Al Jazeera English
???? Date: January 2016
???? Project Type: Reportage