Celebration of Life - No Matter

On Saturday we were invited to a ceremony for the Association of Prostitutes who Agree to Change (APAC). This is an association of approximately 50 women who are former prostitutes, most of whom (if not all) are HIV positive. This association is in the process of finding alternative means for economic sustainability. I had mentioned in a previous entry of some English girls we met working with the women. They had been trying to initiate a basket weaving cooperative for the women. The women had received a contract with the department store, Macy’s; however, the local organization that was to export the baskets has refused because they are only to sign contracts with groups who are considered “survivors of genocide”. Apparently only Tutsi women are considered survivors of genocide and this group has a few women who are Hutu. What makes this especially frustrating is that Rwanda has declared themselves to be a nation without ethnic divide, referring to everyone equally as a Rwandan….guess this doesn’t apply to former prostitutes….

The difficulty also lies in that there is no support from the local politicians. The last encounter seeking support resulted in the women being berated by the politician who made claims that the women were still prostituting.

What we also found incredible was the fact that students of the University compose the largest portion of the prostitutes' clientele. It was discouraging to hear the medical students (who have good intentions) tell the prostitutes that they are putting "Rwanda's future at risk" by having unprotected sex with the male students of the University....a comment that provided more insight as to why the AIDS population is so high in Africa...the fact that men are given such little responsibility in the protection and prevention of the disease...the responsiblity lies with the women who are often forced into prostitution or are raped.

So, the English girls have finished their time here, without having helped the women secure any income. They have asked that we help facilitate the process as we are here for a few more months. We were taken to the ceremony on Saturday to meet the local organizers (mostly students from the Faculty of Medicine) and the women. The ceremony was held in a small classroom with about 25 women and their children. The ceremony included dancing, testimonies, speeches, and singing.

It is incredible to reflect on the lives of these women: on how these women, essentially dying as they are not taking retro-viral medication (due to myths about it causing deaths more quickly) and most of them leaving very young children behind, celebrated life. I won’t use words to describe how these women lost themselves in music as I think the pictures say enough.

I wanted to share the testimony of one very young girl. At the age of 14 this girl had been walking to get some water when she was raped by a local soldier – she was pregnant. She was ousted from her village because of the pregnancy so she came to Butare where she tried to find work as a domestic. It was very difficult to find work so in the meantime, at the age of 15 with a baby, she was taken in by local prostitutes. Due to her financial situation, she also began to prostitute. After a couple of years of prostituting, the birth and death of two children, and a test of being positive for HIV, she decided that she needed to find an alternative.

After the ceremony Joel and I discussed how one brief moment can change one's life forever…in a flash a girl can go from being an innocent child to a victim of rape turned prostitute who lost two of her children and has AIDS.

It was an incredible afternoon that yet again put into perspective what I might consider a ‘bad day’.

Welcome dance performed by women in the association. This little girl in the white danced beside her mother the entire time. Jean-Pierre (left) teaching us how to dance. My new friend dances beside me and Claudine offers suggestions to Joel.