05/02/2005

These women have been living in North Kivu in the DRC for eleven years. They fled the genocide in Rwanda and have been hiding in the forests around Goma. Malnourished and plagued with skin diseases and other illnesses brought on by the marginal life that they are living, they heard that it is now safe to return to Rwanda. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is assisting these women on their journey home. After being screened for illnesses and given a good meal, they will spend the night in a transit center in Goma before being taken across the border to Rwanda. These women are looking forward to returning to their home communities but they have fears. “Will there be schools for my children? Will I be able to get tools so I can work in the farms?” As the prospect of peace approaches in the Kivus, the number of Rwandans emerging from their hiding in the forests and willing to return home is doubling every month.