Twa Community

Twa, a Pygmy people, are considered the original inhabitants of Rwanda. Over the years they have been driven from their lands and now only number 33,000. They comprise 1% of the population. During the genocide 30% of the Twa were killed.

This ethnic group lives in dire poverty and have become almost invisible. They are considered ignorant and uncivilized and most are living on the fringes. But Twa still try to maintain their rich tradition in pottery making.

They live in small communities eking out a frugal living. There is little healthcare with many children dying young. Few can afford school and when they do go they soon drop out due to being ostracized. The government has stepped in to help the Twa by providing grants for animals and building mud homes. If you are an adult you receive these benefits. If you are an orphan you do not.

Our first stop on Friday was to a Twa community to check in on Jacqueline, a 15 year old orphan. She shared her story.

Her mother died when she was just crawling. A different family took her in every day until she was 10 years old. She wanted to be on her own and be in one place, so community members build her a one room hut. It collapsed in the heavy rains so she moved to another community nearby. For the past 5 years her "home" has been a mat on the floor of a kitchen in a woman's house. She pays for that floor space by fetching water and firewood and cooking for this woman who then shares some food. For now she will remain in this community as she has a roof over her head.

Through ZOE she recently received a grant. She purchased a pig and invested the rest in avocados which she sells. She walks 30 minutes to the market then back to sell in her community. What she sells allows her to eat one meal a day. Recently she was able to buy 1/2 cup of beans with her profits. Usually she eats sweet potatoes and avocados. She is thankful to ZOE for giving her a sense of being and a business opportunity to help her build a better life.

Photos are of the children in the community. Notice in the second photo the little hands holding. And the last is Jacqueline. Words can not express what we saw but the photos definitely can tell a story. And even in the midst of such dire poverty we receive smiles and warm greetings.