In the celebrations of the International Women’s Day in Kigeme Refugee Camp on Friday the 8th.March.2013, the Congolese refugees in the camp appreciate the refuge accorded to them in a country keen on gender balance and equality between men and women.
Senator Fatu Harerimana who was the guest of Honour in Kigeme Refugee Camp for Womens day celebrations told the Congolese refugees to make use of the chances of being in Rwanda and get to understand the concept of gender equality, to avoid early marriages of their daughters and to encourage their children to complete school education.
Women in the refugee camp celebrating women’s day
“We know you still do not understand the concept of gender equality and gender balance that is why we came to explain to you and tell you to take being in Rwanda as a chance and learn what you will take back to your country once you go back” says Harerimana.
Through different plays and dramas, the Congolese refugees showed they have taken a step in understanding gender balance and equality. Back in their country, men are treated like kings and women work like slaves and this habit is still carried out by their men in the refugee camp who sell the HCR provisions and go to bars to drink waiting for their wives to work and put food on the table.
For Queen Maombi one of the refugees in this camp, “back home a woman does all kind of work and giving birth above that, a man spends his time at bar wasting the family possessions and having goods time. We have now started to understand the importance of gender equality.”
Inside the refugee camp
“When we got here we noticed that women participate in the development of their families and of the country. They are in administration posts and we take that as chances to learn more from this country” says Dani Mbera a refugee in this refugee camp.
Deogratias Ntirenganya the director of Kigeme Refugee Camp says with the support of different organizations, they sensitized refugees in this camp about gender balance, family planning and other government programs.
In these celebrations, women neighbouring the refugee camp gave gifts to refugees in the camp for good relationship and children were given milk calling for help to more than 100 children that live without parental care in the refugee camp.
These celebrations were attended by refugees, local leaders and officials from different organizations in the camp.
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