John's tearoom

John has over the last couple of years been running a tearoom or small supermarket in the suburban Kigali area of Kabuga. When I visited I got served tea- Rwandan style which is hot milk with tea. Nice! The problem is that the day I visited was John's last day at the current location. He had to move and is currently looking for a new location where he can reopen his tearoom. Anyone who has a good location, in the same area?

John's tearoom

Nadine looking at Nadine. Rwanda 1994 & 2014

Nadine was nearly 3 years old in April 1994. She escaped with her family to her local church, something many people did. She and her mother survived, despite certain injuries. Hundreds inside the church did not survive. Visiting Kigali Genocide Memorial, I met with Nadine and she showed me a picture on display where you see her as a young girl. Nadine, nearly 3, is the little girl in the background wearing a white blouse and skirt, standing slightly out from the line waiting to be served tea. 

Nadine at looking at herself in the photograph from 1994

Munanira revisiting the fields where he survived the 1994 Genocide.

Munanira is walking through the fields, next to a banana plantation, in what can only be described as rural Rwanda. 20 years ago, he was here, he was surviving in these fields, after being hacked by a spear as well as a machete. He was only 12 years old when all this happened. His cousin John was 7, also suffered a cut in his head and the two of them where left to die. They spent 1 week in the fields before they managed to walk away and eventually reach safety...more on that later.  Munanira recently got married and is planning on moving to a nearby area.

Munanira walks through the fields where he was left to die 20 years ago, at the age of 12. His scar in the head is still very much visible, even in this picture.

#rwanda  #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #bosnia #srebrenica #webster #assignment #nikonpro

John and Munanira

John and Munanira are cousins. John is 27 and Munanira is 32. That means they were 7 and 12 years old 20 years ago. They live in Rwanda. That means that 20 years ago, they experienced the worst genocide that have taken place in recent history. 1000000- that is one million- people were killed in only 100 days in what has now been defined as the "Genocide against the Tutsis". John and Munaira survived because they visited their grandmother who looked after John's little brother (who was only 2 years old) at the time. What happened to Johns little brother and grandmother is not really something I want to write about here, but they both died. As the killers, already having killed the grandmother and John's little brother, were more interested in stealing goods from the house, John and Munanira were left injured in the field. Their scars are very visible, even today (Munanira was cut on top of his head, neck and ear and on his shoulder by machete. John was cut by machete at the right side of his head, slightly back from his ear). They both, despite their physical scares, survived. 

John and Munanira

More to come on John and Munanira later. 

Stacey King from the French "the Voice" sings at the CPW company days

Some people just have charisma. Some people make you listen- in fact, they make anyone listen. Stacey King came to the "Company Days" of CPW (Cereal Partners Worldwide- (joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills). When Jeff Harmening, CEO at CPW, was asked to sing with Stacey, then he did sing with Stacey! Excellent show- and I am glad I was there to photograph it!

Stacey King in Montreux

Rural Rwanda

After getting to know certain parts of Rwanda, my friends took me to a rather remote village. We walked through the fields in order to reach the location where their house used to be in 1994. While walking, the local kids followed us and wanted me to photograph them as well.

Children helping at home, rural Rwanda

Home with water

These kids lives in what can best be described as "rural Rwanda". It is an area of absolute beauty, but also absolute hardship. Not that easy to get things going work-wise, never mind have direct access to water. Less then 50% of the population has direct access to water, although progress is being made...

Kids carrying water at the end of the day. Rwanda, February 2014.

Photographer

So, on the way to visit some more rural areas in Rwanda, I met this young man- he wanted to photograph me while I photographed him! I lent him my loupe and we were both happy!

Happy, young, shooter in Rwanda!

Kimironko Market, Kigali.

This boy, David, is helping me through the narrow lanes within the Kimironko market in the outskirts of Kigali.

Kimironko market boy, David. Kigali, Rwanda

Working the land, Rwanda, February 2nd 2014

After visiting a village out in the region, I came across these guys preparing the land in order to construct a new house.

Workers digging and preparing the foundation for the new house.

#rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #rural