Welcome to the series GROUPIR, you’ve safely landed to the place where we shall spoonfeed you stories about growing up in Rwanda mostly for the late 90s babies. In the land of a thousand hills, lakes, rivers and forests, all graffiting the scenic beauty of the heart of Africa, being a child is like a double-edged sword. Nevertheless, before we get into that let me take you through what a child represents in +250.
As soon as your life bundle is activated, your family rejoices because it means fresh blood, energy and personality in the family. You’re also a sense of hope of the continuation of that family’s legacy or even achieving what your folks couldn’t. This is also showcased through the ceremonies and parties thrown just for some of your steps in this life.
The first party is the naming of the child commonly known as “Ubunnyano” from which the “KWITA IZINA” draws inspiration. Other ceremonies like the visitation of family relatives such as the grandparents from each parent’s side taking turns in coming to see the child and so on, usually follow.
All these ceremonies just highlight the grandeur of the child in Rwandan society and are celebrated regardless of your parents’ status; the rich with cakes, food and expensive drinks, and the poor with traditional drinks like Urwagwa (banana wine), ubushera and ikigage (traditional drink made from sorghum).
Like in almost every society, a Rwandan child benefits from the child’s rights; at least for those who can provide for their children try their best, you know milk, food and what have you. However, there are some things that only a Rwandan child does experience. For instance, the young is mostly perceived as one who can’t do anything, and this is reflected in the names that are mostly called kids such as igitambambuga, igisekeramwanzi (one who laughs with the enemy) etc…
Therefore, with this status a child benefits from help of almost everyone. This is mostly depicted during meal time, where the youngone must get food first, and also incase people are sharing food on the same plate, the child will be told to have the last bite giving it to “you’re young you must eat in order to grow.”
People think for you, provide for you and choose for you. In other words it’s like an all-risks insurance; for instance when you misbehave at that age even if you’re caught red handed, your elder siblings will get a whooping because “there was no way you could have thought all that by yourself”, parents think.
With that power at hand, in most times you’re also the automatic appointee as the siblings spokesperson because your wish is their (parents) command.
At this moment, you feel like a prince but that corona de christo doesn’t take long to bleed your forehead. The manner in which a child is treated gives every right an old person to do anything claiming to be doing the best for the kid.
As a child, another old person, regardless of whether they’re your relatives or not is allowed to discipline you, and you can never raise your voice to your elders. You’re considered as a deaf, blind with no brains at all.
Now, imagine if another person can have so much access to you, how about your relatives. This situation actually has led to children being violated even by relatives and keep quiet because no one would believe your claims at your age, but that’s a story for another day.
Furthermore, image is a very important thing to the extent that you have to preserve the “good image” of the family whether you want to or not. Needless to mention that parents are always right no matter what, and you owe them a ton just for only having brought you to this world.
But all in all, the experience was great for some and it was filled with a lot of funny memories.
At the end of the day, a single post cannot disentangle a life of a child growing up in Rwanda, but this blog will keep diving deeper to touch every aspect of the experience of GROUPIR.
Please feel free to let me know what you think and share
GROWING UP IN RWANDA 