| This event took place Friday 12th May 2000 |
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Newsround
Live Chat with Newsround's Kate Sanderson and War Child's Johnie McGlade.
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Question from Jessica: Did you get very upset when you went over to Rwanda and were you scared?
Kate: I wasn't scared because although there are some outbursts of fighting in some parts of the country now, it's largely a peaceful country. And the people we met are very friendly. But it was very upsetting. -- what you didn't see on the Newsround report were the places were some people were killed -- some people were even killed in churches. And you can still see the kind of the things that happen there -- it was very distressing.
Question from Bill: What was it like meeting children who've got no parents?
Johnie: Interesting question actually because War Child has a child-headed household project, so obviously it's one of the main areas we work in -- we deal with these orphans on a daily basis. It's not just meeting them -- we work with these children. A lot of these children have very little hope, so what War Child can do is provide a glimmer of light.
Question from Amy Bowling: I feel very strongly about Rwanda, and I give money to charities, but I would like to see this money actually being used, and things being done to help the poor people of this country. Is there any way that I can see this apart from watching tv?
Kate: Over to Johnnie for that.
Johnie: The best way really, outside television, is the War Child Web site -- there's a link on Newsround's Web site. You can also contact War Child through the Web site.
Question from Guy Basnett: How impartial is the media in their coverage when it has the ability to choose which footage we view?
Kate: We always try to give a fair representation of the situation in the pictures and the information broadcast. The only pictures or information we wouldn't broadcast are the ones which are too upsetting or gruesome for our audience.
Question from Lee Conway: How dramatically has life changed in Rwanda since the fighting broke out?
Johnie: The situation has changed dramatically, in that there is no real conflict -- but there is still the legacy of the 1994 genocide when a million people were killed in a hundred days.
Question from Peg Sayers: Given that I am a student and don't have much money, is there any other way to help?
Kate: Awareness is the key. Try to tell other people about what you know -- if you really care, you should try and motivate other people to care as well.
Question from Abdul: Do you believe that the suffering in Rwanda will ever end?
Johnie: You would hope that at some stage it would -- but it may take a few generations.
Question from Rowan Shanks: How are they surviving, because the conditions looked terrible?
Kate: From what I saw, they are barely surviving. But what I noticed is that people do everything to help each other, and the international agencies are doing what they can to support people.
Question from Christopher: How much rain is there in Rwanda each year?
Johnie: There are two rainy seasons, one short from November to December and then a long one from February through to late May, when it rains every day, but not all day. The rest of the year it's pretty dry.
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