Here you can read the English transcripts of the interviews with children who live in child-headed households in Rwanda and have been featured in Children of Conflict.

Poems from Rwanda
'This is the story of an old man coming from a long journey. He was very tired and ill. His children came to him asking for wealth thinking he is about to die. He told them that their wealth is in their country. He told them that they should build on love and not on tribalism, whether a person is a tutsi, hutu or mtwa. He said we are all Rwandese. He told them to work for their country and build on love and not on hatred. He told them to forget the genocide because it would tear them all apart. He stressed that the most important thing is loving one another.'

'Peace is what we children of Africa want. Peace here in Africa, peace in our country Burundi, in our country Rwanda and in our country Uganda. We children of Africa are tired of wars. We children would like peace, peace is what we want.'

'We children of Africa would like unity, peace and serenity in our countries. We would like these because unity is strength and that is what brings about development. Oh father, oh mother do not teach me about tribalism, because that is poisonous and we children of Africa do not want or like that. We just want unity, peace and security.'

Nyira's story:
'I was raped by a soldier when I went to the field to search for food. The soldier told me that he would make me his wife. I had gone with a small child. The soldier threatened to shoot us with his gun if we made any noise. So I told him to do whatever he wanted. So he grabbed me by force.

When we got back to the camp we did not say anything because we were afraid. When we got to Goma we were placed with the family of Mapendano. After a while Mapendano called me because she noticed my body was changing. She asked me if I had slept with a soldier. I said yes. She told me not to abort my pregnancy.'

Habasa's story: Part One
'I cannot go to school today because the baby is ill with malaria and diarrhoea. This is what happens every time he falls ill. I want to go to school.
It's not easy looking after the baby as well as my young brothers and sisters.

We get some help from the neighbours and the government but it's not enough. Sometimes it is available, sometimes not.

Interviewer: 'As the oldest in your family, what do you worry about most?'

'Looking after the children. You know I am still very young and I cannot manage. But I have no alternative, I have got to do what I am supposed to do.'

Interviewer: 'When you remember life before losing your parents what was it like?'

'It's enough to drive you mad but then what do you do except pray to God. You learn to cope.'

Habasa's story: Part Two
Interviewer: ' What do you miss most in life?'

'Now that I have this baby, I don't think much about it. But I pray it does not happen to others.
If there is anything I would like to have most now it is to have some help to lead a better life, maybe build a house for us to let and provide us with some income, instead of begging all the time.

Interviewer: 'Habasa, you are a family of five, how do you share the workload?'

'We take turns, cooking, fetching water, cleaning etc. The little boy lives with us, he helps whenever he can mending broken things and fetching water. The younger ones don't do much. We teach them a few tasks. At weekends we go to church and my sisters earn a bit of pocket money performing dances and songs at various places, for example at weddings.'

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