Rwanda is a heavy place to write about. It holds the densest human population in continental Africa. Its people have endured political assassinations, genocide, and civil wars. As a book subject, it would not be difficult to focus on Rwanda and life at its most grueling. However, this Book of the Week has used creativity, compassion, and a heartfelt perspective to show us Rwanda at its most human and inspiring.
In On One Child : One Week, Rwanda, we follow one twelve-year-old Rwandan girl named Masengesho. We see photographs of her as she begins her daily chores. We learn that she was orphaned. We read that she carries a 44 lb. water jug over rough terrain daily. We are told that her hope is to someday see the ocean.
Although it might be a reach for even the optimists among us, Masengesho’s story holds glimmers of hope. She has been adopted. In a land where the average person’s income is less than $1 a day, she has some food to eat. And she aspires to be a maternity doctor.
The author, Amica73, introduces the book’s concept by writing:
What does it really look and feel like to be an average child, in an average town in East Africa? I followed one child, for one week in Rwanda, and this is a window into her life.
We were very moved by the book’s preview and we wish all good things for Amica73, Masengesho, and the humanitarian efforts taking place in the Republic of Rwanda.
