You are hereRWANDA: Vulnerable Children Living on the Margins
RWANDA: Vulnerable Children Living on the Margins
BYUMBA, 3 September 2008 (IRIN) - Jean-Lambert Rukeratabaro has turned 16, but is still only in the fourth year of primary school in Byumba, north of the capital, Kigali.
|
Jean-Lambert Rukeratabaro, 16, a fourth year primary school pupil in Byumba, north of the Rwandan capital of Kigali. Photo: Ann Weru/IRIN |
Like thousands of Rwandan children who lost their parents in the 1994 genocide or more recently to HIV/AIDS, Rukeratabaro is an orphan.
"I have been told that my parents died during the genocide," he told IRIN. "Our life is hard. Our parents left us some land so when the harvest is good, we have enough food for lunch and supper."
Rukeratabaro's two sisters work on other farms to earn some money. "My sisters had eye and skin problems and it was very difficult getting medication," he said.
His story is shared by thousands of Rwanda's orphaned and vulnerable children, including those with disabilities, living on the street and those with sick parents. Click here to read the entire story on the IRIN site.
