Day 2
The second day is the longest and most strenuous day of the hike, as you climb from Mubuga into the mountains above Bisesero village. From the summit behind Bisesero Genocide Memorial, amid the Gisovu tea fields, you’ll then descend to Ngoma village. Along the way, the elders you’ll meet will include…
Mugemana Augustin was a leading member of the local Abasinga clan, and much-loved member of this community. He worked most of his life as a farmer, enjoying particular success in the local coffee industry. Here, he shared his encyclopedic knowledge about the history and production of coffee in Karongi district. Sadly, he passed away in 2022, shortly after sitting for interviews for this project, but he is remembered with great fondness by the community and the entire team behind this project.
Mukarwego Madeleine is an elder of the Abacyaba clan and chief of Kabuga, as well as the leader of the chiefs for Kargoni district. In addition to this already impressive list of accomplishments, Mukarwego is a healer with a vast knowledge of medicinal plants that was imparted to her by her mother, and sometimes serves as a midwife when local women need support with their pregnancies or giving birth.
Ndagijimana Israel is a relative newcomer to these hills, having moved here in 2010 after realising that there was need locally for someone who was skilled at wood carving. He talks about how he learned to carve from his father, and how his profession is changing in recent years due to deforestation and other environmental challenges. As a result, he supplements his income making sorghum and banana beers, two popular Rwandan drinks that if you’re lucky you can try in the local bars…
Uwantege Bernadette is an elder of the Abakono clan and a celebrated cook who uses traditional methods to grow fruits and vegetables and raise livestock as naturally as possible, and to prepare dishes that are incredibly flavourful and healthy. She tells us about some of the traditional crops that Rwandans once relied on for survival, and also shares a secret ingredient that she uses to enhance some of her most popular dishes…
Rubayiza Ezekiel is one of the elder community leaders of Bisesero village and a leading member of the Abanyiginya clan from which Rwanda’s former kings all descended. He tells of how Bisesero village was founded by a man named Sebikara – Rubayiza’s great grandfather – after a massive storm, and how he then built good relationships with the few other families that lived in the region through intermarriage so that over time the village grew and prospered.
Ndagijimana Innocent is an elder of the Abahima clan, and claims his ancestors were some of the first people to settle in these hills, after being gifted land by the mythical King Ruganzu. He too has worked most of his life as a cowboy with a great love of cattle, and also an impressive knowledge of the region’s history.
Seromba Charles is another elder community leader and descendent of Sebikara. Like his brother Rubayiza, he has an impressive knowledge of Bisesero’s history. He and Rubayiza are also famous in the region for the important role they played during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, during which they helped lead the resistance at Bisesero that saved so many Tutsi lives.
Muganza Uziel is a true Rwanda cowboy, a profession he has had since his childhood. He has an intense bond with the cattle he has raised and teaches us about the value of cattle in Rwandan society. He’s also a celebrated performer of amazina y’inka, the poems that cowboys perform to honour their cattle and call them home at the end of the day.
