About

In the late 1990s, I had the opportunity to work in the small, picturesque country of Rwanda in East Africa, with a non-governmental organization (NGO) carrying out development work.  The NGO was primarily focusing on the many children who had been orphaned due to the 1994 genocide, and who were living on their own without adult caregivers. These households were identified as child headed households (CHH).  Over the three year period that I worked in Rwanda, I noted how the focus of development programs tended to change according to the funding criteria of the donors, and not necessarily according to the particular needs within the context. I returned to Canada to study anthropology, believing I needed a stronger foundation to draw from if I were to continue working cros...