Cash assistance allows food choice for Burundian refugees in Rwanda
Thanks to UK aid from the British People
“Today I will buy bananas and potatoes”, says Henriette, a Burundian refugee and mother of five children in Mahama camp. She smiles on her way to Mahama market in the middle of the largest refugee camp hosting over 60,000 Burundian refugees in Rwanda. Thanks to a generous GBP 3 million contribution from the British people through UK aid, WFP has been able to continuously provide lifesaving food and nutritional assistance to refugees.
Thirty-five-year-old Henriette has been living in Mahama camp along with her family since May 2015, when they were forced to leave their home in northern Burundi, leaving everything behind to settle in the camp. Both Henriette and her husband Emmanuel worked as French teachers at a school in their home village. However, the family was forced to make the difficult choice to uproot themselves and head towards Rwanda when they were faced with persistent threats.
“Grenades were thrown at our home more than three times, and we narrowly survived,” said Emmanuel. “The last straw was a grenade thrown at our front gate, completely destroying the walled fence. That is when we decided to escape and cross over into Rwanda for safety,” he added.
Emmanuel and Henriette along with their children first settled in the Bugesera refugee reception centre for a month before being transferred to Mahama camp which they have called home for nearly five years, with limited hope of returning to Burundi in the near future.
Cash-based transfers allow refugees the freedom to make food choices
With the support of contributions from UK aid and other donors, WFP is able to provide a hybrid model of cash and in-kind food assistance to all refugees living in Mahama. This form of assistance allows refugees to purchase the food of their choice, allowing refugees like Henriette and her family the ability to make meals that remind them of home.
“I’m happy WFP transfers cash onto our family’s e-card every month. With this, we have the freedom to decide what meals we eat,” said Henriette.
When Henriette and Emmanuel receive their cash assistance, Emmanuel usually redeems the cash from a retailer at the local market.
“Once I withdraw the cash, I give the cash directly to Henriette as she makes sure we make the most out of the assistance throughout the month.” said Emmanuel.
At the local market in Mahama, Henriette and Emmanuel shop together, purchasing potatoes, green bananas, and fresh greens that will be added along with beans provided by WFP to form a nutritious stew Henriette prepares for her family that day. After coming home from school, Henriette, Emmanuel and their five sons sit together to enjoy the healthy meal.
Their neighbours, who have become like extended family, know Henriette and Emmanuel as “Mama and Papa Johnson”, referring to their first-born son. Even with little hope of returning to Burundi in the near future, Mama and Papa Johnson still love their country and plan to go back as soon as the security situation normalises.
“This is my second time as a refugee. The first time was when I was a little boy. My family was forced to flee to Tanzania and now again I am a refugee in Rwanda with my own family. I hope we can soon return so my children can grow up in Burundi and help support making the country a better place for future generations,” Emmanuel said.
“My dream when I grow up is to finish school and become a pilot and travel the world” said Johnson, a fourth grader at Mahama primary school.
Mahama camp is in the eastern province of Rwanda, a few kilometres from the western border with Tanzania. The camp was established in April 2015 to host refugees from Burundi. This camp is the largest of the six refugee camps in Rwanda, hosting over 60,000 refugees. Due to limited access to livelihood opportunities in and around the camp, refugees in Mahama are primarily dependent on assistance from WFP to meet their basic food needs.
