Art for Gorillas

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC), art | Date: Dec 08 2008 | By: Julie

Kaburayi, a Batwa, participated with her husband and their children in our very first Art of Conservation class in early 2007. Eternally kind, accepting, and willing, I marvel at nearly everything about her. Her husband, always ill, primarily remained folded and collapsed on the ground outside of their hut.

This morning, at my desk for many hours, I needed to get up and go outside. I saw Aimable, the gardener, and I said “J’ai faim.” (I’m hungry.) Aimable suggested I make tea or coffee and then added that Batwa were waiting for me at my gate. My first thoughts were, “Oh no, how long have they been waiting? Why didn’t Aimable tell me earlier that I had visitors?” Aimable, being very proper, never wants to disturb me in any way, but I don’t like having people wait for me as if I don’t care.

It’s a fairly long walk from where Kaburayi lives (next to Volcanoes National Park) to my house and I was surprised to see her, let alone her ailing husband, Bigirabagabo, standing next to her with his walking stick and their daughter Mukanoheri. Through the enigmatic forms of communication here, they found out where I live.

We sat down together and I asked them why they traveled so far and they said, “Inzara,” meaning hunger. Needless to say, my hunger rapidly disappeared - here I was with my visitors who have a hard time finding food day to day.

Together we enjoyed a few Fantas and I said I would be happy to give them money for food. Kaburayi started singing and dancing. I rushed off to find my camera to capture her beautiful songs and stories - I was certain she wouldn’t mind me taking a video because she has seen me with a camera from the day we first met and she is not camera shy.

This intimate moment with Kaburayi, her daugher and her husband made me smile and cry at the same moment. My heart was aching from news I had just received this morning about a dear childhood friend succumbing to Multiple Sclerosis - my heart was beating with admiration of my visitors and their innate sensitivities to express freely even after years and years of oppression. I suppose more accurately my heart was on the teeter-totter of the fragility and resiliency of life.

Above, Kaburayi’s gorilla illustration. She is one of AoC’s first students.

The Batwa of Rwanda are a marginalized indigenious group of people. An estimated 30,000 Batwa are in the country today. About half the population lives in the area near the boundaries of Volcanoes National Park where the endangered mountain gorillas inhabit.

Our class met in a field. Kaburayi examines her work.

Kaburayi’s drawing of her hungry expression.

Kaburayi’s singing expression.

My visitors left and I went back to my office in search of DVD’s containing Kaburayi’s work she did in the AoC class deciding that to share her voice and creative expressions was the best I could do in honor and celebration of her life, the live’s of all the Batwa and to my dear friend Carmen.

Thank goodness for the right of freedom of expression.