POST AND PHOTOS BY BAILEY ADAMS // PUBLISHED MAY 2017

In Kinyarwanda turi kumwe means “we are together”. At Gardens for Health, turi kumwe encompasses the ethos of our community and our model. The turi kumwe spirit of our organization has manifested itself in many forms, perhaps most notably in the form of the Turi Kumwe Fund. The Turi Kumwe Fund was started in 2011 by GHI staff who recognized that, while our intervention is designed to provide comprehensive and holistic solutions to malnutrition, vulnerable families will often struggle with challenges beyond what GHI’s core programs are able to address. The Turi Kumwe Fund identifies struggling families facing urgent threats to their health and wellbeing and leverages staff’s own resources and organizational match to provide emergency support.

Last week our team met a family in a particularly difficult situation.

Early Monday morning, a local father came to the GHI farm with his six-week old daughter, Chantal, wrapped in his arms. Facing unimaginable challenges at home, he came to GHI hoping to find some support. Despite the father’s clear love and devotion for his daughter, when we first met Chantal on the farm she was in a bad state. She hadn’t eaten in five hours. With no one available to breastfeed, no money to buy formula, and limited knowledge of alternatives, the situation had become desperate and seemed to verge on hopelessness. In a move that took incredible courage, Chantal’s father did the only thing he could think of, and brought her to us.

Both Chantal’s father and his partner are HIV+. Chantal’s mother has been unable to adequately care for her newborn, and has recently been hospitalized to treat severe mental illness. With four other children, hospital bills to pay, and inconsistent income, Chantal’s father has been doing his best to keep his family afloat.

Within minutes of meeting Chantal and her father, the GHI team rallied together in support of this family. Staff generously donated their own money to pay the mother’s hospital bills, buy appropriate baby formula, and pay for subsequent health visits. Annonciathe, our incredible Health Coordinator, also put together a package of supplies for the family including food, diapers, clothes, a cooking pot, and other important household items.

Each day we’ve checked up on Chantal and her family -- visiting them at their home, talking over the phone, or meeting with them at the farm. We continue to identify pressure points and work to find creative solutions together.

It will still be a little while before Chantal is out of the high risk period, but with a community of support behind her and her family there is a lot to be hopeful for. We are already seeing many positive improvements!

Annonciata, GHI Health Coordinator, with baby Chantal and her Family

It is always humbling to see how strong our community of support is for those in times of need and how turi kumwe spirit continues to be not just an ideal, but a guiding principle of our organization.

As we enter the holiday season, please consider making a donation to GHI to help us support families like Chantal’s and ensure that health is tangible reality for all.

Kinyarwanda

Mumurima wubuzima, ijambo Turi Kumwe risobanuye ikintu gikomeye mumuco wacu ndetse no mu mikorere yacu. Umutima wokumva turikumwe wigaragaje muburyo bwinshi. Twavuga nko kuba rigaragara mukigega cyacu cyitwa “Turi Kumwe Fund”. Ikigega “Turikumwe Fund” cyantangijwe mu mwaka wa 2011 nubuyozi bw’ umirima wubuzima, mugihe gahunda yacu yashiriweho kugirango itange igisubizo gifatika mukurandura ikibazo cyimirire mibi. Iteka, imiryango itishoboye ishobora kuzajya igenda ihura nibibazo birenze ubushobozi bwa porogaramu zashizweho n’ umurima w’ ubuzima (GHI). Ikigega “Turi Kumwe Fund” cyatekereje no kuri ya miryango ihura n’ ibibazo bitunguranye bishobora no kwangiriza ubuzima ndetse n’ imibereho myiza yabo, cyifashisha imwe mumitungo y’ abayobozi b’ umurima w’ ubuzima mu gikorwa cyogufasha iyo miryango mubibazo bibatunguye.

Mu cyumweru gishize itsinda ryacu ryahuye nikibazo gikomeye.

Mugitondo cya kare cyo kuwa mbere, umuturage wumugabo yaje mumurima wa GHI (umurima wubuzima) azanye umwana we w’ umukobwa ufite amezi atandatu, Chantal niwe wari amukikiye mubiganza byiwe. Uyu mugabo akimara guhura niki kibazo kimutunguye, yahise agana umurima wubuzima akeka ko hari ubufasha yahabona. Usibye kuba byaragaragaraga ko uwo mugabo yakundaga umwana we, ubwo twahuye na Chantal mu murima yari ameze nabi cyane. Chantal yari amaze amasaha atanu ntakintu ashize kumunwa. Nta muntu waruhari wo kwonsa umwana, ntamafaranga yari ahari yo kugurira umwana insimbura bere, nta nubundi bumenyi ababyeyi b’ uyu mwana bari bafite bakwifashishwa ikabazo cyabaye ingutu kuburyo ababyeyi bumwana batangiye kumva bihebye. Ise wa Chantal yakoze uko ashoboye kose maze aramutuzanira.

Ise wa Chantal ndetse numufasha we bose babana n’ ubwandu bwa sida. Nyina wa Chantal ntiyashoboraga kuba yakwita kumwana we kugeza ubwo nawe yohererejwe mu bitaro kugirango yitabwe ho kuko nawe yari afite ikibazo cyo mumutwe. Iwe n’ abana be bane, kwishyura fagitire yo kwa muganga, no kutagira aho ashobora gukura amafaranga, Ise wa Chantal yakoze uko ashoboye kugirango ashobore gufasha umuryongo we nubwo bitari byoroshye.

Nyuma yo guhura na Chantal ndetse na papa wiwe, itsinda rya GHI ryateranyije amafaranga yo gufasha uyu muryango wari mubibazo. Numutima w’ ubugwaneza, nyobozi yakusanyije amafaranga yifashijijwe mu kwishyura : fagitire yari yahawe mama wa Chantal kwa muganga, kugurira umwana insibura bere, ndetse no kwegeranya imfashanyo ikubiyemo ibyo kurya, ibyo kubinda umwana (pamperise), imyenda, amasafuriya, nibindi bikoresho byifashishwa murugo.

Twakomeje kujya dusura Chantal n’ umuryango wiwe – tubasura murugo iwabo, tuvugana nabo kuri telephone, cyanga no guhura nabo mu murima wacu. Dukomeza gukora dushaka imbogamizi zikunda kuboneka ndetse tunishaka mo ibisubizo birambye twese hamwe.

Bizafata igihe nubwo ari gito kugirango Chantal ave muri iki kibazo, ariko abavandimwe bamuri inyuma numuryango we hari icyizere cyinshi. Turabona hari impunduka nziza cyane.

Ni byiza cyane kumva ko umuryango wacu ufasha, kandi uhari kugirango ufashe abantu mugihe bakeneye ubwo bufasha kandi nuburyo umuco wa “Turi Kumwe” udakomeje kubaho ku izina gusa ahubwo ubereyeho guhereza icyerekezo ikigo cyacu.

Dore tugiye mu bihe by’ ibiruhuko, nyamuna tanga inkunga yawe ku murima w’ ubuzima (GHI) kigira ngo ufashe imiryango imeze nkuwa Chantal ndetse no kugirango ubuzima bwiza bugere kubantu bose muburyo bufatika.

The True Meaning of Turi Kumwe