10. 30.08Age of Wisdom – World War Two Veteran Who Fears Not Death (The New Times (Kigali)
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RWEMBEHO STEPHEN travelled to Ngoma District to
one of the remotest villages in the Eastern Province of Rwanda, where
he met and chatted with the World War Two veteran. Excerpts:
Question: What did you do in the war?
Answer: I was trained and sent to fight
How were you affected during the war?
It was so demanding. First, I did not know why I was involved in the
war. The language of instruction was not familiar to me and I had to
rely on signs. You know, such a thing like poor communication in a war
zone can lead you into trouble. If you lose track for a minute you will
never survive.
Moreover, of course, war is not a joke. I expected to die any time
and moreover in a foreign land. You see we were not fighting here in
Rwanda but in some other countries.
Where did you fight?
I was taken to some white man's land (could not remember properly)-in German.
How long did you stay with the Germans?
I worked with them for 9 years – that was from 1949 to 1950.
And after that?
I went to work for the Belgians in Katanga, the former Zaire, now
referred to as the Democratic Republic of Congo. You see the whites
were making a lot of money in the diamonds.
I never liked working in Katanga because of the nostalgia I had for
my home. I had to come back to Rwanda. They were of course giving us
some money after hard labour, but it was useless to me. I escaped from
them after 6 years and returned to Rwanda.
How did you find Rwanda after so many years?
So many things were changing in politics and even in my own house,
so I had to adapt to the new environment. My children had matured; I
had to organise new marriages, etcetera.
How about you; how many wives did you have?
The one you see here besides me is the eleventh. You know our days
are quite different from yours. Quite different, that is why your lives
are full of uncertainties.
How do you marry one wife and then plan to produce three children?
It is incredible in the African society! Let me assure you of this:
You cannot live up to my age when you marry a single wife. You will be
stressed to death.
But every time you marry a new wife, you are renewed with new love
and care. Never blame a woman who gets tired of you after staying in
your house for years and years.
This is the problem I see in today's marriages; you take things for
granted, and lifelong love is just not for human beings. This is the
truth in black and white, so take it or leave it.
How many wives did you marry?
Eleven wives.
How did you cope with such a number?
There is nothing that is difficult. Absolutely nothing! They
produced children, I organised how to bring them up, and that is all.
In any case, the bigger the size of the family, the stronger it gets.
What I am saying applies not only in the past but also even today.
If you produce three children and two or all of them die, how do you remain?
Helpless! Children used to get sick in the past and die; today the
same story is happening. In fact, it has worsened with the new diseases
like HIV/Aids.
How many children do you have?
I had 82 children when I last counted. They could have increased or
reduced as some were born and others died. I also remember vaguely that
I have 320 grandchildren. You can see the number could have increased
and I cannot keep records.
Apart from a fresh wife at intervals, what other secret do you hold for living to this grand old age?
One thing that I think has contributed to my long life is not
drinking alcohol. I only had very few drinking years and abandoned the
practice. Another thing is that I am more of a vegetarian. I only eat
meat when it is very dry and roasted. This is contrary to what most of
you eat – fried everything.
Do you take pride in your age?
No, no, no! I wish you had asked me this question earlier. It is
very bad to live up to this age of mine – useless, hopeless and
helpless, especially when you were once a hardworking person.
All my colleagues/ age mates died, and only I am left to disturb the
world. Nevertheless, I think my days are numbered. I do not fear death,
but dying – you know the unnecessary slow process that ultimately leads
to death.
What advice would you give the young?
To unite and be able to defend their country whenever it is
necessary. You know before some greedy people betrayed Gisaka, our
grand fathers used to fight off its enemies any time they appeared.
It is this spirit of love for one's motherland that shaped my
character and made it possible for me to fight in the World War, though
I was wrong; I thought that I was defending my country indirectly. This
is the principle that should guide the future generation.
What do you love or hate in the world?
I love the world because it helped me produce many children and
grandchildren to continue life after me. You may think that it is a
small thing, but for sure, it means a lot.
But I also hate it because it takes away all your friends and leaves
you alone with young people whom you do not share much in common; it's
boring in a way.