Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Photo Journal - A Trek of Tears by Martha Rial

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		A severely malnourished 4-month-old baby boy rides on the back of his mother, who has just arrived in Tanzania. They were awaiting medical attention at a border station near Kibondo, Tanzania after fleeing Burundi.

		Amy Rial, the photographer's sister, inspects the 4-month-old baby as he is held by his mother, 21. The mother has been unable to breast feed her baby due to her own poor health. It was unlikely the baby would survive the truck ride to the camp, so a nurse transported them to a local hospital via Land Rover.

		After a brief hospital stay, the young mother and infant, who suffered from dehydration, begin their recovery at Mtendeli refugee camp. Their future is still very uncertain.

African Diary

Kigali, Rwanda

We arrived exhausted in Kigali yesterday, but ready to go. I had no problems coming through customs and immigration. I was surprised to find the streets filled with so many people. The city is small and has a shabby feel, but the people are friendly and open. Sometimes it feels like there was never a war here, but then you see the reminders, like the sign on my bedroom door advising to remain calm if soldiers show up at your door and overtake your home.

Kibondo, Tanzania

Today I saw the worst roads [as we traveled from Ngara to Kibondo, about a three-hour drive]. At one point it looked as if the road disappeared into the sky. "Hold on," said Amy. "I hate this part the most," as we eased over the edge in the Land Rover. Kibondo is the town where the IRC [International Rescue Committee] staff lives. Although the population there is 20,000, there is no running water or electricity. When you walk out at night you can't see past your nose. As I headed to the IRC office to try and call home, Amy warned, "Be careful you don't fall over a cow" (the cows look like Texas Longhorns). The roads seem to belong to the cows, goats and chickens. The camp itself has an array of intense colors -- red earth, green trees and blue sky and refugee women wrapped in vibrant kangas (cloth).