Gory headlines have largely ceased for now, but Rwanda's misery is only moving to a different stage. The slaughter, terror and destruction have gravely damaged the country's ability to sustain survivors. Agriculture is a prime example.
In the chaos of the past year, many granaries were burned. Then, as survivors sought to stave off hunger, other granaries were raided for food. As a result, unless the supply of seeds is replenished farmers will have nothing to plant and the country faces possible famine. To make matters worse, some agricultural advisers believe seed supplies for some important varieties of the country's native foods may have been wiped out altogether.
The good news is that foresight and international cooperation may prevent an even greater long-term tragedy from unfolding. For the past quarter-century, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has been gathering and preserving seeds in centers around the world. The CGIAR, which includes donors from public and private sectors, supports 17 international agricultural research centers, most of which are located in developing countries.
In an operation aptly called "Seeds of Hope," the centers are rushing seeds to Rwandan farmers. Shipments are also going to neighboring countries, where nurseries are being set up to produce large volumes of seeds that can then be transported overland. In Rwanda, the seeds will be distributed by international relief agencies and non-governmental organizations.
Agriculture was the heart of the Rwandan economy. Before the bloodshed began, some 91 percent of its people worked in agriculture; the country was nearly self-sufficient in food production. But many of Rwanda's scientists and agricultural experts were killed in the genocide, adding to the difficulties the country faces in restoring its agricultural capability.
The seeds program will focus initially on beans, sorghum and corn, all of which can be planted in February. Root and tuber crops like potato, sweet potato and cassava are bulkier and more difficult to transport, so the program will strive to reproduce those planting materials within Rwanda.
Seeds of Hope may not be able to restore all the varieties of plants that Rwandans depended on. But at least it has the means to restore much of that diversity, including the strains that will be familiar to Rwandans. That doesn't erase the pain of war, but it helps make recovery possible.