You may have seen her smiling face in a neighbour's hall or at a workplace reception, wherever a Trócaire Lenten Campaign box has been placed. But who is Josienne Umumarashyavu, the 12-year-old Rwandan girl whose picture appears on the box?
Travelling with local Trócaire representatives, we found her at her village home, a 45-minute drive, on roads that grew steadily worse, from the central Rwandan town of Gitarama. When we arrived she was wearing her Sunday dress, her most prized possession in a country of few luxuries.
Josienne's father was killed in the genocide, and his body dumped in a latrine behind the house. Three of Josienne's siblings were also murdered but two escaped with their mother Genevieve into the bush. "Some other people like me survived and we eventually were taken a safe place," recalled Genevieve.
Rebuilding their lives was not easy but they got help from a local women's co-operative, Cocof, which is supported by Trócaire. Four years ago, Genevieve received a small loan from the group to buy some livestock. Today she owns a thriving farm with cows, sheep, goats, and even a pig - normally unheard-of in the area.
In the nearby village of Gitega, widows of the genocide spoke of how Trócaire Global Gifts, paid for by Irish donors at Christmas, had helped to reduce poverty and boost reconciliation within the community. Some 589 goats have been donated to the area alone.
Last year, Trócaire funded 13 projects in Rwanda, including trauma counselling, gacaca prosecution services, and HIV/AIDS prevention, at a cost of more than €1.3 million.
The 2004 Trócaire Lenten Campaign runs until Easter Sunday, April 11th. Tel: 1850-408408; www.trocaire.org