Eric Murinzi is many things in one. The 26-year old freelance photographer and videographer describes himself as a music lover and storyteller, among the many things that define him. He is also the brain behind Bonds & Brooms, an artistic project that celebrates people whose job is to sweep the streets. Murinzi does it his way, photography. “I discovered photography in 2009 when I was grieving my mother’s death, since then it has stuck with me.” In 2019, Murinzi was battling depression and in need for inspiration and change at the same time. He wasn’t getting any contracts or jobs. He decided to just get out of the house, for no reason. “Camera in tow, I started to roam the streets of Remera. I didn’t know what I would photograph until I saw a woman sweeping the streets. I always knew that my city was very clean, but I had never paid attention to the people behind that cleanliness of Rwanda until this particular day,” Rwandan photographer Eric Murinzi pays tribute to people who keep the streets in Kigali tidy. Courtesy photo. “Many people view cleaning the streets as a bad job, but I wanted to hear their stories, their perspectives. After hearing their stories and talking to them I learned how proud they are for their job and I felt very strongly that if ‘we are going to talk about the cleanliness of Rwanda, we must also talk about the people behind it,”. He then began collecting their stories. He shared his struggles with them, and this made them also open up and shared with him. “Friendships were formed and they unknowingly helped me to regain hope and purpose. This was the birth of Bonds & Brooms,” “The bonds they have created over the years with their brooms and the bond I have with my camera as a Photographer and storyteller brought us together. Through this project, I now have a new purpose: to acknowledge, to honour, and to celebrate these women who work so tirelessly to maintain Rwanda’s high standards of cleanliness,” In January this year, he showcased his pro-ject in an exhibition. However, much he wanted to spread the good news, he didn’t expect much. He was surprised at the support the project received. “Bonds & Brooms was born from very humble beginnings in my bedroom. On the day of the exhibition, I honestly wasn’t sure if many people would come. Then be-fore long, the place was full. And people were so happy to meet the women in person. People wanted to purchase photos, make donations and be added to an email list,” One of Murinzi’s pieces of work in his Bonds & Brooms project. Courtesy photo. Murinzi then knew that people are as grateful as he is to the women. And he says that it was the main objective of the project; “to raise awareness, to acknowledge, and to celebrate each and every one of them.” However, he also had some challenges, like when he searched all over Kigali for a place to print the pictures in black and white, but never got what he wanted exactly. Also, his equipment was stolen from his car, which meant that he had to rent equipment as he started from scratch. This is a challenge to his financials that he hopes to solve. Murinzi looks forward to the future of the Bonds & Brooms project. A woman cleans a trench. Courtesy. “I want to see Bonds & Brooms becoming so much more than just a photo project. That’s what got it started, but it’s not where it will end. One of the first things that I’m working on is to publish my first black & white photo book with inspiring images and stories of the beautiful people who made Rwanda the cleanest country in Africa.” He also plans to open a space for the women, where they will socialize, connect, and share their stories. That is not all, because it will also be a gallery for their photos. Murinzi hopes that this project brings many people together, in the celebration of the people behind the “cleanest country in Africa.” “At the moment I’m focusing on Bonds & Brooms since it is still a baby, but I am definitely dreaming every day about one of my unfinished projects which is also a black & white documentary journey I started in 2014 with primary students in rural areas,” “In 2018, I resumed and visited the same schools with a lot more and I was planning to resume again this year,” The Bonds & Brooms has 70 participants, with only three men. Murinzi was hoping to increase the number but the COVID-19 pandemic broke out but once it subsides, he hopes to pick up the pieces.
