Racing after commercial cars for a living

As the taxi I am seated in makes entrance into the Nyabugogo Park, a man suddenly starts chasing after it.He is dressed in a long blue coat. As the car slows down to dodge potholes, trotting, his face almost pressed onto the hind windscreen, he strains his eyes to see what is in the boot. Later, other men dressed in long coats with the same colour join in the chase. The taxi finds parking space and as we prepare to get out the exit is blocked by the same men. “Who has heavy luggage? Who has things in the boot?” Different questions are chorused about heavy luggage. The conductor to the taxi shouts at them to move from the exit. He goes on to push them out of the way for easy collection of the transport fares. Waving their hands, the men in long coats, wearing fake smiles and almost shouting, keep calling on people with heavy luggage. Only one man gets selected after a random choice by a woman from the numerous hands being raised. I find out that the men strategically stand at the entrance to the park, to easily see the cars that have bulky luggage, and determine whether the owner will be able to carry them or not. “We mostly find luggage in cars from villages and the buses from across the border,” says Lambert Mpayimana. Mpayimana is also the financial officer of Association Kora Nigufu Nyabugogo (Asso.Ko.Nya) under which all the men carrying luggage fall. But as we talk his eyes keep making frequent glances at the park entrance to spot luggage through the windows of commercial cars. The ability to chase and the keen eye to spot luggage from far are key to competition in this kind of menial work. He explains that the association started in 2003 and comprises over 90 workers. And that it was formed to pool together funds that are usually used for emergencies. “Recently a friend of ours was involved in an accident and we used some of the contributions to take him to hospital. The money also helped us organize burial for a friend who had lost a loved one,” explained Mpayimana. They pay a daily fee of Rwf100 into the association’s treasury. “We also use this money to finance festive celebrations,” says Mpayimana. On a monthly average, Mpayimana explains that -he earns Rwf20, 000 minus daily meals. But he is also faced with a monthly rent of Rwf10, 000.“I also have a family to look after with school going children,” he adds. Cyprian Nzabemwitaki, 30, who moved from Butare, in the Southern Province says that he earns Rwf30, 000 per month but his fellow workmates standing around chorus criticisms insinuating that he earns less. However, Nzabemwitaki’s friends concur with him when he mentions that they frequently suffer from muscle aches. “You put it (heavy luggage) on your head and it compresses your head. This affects the neck muscles and chest and other body parts,” he says. As a result many have been victims of persistent muscle aches from routinely carrying of heavy luggage. “It is metuelle de centre (health insurance) that has helped us. But there are some who retuned home and died from the persistent pains,” he says. Despite being faced with inevitable pain and death, Juma Nyangwe says that they have not tried the other options of menial work. And instead have gone on to learn English in order to increase the number of clients. “We are learning English but we can’t also speak French. Some of our customers speak Swahili,” he reveals but adds that they have more encounters with foreigners. A normal working day of chasing after cars starts at 6:00am and ends late in the evening at 8:00pm. Ends