KIGALI, Rwanda — Carved into the side of a steep hill on the outskirts of Kigali is a tunnel where tin was once mined. It’s now cordoned off with a metal gate, a lock, and a red sign that reads: “Permanently closed.”
Behind that locked gate, there’s a winding, dark path chiseled into the depths of the hills. Lying midpath is a shriveled, lifeless bat sprawled on its back with a grimace.
At the path’s end is another locked red door with a sign that reads: “Beware of the Bat” — a warning that seems more fitting for a Halloween party.
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About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
