The 1994 Genocide against Tutsi took lives of over 1 million Tutsi in 100 days and left both physical and psychological wounds to survivors over passing through bitter life being hunt day and night.
“Rwandan Daughters” Pictures and interviews in the book were taken by two German journalists Antje Stahl and Andrea Jeska.
Many women were raped by Interahamwe and defeated militia during the 100 days of genocide.
Figures from AVEGA-Agahozo, the umbrella of widows of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi indicates that it has 20,000 members of whom 1599 were contaminated with HIV/AIDS after rape and have 1122 children born of rape.
Part of witnesses from the book indicates that widowers used to hate own children in the very first days as it a reflection of hard times passed through but became strong overtime.
“If I hate my daughter; I would not be different from killers who wanted to kill us and destroy our country because of their hatred,” said one of the witnesses.
One of the children born of rape said he was hurt when the teacher his father’s names yet ‘I never knew him’.
‘I am the only one who survived in my family. I never married again. I live with my child and life goes on,” said another rape victim.
Heine said taking the pictures was difficult and would raise emotions as he heard tragedies these victims passed through. “I often met women bursting into tears but everyone tried to calm down emotions during that situation. I didn’t want to guide the way pictures had to be taken. I was careful of the behavior of the child and mother in front of the camera,” he said.
“Rwandan Daughters” Heine will be published by German book publisher, Hatje Cantz Verlag based in Stuttgart and Berlin cities.
Pictures featured in “Rwandan Daughters” shows mothers with their children at places where they were raped.
The project of taking the pictures was taken between 2016-2018 and funded by charitable organizations including Ora Kinderhilfe and Solace Ministries which takes care of genocide widows.
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