IGIHE

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  • An Eternal Burning Memory: The story of a genocide survivor

    It was the 7th of April, when the radio announced the breaking news of the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana. It was the beginning of the last precious moments for millions of Rwandan Tutsi’s, it was the beginning of a journey of survival for a young genocide survivor, who would forever have to live with the engraved memory of the unimaginable scenes she now sees every time she sleeps. From the darkness she passed through, today she lives among us to tell her story, to remind us when we forget her soul wrenching story.

    A young woman small in stature, Francine Uwera, 27, moves with graceful small steps. Her dark skin is in contrast to the whiteness of her teeth. From afar, she seems as ordinary as any other young female Rwandan ; beautiful, graceful and timid. But Uwera is all those things and so much more, she is full of despair and hope combined, she smiles yet her eyes are sad, she holds herself up with dignity yet she is full of resignation, she is the past combined with the future. As she sits fidgeting with her fingers, she seems anxious, yet when she opens her mouth, her voice comes out strong and confident, in her words you can hear, anger, sorrow, confusion but most of all conviction. This is her story, this is her memory. 

    “It was the 7th of April when my mother and I were at home waiting for my father to arrive to have our supper, my mother was ill at the time and instead of going to school, I stayed home in order to care for her. That was when we heard the news on the radio, the president’s plane had been shot down, and that was when the hour of death arrived at my door. In that instant by seeing my mother’s face, I knew that something terrible had happened, but I was young and didn’t understand the real impact of what this meant.

     My father came home shortly after, and without pause or explanation told us to leave the house and start running, he started shoving me out through the back door telling me, “Run, run Francine……… and don’t stop until I tell you, don’t stop for anyone else”.

    My mother gave me her wrapper and told me to carry it to shield me from the rain. In the rush and confusion, I couldn’t possibly comprehend that they were not really following behind me, so I ran. When I got as far as the bushes at the end of the road, a sudden and terrible fear came over me. I could hear thousands of people screaming from what seemed like miles away from every corner, voices of crying women, men, and children. Even dogs were barking incessantly. I was terrified and hid crouched in the bushes.

    I was not going to continue without my parents, so I decided to wait. I waited for what seemed like forever, then I saw them, the men who marched into my home and killed my parents. I could hear them say “we should kill them, kill them all.” I will never forget the sound of the cows crying as they were being slaughtered, and since then never have I been able to eat any kind of meat.

    I knew I couldn’t stay there for they were sure to find me. I gathered all the courage I had and started running, all the while, mentally reciting all the prayers I knew. I ran till I could not run any more. But there was nowhere to go, and no one whom I knew. I did what many Rwandans were doing during the 100 days of massacre ; I lay down with the bodies of the dead and pretended what at that time I only wish were true.

     It would be impossible to tell you all the things I saw because most of the time, my face was buried in the ground, laying down next to the corpses, waiting for the militia to find and kill me. While praying to God, I started to doubt whether he even existed to save me.

    All I can tell you is that Rwanda had become a real living hell ; the beautiful hills you see now were all on fire. Screams of thousands of people all in pain and agony rent the air, leaving your mind to imagine the horrible things these people were going through and what might happen to you too. If you want a clear picture of what the hell in the bible is described like, any genocide survivor can tell you.

    I cannot explain to you why I had the will to continue or let alone live but I got up and continued walking half running, my feet were swollen and I thought I would die of thirst before the Hutus found me. As I was trying to evade the main roads the militia were driving through erected with roadblocks, a Hutu woman whom by the grace of God seemed to take pity on me located me. She hid me in the pit latrine in her house ; she would tie a long rope around my waist and throw some unripe banana leaves down. As I sat there for days in faeces, I asked the Lord over and over again, why he would allow this to happen. I wondered if we had committed a sin so great that God wanted to wipe out everybody as he did in the bible. But there is one question that I don’t think I can ever find the answer to. “Why did God spare me ? Why did a Hutu woman become my saviour.”

    The days and nights had become one to me. I had become immune to the smell that had made me wrench a few days ago. Then one day, I heard men’s voices above me. As I sat in the latrine waiting, I looked up but could not see clearly. I waited for a grenade to be thrown down. I knew the final hour had come but then a man threw down a rope, telling me that they were ‘Inkotanyi. They had to coax me until the old woman, came and told me it was safe.

    I climbed up wondering what they meant by “safe”. Had the killings stopped or were these men simply going to help me escape. I reached the disembarked from the pit and finally breathed fresh air.Have you every known what it is like not to remember what breathing clean air feels like ? No I believe you haven’t.

     I will never forget seeing the RPF soldier who stood in front of me as he pulled me out of the darkness into light. Of all the horrible things I saw and heard, of all the memories and sounds that still haunt me till today, the one I don’t ever want to forget. The memory I will always keep through that whole ordeal is the voice of the soldier and the way in which he told me : “Humura” , I was so overwhelmed that I collapsed. I sobbed uncontrollably. I yelled out. I felt my heart could take no more. I cried so hard I was left with no energy to even stand up.

    All this time, the soldier was holding me gently repeating to me those words that have become a balm to my wounded heart. Since then, I have taken it a step at a time, with the help of the government and various organisations. I have been able to go to school and find work. After 17 years, I am beginning to let go of the pain. I have begun to believe that our country can recover and from testimonies such as mine. No survivor out there should ever feel alone as we did, and this, the world should know. 

  • 100 days and nights of remembrance and forgiveness

    Humankind is the most complex creature that God could have ever created, a creature so complex that every day is a new discovery into the minds and souls of man. The lengths they will go to to survive, the evil they are capable of, the things they will do in the name of love, but the most astonishing and beautiful act I have ever seen in mankind is the capability to forgive.

     We have all done wrong, and been wronged once in our life, and yet forgiveness doesn’t come easy. The story of the genocide in Rwanda is but one of the perfect example’s of the evil man is capable of, how man can turn on his neighbour, kill and hack both parents and infants that have been sharing the same air, roof and food with them without any remorse.

     Over 1 million Tutsi’s were mercilessly massacred, raped, and burnt alive and left for the dogs (and this I mean literally). The same goes to the attempt to exterminate the entire race of Jews by the Nazi’s, thousands of Jews were gathered and put into gas chambers, and left to die by Hitler and his henchmen. There are thousands of stories with similar cases around the world proving once again mankind is evil. There is only one story in the world though that can be told of a nation overcoming evil and finding peace and prosperity after such atrocities and teach the world the true meaning of forgiveness. That story is the story of Rwanda.

    Rwanda recently marked the 17th commemoration of the genocide that was committed on the Tutsi’s in 1994. Every year, we remember those we lost, and every year it never gets easier. The first commemoration I ever attended was on the opening of the genocide memorial at Gisozi and I will never forget what I saw. Seeing and hearing the testimonies of the survivors, seeing a room full of children’s pictures with their names, hobbies and future dreams that will never come true and then reading how they were murdered was heartrending. I will not lie that when I left that place I was not sad nor disturbed, I was enraged. I had evil feelings and thought of the ways I would exert revenge on those that did this. I could have sworn that if I was one of the survivors, I would never, and I mean, never forgive the perpetrators, until I witnessed the story of two genocide survivors named Chantal and Rosaria and my evil thoughts and angered heart was silenced for good. During the memorial, they made us watch a documentary called ‘as we forgive’. It is a documentary about two women, who learnt not only to forgive those who murdered their families, but work and reconstruct their lives together.

      Rosaria lost her husband and four kids in the genocide. She remains with one child whom she calls ‘kadogo’. She says she so named her child because she is the last of her children. Rosaria is a practicing Christian but she says that after the genocide, she didn’t know if she would ever be able to talk about God’s graciousness and goodness after what she had experienced.

     The same goes for Chantal, a mother of one who lost her husband and is now fending for herself and her child. Moreover, she has no relative’s left alive. Chantal says she would never step into a church again. Even then, she wonders how God could have allowed this to happen. In the documentary, we witness the struggle, pain and suffering these two women have endured over the years after the genocide.

    We watch Rosaria as she tries to begin her life all over again and we see her reading the bible, some captured scenes of her smiling. We then meet a man called Saveri, the man who butchered her family. He lives in the same neighbourhood and when asked if she would be able to forgive Saveri, she says she would do so. She reveals that the man even let him help to construct the house she now lives in. Later, we see them working and walking the streets together as though nothing ever occurred.

     Chantal, however, views things differently. When she was asked to forgive the man who killed her family, she could not even fathom the idea. As time passes by, my heart is full of questions as to whether I would be able to do what they were asking Chantal to do. I am in awe when several years later, we see pictures of Chantal and the perpetrator laughing and genuinely chatting.

     There is no other nation in the world that can claim to have ever recovered from genocide where perpetrators and victims actually shake hands, sit down and calmly chat as one asks for forgiveness and the other pardons.

     They say God travels by day and comes home to sleep in the hills of Rwanda by night. Otherwise, how else could you explain how a person can mourn their lost loved ones by day, and forgive those who took them away by night ?

  • Gisozi Memorial Site: Voices of the past immortalised

    Overlooking the terraces of Kigali lies a long stretch of road that leads from Gisozi to the Rwandan genocide memorial. As you walk along this road, you can feel the atmosphere in the air change. As you get closer to the gates, the sounds of the busy streets of Kigali begin to slowly drown out, and all you hear are the rustling of the leaves. Once you enter the gates, the first thing you notice as you start to descend the polished tiled steps is the torch carrying the eternal flame burning bright, reminding everyone who walks through, that this is not a tourist attraction but a memorial site.

    The memorial was officially opened on the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide on the 7 April 2004 genocide, a burial site built to honour the 250,000 Tutsi’s who were killed during the genocide. The planning and management was handled by the UK based charity organisation known as Aegis trust in collaboration with the Kigali High Council.

    Aegis which signifies ‘shield’ or ‘trust’ is an organisation which campaigns against crimes against humanity and genocide, which was established in 2000, their activities include research, policy, education, remembrance, media work and campaigns involving humanitarian support for victims.

    The memorial comprises of a main historical exhibition, a Children’s Memorial exhibition and an exhibition on comparative genocide, called Wasted Lives. It also has over four acres of memorial gardens containing ten mass graves, as well as, the National Genocide Documentation Centre.

     The majestic principal building has been structured by design to represent three different eras : before the genocide, during and after the genocide. The main building has three exhibitions, the first room entitled, ‘Our history’, introduces the world to the history of Rwanda with huge pictures showing people of all ages, depicting the cultural lifestyle of Rwanda before the genocide, women breastfeeding their children, old men playing traditional games, different hairstyles, attire and even an almost life-sized picture of Rwandan King Yuhi V Musinga standing tall and proud. Alongside these pictures is a stanza quoting, ‘this is about our past and our future, our nightmares and our dreams, our fear and our hope, which is why we begin where we end, with the country we love.’

    As you are guided from one showroom to the next, through a series of corridors lined with millions of short notes with detailed information, there is a feeling of going on a real journey through time, as though experiencing the genocide through your own eyes. Original and unedited videos of people being massacred, testimonies of survivors and perpetrators, Gacaca court proceedings are mounted on walls. Alongside them is a timeline of pictures of Rwanda’s history.

    From ‘Our history’ room, you are then lead to a room entitled ‘Descent to Genocide’ a dimly lit room full of graphic pictures of bones and dead bodies from all over Rwanda. On one side of the wall stands a 3ft image of a mass grave at Kigali’s Saint Famille, where over 30,000 people were burnt alive, with detailed information of how Rwandans priests, who were meant to be custodians, were responsible for the massacre of millions of Tutsi’s, who had sought refuge in their churches.

    You walk on as if turning the next page in a storybook, eager to reach the part where the criminal is caught and is forced to face justice, thinking that the worst is over, till you reach the room entitled ‘After the Genocide’,. Before you even cross over, the word ‘Reactions’ is emblazoned in huge capital letters. There is a picture worth a thousand words, a scene where thousands of children are gathered together all staring into the camera, all orphans.

    This leads to a circular corridor where a famous artist, Ardyn Halter, has created two stained glass windows, which not only shows, a link between the survivors of the holocaust and Rwanda, but a link between the beginning of the genocide with skulls craved at the bottom to the top that implies a new Rwanda looking to the future.

    There are rooms where people have put pictures of their loved ones, a room dedicated to children who perished in the genocide with a quote reading “we did not make ourselves orphans”. At the end of the tour, you enter into the beautiful and intricate memorial gardens.

    The gardens have fountains and waterfalls with a rose garden, where each rose represents a loved one lost now blossoming in our bright future. The gardens were put up in such a way that people could sit outside in reflection. A sense of calm and peace suddenly grips as you walk through the gardens. A sense of hope for the future, everywhere is green, everything is budding as though each leaf represents a new and brighter future, which lastly leads you to the documentation centre which actually is the best part of the tour.

    The centre is a place where many of the youth come together to debate, learn, acquire knowledge, and deal with issues on how they can help prevent Genocides like Rwanda’s from happening again, here at home as well as abroad. The best and most important part about the memorial is the programmes it is establishing for all to benefit from the development centre basing its main objective on reconciliation and unity. Indeed this is a place where those unfortunate souls can lay in peace and harmony.

    Besides the Gisozi Memorial Centre, there are over 200 genocide sites in Rwanda marking the places where nearly a million people were murdered. It is hoped that Rwanda would develop seven key sites into meaningful memorial centres including [Murambi->http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/centre/other/murambi.html], [Nyamata->http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/centre/other/nymata.html], [Ntarama->http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/centre/other/ntarama.html], [Bisesero->http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/centre/other/bise.html], [Nyanza->http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/centre/other/nyanza.html] and [Nyarabuye->http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/centre/other/nyarabuye.html].

    As the memorial centre’s management aptly states, “these are everyone’s places as much as Rwanda’s. They should remain as a warning for future generations, both in Rwanda and in the rest of the world about the consequences of hatred and division. ”

  • Pulling together: Gikondo residents join hands to rehabilitate road

    Residents of Kanserege 1 and Kanserege 11 in Gikondo Sector, Kicukiro District have come together to rehabilitate a road that passes through the two cells.

    The residents are set to raise a total of RWF20 million for the rehabilitation of the road that connects to the main Gikondo-Nyenyeri road.

     The 500 metres stretch of the road has for long been characterised by potholes that make it impassable during the rainy seasons, hence resorting to the use of alternative routes. 

    “During the rainy season, I do not get customers because my shop is along this road and few people pass through it, mainly when it has rained,” Pascal Habinwari, who owns a shop along the road told Igihe.com.

    He welcomed the idea of fundraising towards the construction of the road, adding that he was among residents who contributed cash, and was awaiting progress.

    Several civil engineers, who are residents of the two cells, offered free consultancy services towards the construction of the road.

    Almost all area residents including prominent personalities contributed towards the project through cash and/or construction materials depending on income levels.

     The Chairman of the Itorero National Task Force, Boniface Rucagu, formerly the Governor of Northern Province, who is also a resident in the area, responded to the call by hiring road construction machinery.

    Gerald Ndayisenga, the Chairperson of Kanserege1, who is serving his second term said that he was glad about the local community’s efforts to work towards a common cause.

    “Am very happy with my people when it comes to sharing developmental ideas ; whether directly or indirectly,” he noted.

    The new chairperson of Kanserege 11 Dina Mukamusoni similarly expressed her gratitude towards the residents’ contribution towards development in the area.

    “Am pleased that we are working as a team to contribute towards the development of our area,” she commented.

    The residents of the two cells have certainly taken up the government’s clarion call to always pull together their efforts towards a common cause as a means to ensure the country’s progress. 

  • The science behind framing effects

    We commonly hold the assumption that our memories are an accurate representation of the past and the rational decisions we make are based on pure logical reasoning.

    Little do we know that we are victims of a cognitive bias, a manipulation initiated by our own minds that can distort our thinking and even alter our memories. If in the past you thought you made a logical argument based on facts or you think you recall precisely precedent events, then it’s time to think again. Chances are that at some point or another your mind has been framed, a process known to psychologists as the framing effect.

    The concept behind this framing effect is simply that the same option presented under different conditions will produce different decisions or perceptions. A phenomenon that can be observed in our everyday life. Is the bottle half full or half empty ? That is not the question. The question is which one you will be more willing to drink when looking to quench your thirst on a sunny afternoon if your friend offered you a half empty or half full bottle of water. Conditions which mean the same thing but if which presented under different contexts might result in different reactions.

    Consider this study conducted in two different scenarios.

    You work for the Disease Control department and there is an outbreak of a deadly disease in a village of 600 people. All 600 people in the town are expected to die if you do nothing. Someone comes up with two programs to help

    With Program 1 : 200 people in the town will be saved.
    With Program 2 : There is a 1/3rd probability that 600 people will be saved, and a 2/3rds probability that no people will be saved.

    Which would you pick ?

    Now consider these two programs :

    With Program 3 : 400 people in the town will die
    With Program 4 : There is a 1/3rd probability that nobody will die, and a 2/3rds probability that 600 people will die.

    Unless your critical thinking skills are superior to those of the average mind or you have been going along with what I have been saying then you most likely picked program 1 and 4. In the study conducted, 72 percent of people picked program 1 and 78 percent of people picked program 4. On close inspection however you will realise that program 1 and 3 mean the exact same thing so do program 2 and 4. The only difference is the way the conditions are presented. So why not pick program 1 and 3 or 2 and 4. In one case 78 percent of people pick program 4 while in another only 28 percent of people picked it, illustrating the framing effect.

     This presents the fact that many of the decisions we make are based on emotions implying that our reasoning is very susceptible to the way in which options are presented or framed. This consequently puts a question mark on human rationality and the extent of its reliability. Economists and marketers have long discovered this loophole in our reasoning and exploited it to their full advantage. We all know the powerful effect that advertising can bring with the way marketers try to make their products or services as attractive as possible.

    In the world of politics is where this concept is most prevalent. Since the dawn of time, politicians have always framed information and presented it to the public with the intended purpose of not only reaching out to us but to our emotions as well with the goal of stirring them to mediate our decisions. Whether it is for inciting the public to vote for one candidate over another in an election, or driving people towards a specific cause. We have known one too many politicians that have been great orators and used this skill to not only control people but also drive them by the numbers to do at times good, but regrettably despicable things as well. This leaves one to consider if their great power and talent didn’t perhaps lie in our greatest weakness.

    This cognitive bias does not only alter our reasoning but also our memories. Emotions play a substantial roll when it comes to recollection of past events. A study conducted by a famous psychologist consisted of having participants watch a traffic accident. They were then questioned about the accident. Some people were asked ‘About how fast were the cars going when they contacted each other ?’ Others were asked the same question but the verb ‘contacted’ was replaced by either hit, bumped, collided, or smashed. So there were 5 different ways of framing the question. Even though all of the participants saw the same film, the wording of the question had an impact on their answers. The speed estimates were 31mph for contacted, 34mph for hit, 38mph for bumped, 39mph for collided, and 41mph for smashed. One week later, the participants were asked whether they had seen broken glass at the accident site. The correct answer was ‘no,’ but 32% of the participants who were given the ’smashed’ condition said that they had. This is evident of the far reaching consequences that framing effects can have on us.

    Framing effects are powerful and can have major influence on us with substantial results. However awareness of the existence of this cognitive bias can prevent us from being controlled by it. Knowledge is power and we can use this to overcome this psychological partiality that we are ceaselessly being subjected to. The next time you listen to a politician, an advert, or even anyone else, remember to always pay attention and ensure that you have the proper rational interpretation.

  • Ambitious music producer aims to open radio station

    He is one of the most experienced producers in Kigali and is presently a renowned connoisseur of the local music industry. .IGIHE.com’s Dianah Mutimura caught up with the famous and ambitious producer popularly known as ‘JP’.
     
    IGIHE.com : who is jp ? Could you tell us about your background ?

    JP: My name is Jean Paul Gatsinda ; I was born in 1982 in Kicukiro in Kigali city. I completed my secondary education at ETO Muhima and completed my IT degree at KIST. I am the third born in a family.of six children though my parents passed away.
     
    Why do you call yourself JP ?

     JP stands for my name Jean Paul. I wanted something which could be easy for people to pronounce. When I was living in Kampala, Ugandans would fail to pronounce my name, which forced me to call myself JP from my original name. 
     
    How long have you been a music producer ?
     
    I have been in the music industry for over ten years now ; I started in 2003 till today.
     
    What kind of music do you produce ?

    I produce different types of music, because I know how to play different instruments such as the guitar, drums, and piano. This gives me the opportunity to be able to produce any music ranging from R&B, rap, Lingala and so many others. Generally, I produce any song which comes my way.
     
    Are you single or are you currently in a relationship ?
     
    Yes, I am dating a special lady in my life and this year, we are getting married. I am very grateful to have her as my fiancée because she has been patient with me for over four years. 
     
    How many artists have you produced in your career both in Rwanda and abroad ? Could you name these artists ?
     
     The list of artists I have worked with is endless, but I can try to mention a few for you. Some of the most famous ones here in Rwanda include Miss Jojo, Kitoko, Rafiki, Miss Shannel. Outside Rwanda, I have worked with Professor J and Ray C, who are both from Tanzania.  
     
    Can you tell me how it was working with Miss Jojo ?

    Miss Jojo is a nice person in music and outside music. When you are doing a song with her, she’s so nice because she always wants to learn new things and listens to advice. Despite her great music career, Jojo is great person with a great sense of humour. I really love working with her. 
     
    What is considered more valuable in being a record producer, education or experience ?

    Being a producer does not need education as you think because it’s a talent. But you need to always read different books about musical instruments and be updated on today’s technology. 

    What are the chances for advancement in the music business and within what timeframe ?

    The chances are very small especially in Rwanda because the music industry here doesn’t have great resources or funding. Most of the time, producers have to sponsor themselves which hinders the advancement of our careers. Personally, this took me ten years.

    When you first started out, did you always work as a producer, or did you start out as something else first ?

    I started as musician in a Congolese band where I played the keyboard and the base guitar at times. From there henceforth, I worked with Makoma during their trips around Africa, and when they left, that is when I started a studio.  

    What would you say the job of being a record producer includes ?

    The job of being a record producer needs someone with ambition, determination, an open mind and focus.

    Could you give us a detailed account of your day to day activities ?

    Actually, during the day, I don’t have too much to do because most musicians record their songs at night, so I can’t know my schedule because it keeps changing.  

    Have you ever worked with other producers ? And who would you consider leaders in the field ? And who inspired you to become a producer ?
    Yes I work with other producers. I have so far worked with Steve Jean the famous producer in Uganda and in Rwanda I am working with DJ little and DJ B. in East Africa. As a leader, I would consider Steve Jean of Uganda. My inspiration comes from international producers like Stevie Wonder and Dr Dre. 

    How do you see the music industry in Rwanda ?

    The music industry is doing very badly. Our major problem is the artists’ lack of creativity. They copy international styles of music, not their own. Am not only talking about the artists, even producers. We are not doing a very good job and that is why we are going to have a meeting with RDB to look for ways of developing our music to reach an appreciative and competitive level. 
     
    What kind of problems do you encounter in this business ?

    Firstly, one of the major problems I encounter is dealing with artists who ignore their contracts after becoming famous. Many of them become a huge disappointment.

    What do you think is the solution to these problems can be ?

    I always give artists that fail to keep up to their contracts a second chance because life goes on and these big companies should allow us producers to advertise because we have all the capability. Why should we see sign posts which portray outside models yet we have our own models ?

    Where do you see yourself in the future ?

     I will be big because I have very many constructive ideas. As I am speaking to you now, I just finished a plan to open a radio station by the end of this year. I think in a few years, I am going to be really famous around East Africa.