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  • Learning from the past: Building the future

    Many people flock to the motivational and inspiring Kigali Genocide Memorial, operated by Aegis Trust. What many don’t learn on their visit is that there is an educational program running on this site that draws youth from around the country. Igihe.com’s Fiona Gasana learned about the educational experience when interviewing Mr. Jean Nepo Ndahimana, an education officer in Aegis Rwanda’s educational program that is delivered at Kigali Genocide Memorial. 

     IGIHE.com : What is the education program ?

    Mr. Ndahimana : The Aegis Education Program at Kigali Genocide Memorial provides secondary school students a one-day workshop experience. Our program is called ‘learning from the past : Building the future. The program provides an overview of Rwandan history related to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, including a tour of the exhibitions at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. The program also provides a global perspective on genocide using various examples of genocide around the world to explore the causes of genocide and ways of prevention. Finally, the program looks forward, with a focus on critical thinking, problem resolution, working together to build trust among the Rwandans, all of these to achieve social cohesion.

    What is your correlation with the genocide memorial sites ?

     Currently the education program is delivered by Aegis only at the Kigali Genocide Memorial although there are plans to expand the program into all regions of the country and possibly across the borders. Our neighbouring countries have lessons to learn from Rwanda in order to prevent genocide. Visits to regional memorial sites could be incorporated into that outreach program.

    Could you tell us when the education program was put into action and whether it is a permanent program ? 

    The program began in January 2009 and is a permanent program of Aegis Rwanda.

    What are the main purposes of the genocide education ?

    The future of any society depends on its ability to understand and reconcile with its past. Education that provides an opportunity for young Rwandans to learn about their history in a safe and structured manner ; education that supports the values and skills necessary for an inclusive future ; and education that inspires, makes a significant contribution towards peace and security.

    What are the goals and objectives of the education program ? 

    The goal of this program is to focus on social cohesion for the Rwandan society. This is done by fostering values and behaviors that lead to a unified Rwanda. Genocide education explores the past with the hope that a deepened understanding will lead to a Rwandan in which such an event can never again occur.

    Who are the people responsible for creating and sponsoring the educational program ? 

    Credit for this program must be given to Aegis Trust but this program would not be possible without funding by DFID and CIDA. Aegis also developed the exhibitions currently on display at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, manages the Kigali Genocide Memorial site, hosts the Genocide Archive of Rwanda, and has a social program that assists orphan and widow genocide survivors. 

    Which organs do you work with to ensure you fulfill your goals and how do you collaborate ? What roles do these partners play in helping the centre achieve its goals ?

    We operate independently, but with much support within all levels of the educational sector. For example MINEDUC and CNLG are fully supporting our program. Very important to our success is the interest amongst school districts and headmasters in bringing their students to the program. Every year we host information sessions for chosen school districts, after which the headmasters sign on to bring a class. It is this commitment from the school officials that makes it possible for us to achieve our goal.

     Who are the members of the educational team and what are their duties ?

    We have two qualified secondary teachers who deliver the program in the classroom, and are also responsible for the day-to-day administrative tasks required to keep the program going. The educational team also includes the Country Director of Aegis Rwanda, Freddy Mutanguha who himself has a background in education and the CEO of Aegis Trust, James Smith to oversee the program and advise in education regarding prevention of crimes against humanity. 

    The youth of Rwanda are the future of the country. How do you think they benefit from the education program ?

    The students are of the opinion that this is a program that is of benefit to everyone. By following the program they acquire knowledge and skills about the past of their country and help them to take their own responsibility at early age to shape their future and build a much more cohesive Rwandan society. They repeatedly suggest an expansion of the program, mentioning that it should be available to all the students in their school, to youth not attending school, to parents, and all other parts of society, including prisoners. They say that they learn things about their history that they didn’t know and that they feel more able to talk about this with others. One of our students said, “You are sensitising people to have the willingness to build the Rwandan community.” As mentioned earlier, the sessions are of one day in length and I think some of the activities have also been described. I could add that we also have counsellors on our staff, who prepare the youth for their visit to the genocide exhibition and conduct debriefing activities afterwards.

    Could you tell us if any of the students have personally benefited from any of the centres program ?

    Of course we have many examples of students who tell us how they have personally benefited from this program, one student for example told us that he wished he could have the opportunity to bring his mother to the centre, because the history he learnt at home about the genocide was very biased and ill informed compared to the teaching he receives here at the centre.

    How will the centre be working with schools ?

     Once the headmasters have signed up for the program, the school goes through a process of choosing students. Because space is limited, the expectation is that senior students with some leadership experience are given this opportunity on the understanding that they will take what they have learned and share with others.

    How is the education program helpful resource to the national curriculum ? 

    The education program is a resource that enables schools to provide an opportunity to focus on genocide education. Delivering the program at a memorial site and with the exhibitions as a resource, provides an opportunity not only for the students but for the accompanying teachers and head teachers who then are more equipped to address these issues in their classrooms.

    Could you elaborate on how the program helps in the development of the civic education curriculum ? 

    Civic education in Rwanda teaches children from a very young age that in order to have a peaceful nation, a country must first acknowledge its history both past and present and learn how the atrocities that happened here in 1994 can be prevented from ever happening again. However, I must say again our program sits besides the national curriculum but is not integrated into it. We are planning also to develop an outreach program that will provides in-service training to teachers with the hope that it will provide the sensitisationand the skills for them to be as effective as possible in teaching curriculum related to genocide and social cohesion.

    How does the education program contribute to peace and reconciliation in Rwanda ?

    By educating these students we are building a stronger and wiser generation in our country. These students will be the ones to make sure their country maintains peace and unity and reconciliation. We make a contribution by raising awareness about the consequences of exclusion and division with the objective to encourage social cohesion and reconciliation in order to prevent the most extreme version of exclusion Genocide.

    Recently, a case was reported of a man claiming that the people were not responsible for the genocide instead claiming this should have been apportioned on the Habyarimana establishment. How do you deal with instances of genocide denial like this ?

     We make an appeal to our students to open their minds to our history and to open their hearts to each other. We also focus on critical thinking – encouraging the students to think for themselves what they hear about the past and what they hear in the present – and we also hold a value on individual responsibility for actions.

    What challenges do you encounter ?

    Financial challenges are large to keep this program running and to insure its expansion. Also, it’s a challenge for schools to have funds to bring the students here.

    How successful has the program been up to this day, Could you name some of the achievements the education program has successfully implemented since it began ?

    Since the first classes in January 2009 we have had more than 5000 students come and we are fully booked for the upcoming academic term. The daily evaluations are always positive, with comments on the respect with which every student is received, on a welcoming environment and on how important the class was for them. In the last term of this year we are implementing a follow-up evaluation and we look forward to measure what has been the impact of this program in terms of social cohesion and trust among the students and we are expecting to complete this evaluation by the end of the year.

  • Upcoming Rwandan artists speak about their future

    Rwanda’s music industry continues to flourish with more youngsters joining the stage to take the industry to a higher level. IGIHE.com’s Dianah Mutimura spoke to some upcoming local artists about their dream, the music industry, and challenges it faces. Below are the excerpts.

    Joliss Peace
    He is a 20-year old singer currently in senior six at Don Bosco, a high school in Eastern Province. His stage name is Joliss Peace but his fans call him ‘Peace’. Joliss wants to be famous and he is determined to take the local music industry to the next level. As a student, he says his main challenge is to combine studying and singing but he loves both.

    His love for music dates back in his childhood. He says when he was young ; he used to attend concerts with his mother, something that increased his interests for music.

    In primary six, Joliss started writing songs and he named his first song ‘Mpamagara’ meaning ‘call me. The song was released last year and became a hit. Tigo, a mobile company is now using it a caller tune. Joliss believes that the local media industry has a role to promote
    the music industry. This could be done by playing local songs on the
    radio stations.

    Life
    Life is a new group, which emerged early this year. It is composed of two young male singers Serge Gatsinzi and Audace Willy Mucyo. Serge is known for his song ‘Mbwire iki umukunzi, and Amapingo y’Urukundo. Local radio stations play these songs often.

    Before forming the group, Gatsinzi and Mucyo were friends and created the group ‘life’ after realizing that they shared passion for music.

    They have so far recorded their first single ‘Ndibaza’ and they are currently working on their second song expected to be released next month.

    Unlike Mucyo, Gatsinzi plays guitar. He says he has played guitar for the past 12 years. “I’m so in love with the guitar”.

    On the other hand, Mucyo is a songwriter and a dancer. He says he is currently on a level where he can teach dancing. He sings in hip-hop style. The group has worked with Producer Nicolas, the owner of Bridge Record, based in Kigali and is currently working with Lick Lick, the leading producer in Rwanda who owns Unlimited Record.

    Life believes that the local music industry should be valued like other sectors and this could help develop it.

  • Government to put up cultural centre

    The government has announced plans to build a national cultural centre in Gahanga sector, Kicukiro district with construction works scheduled to start next year.

    The national cultural centre will be equipped with a library, stage performing theatre, movie theatre and exhibition stalls to display cultural products among others.

    “This will not only be a national theatre but a one stop cultural centre since it will be equipped with different cultural materials,” Jean Pierre Karabaranga, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Sports revealed.

    “At a moment, we cannot tell how long this process will take because the study is not yet done,” the Permanent Secretary explained, adding that once the construction process starts, it would not take long to be accomplished since it has been one of the major projects earmarked on the ministry’s seven year plan.

    The ministry observed that it was imperative to have such cultural centrers hence the plan to have at least one well equipped centre. He added that this was the first time the proposal featured in the ministry’s action plan.

    “We were not taking it as a big issue because we thought people would use other centres but we have now found it is necessary,” Karabaranga said.

    For many stage performers, it has been challenging since they had no special place to execute their activities which forced them to hire halls in private institution’s halls, which at times would either be too small, booked for other functions or too expensive to rent.

    “Most of the time, our performances are commissioned by other institutions and this is not because, we cannot have self-sponsored performances and deliver good and interesting messages to the people, but it’s because we have no facility specifically for such performances and this hinders our popularity and development,” Hope Azeda, Mashirika’s founder and Artistic Director told IGIHE.com in an interview.

    With the acting and the theatre scene still embryonic, few professional groups have managed to survive and this has led to slow progress of performing arts in the country.

    The Managing Director, Urunana Development Community, George Gahenda reiterated that lack of a cultural centre was a big hindrance towards their development, though they had tried to rectify the problem by moving to the local communities to deliver their message besides conducting radio shows. 

  • Job market in need of vocational skills

    A rush for white-collar jobs has led many to be unemployed simply because they believe its fancy and well paying yet vocational skills are in high demand perhaps due to the robust economic growth in the country.

    Even though there are few vocational institutions presently, there is still low interest in the sector among the majority. It seems people have not grasped the advantages. Similar skills are associated with illiterate people, which is rather a misnomer.

    It is due to this wrong mindset that the youth who are the most affected by lack of employment ; need to be encouraged on vocational skills while still in college. In neighbouring countries like Kenya and Uganda, this concept has attracted people to vocational training institutions as a lucrative option after high school, rather than institutions of high school failures.

    This also goes hand in hand with career guidance which should be provided at early stages of a students learning with general emphasis on the market demand for vocational skills and knowledge thus enabling students to determine and make better career choices. 

    Applied skills including carpentry and joinery, building, brick making, computer repair, auto mechanics, biogas construction, electrical installation, plumbing, creative art and crafts, etc are on high demand in the Rwandan market currently experiencing a construction boom including complementary services.

     However, the country’s youth have not realised the unequalled demand for vocational skills since most of them and their parents prefer direct entry into university after high school to pursue degrees despite their usefulness in the market thereafter.

    It also due to the wrong mindset that guardians continue to privately sponsor their children to study for expensive but spurious university degrees leaving their children unemployable in the competitive job market.

    Although the government has recently been encouraging the youth to join vocational institutions, the idea is not attractive to them. Acquiring a university degree is more appealing to both the youth and their parents.

    However, with a few vocational institutions like Kavumu Technical College and Eto Muhima, there is still a challenge on learning equipment hence the need for more modern facilities and harmonisation of training standards with those in the region while encouraging accreditation and exchange programs with international institutions.

    Cultural attitudes on the other hand are a huge impediment towards encouraging female youths to take up training in specific traditionally male biased vocation schools including carpentry, construction, electrical installation, para-veterinary, auto mechanics among others.

     Certainly, more female students should be encouraged to join vocational institutions to help improve their employability thus increase their self-reliance and standards of living. This would also discourage demeaning female dominated vocations including prostitution.

    Meanwhile, the privatisation era has overhauled operations in the entire market systems and required basic knowledge and skills. This calls for addition of new modules and subjects in the college and university syllabus to ensure production of graduates with skills compliant with the market demands. 

    Specific subjects including mathematics, environmental management, entrepreneurship and research and principle vocational subjects such as carpentry, plumbing, technical drawing, cookery, agribusiness, among others should be included into mainstream college syllabus.

    High school graduates with the above knowledge and skills will be more productive especially in applying such highly needed skills and knowledge in the undeveloped countryside market. Their ability to create jobs is so high thus could help in quick social economic transformation of the society unlike university graduates that are mostly job seekers.

    The country’s industrialisation program should be quickly implemented to encourage attractiveness of skills training at vocational institutions .building a rice factory for instance in a particular village, the accruing demand for services including accommodation, restaurants, shops, transport, welding, building, hair salons among others, will be handy and thus encourage the youth to acquire relevant vocational skills.

    Equipping the youth with vocational skills would easily curb rural-urban migration challenges. Youth with such skills can easily operate from their rural areas, achieve more financial independence and reduce on poverty related problems experienced in the rural areas.

    However, the government needs to create a more conducive environment that promotes small and medium enterprises common in markets with abundant vocational skills. The laws on starting business and taxes on such businesses need to be carefully considered to encourage entrepreneurship.

    Supportive infrastructure especially electricity, roads and water should be expanded to the deeper countryside to encourage projects established by youths with such skills. The current unattractiveness of vocational institutions is largely due to inadequate infrastructure in the rural countryside.

    The few youths with vocational skills find it challenging to establish projects and businesses in the countryside largely lacking electricity, roads and other support infrastructure. This situation forces them to migrate to urban centres where such infrastructure is available and dependable. 

    Finally, if Rwanda heeds to the proper development and expansion of vocational institutions, a large percentage of the country’s youth would improve their innovativeness, increase financial independence, reduce unemployment and thus boost the private sector. There should be an overhaul of the country’s education system through emphasising vocational skills training and making it appealing to the youth while at high school and establishing supportive infrastructure. 

  • Inkotanyi’s role in the genocide rescue activities, part 1

    Though the RPF soldiers (Inkotanyi) might not have saved everyone on time during the Tutsi genocide, those who were saved narrate the heroism exerted by the peace-aimed soldiers led by President Paul Kagame. Igihe.com brings you an insight of some of the rescue operations conducted in the city.

    Chantal Mukanyandwi, 35, is one of the survivors who were rescued by RPF soldiers at Saint Famille church located in the city’s main roundabout. She and her family run for refuge at the church hoping the militias would spare them as was the case in the 1959 war where militias spared Tutsis who hid in religious centers.

    Venant Ntabwomvura, 80, a doctor at the Butare University Hospital noted that the reason why many saw churches as safe heavens was because the majority respected religious institutions and associated them to holly grounds thats why militias in the first war feared to attack those who camped in churches.

    The lady further explains that some of her neighbors also took refuge in the church’s enclosed premises where priests and nuns lived. They thought militias would still refrain from the known holly grounds but on contrary the evil minded killers didn’t care at all instead they took advantage of the Tutsi gatherings in the church to pursue mass murder on them.

    Mukanyandwi adds that, “at the beginning of April militias came daily to pick people who we suspect were killed since no one ever came back. Whenever we asked their whereabouts they told us that they were taken for questioning which sounded suspicious,” she remarks.

    In addition to mystery, city leaders were often accompanied by militias in taking away some of the Tutsis who were hiding in the church. Among the prominent leader who was seen in the operations was Tharcisse Renzaho who was the mayor, Odette Nyirabagenzi a councilor from Nyarugenge sector was also among the local leaders in the clique.

    To make matters worse, the leaders would on several occasions trick them that the situation was controlled, but too bad some believed in their mere lies which made them loose their lives when they left the church on 16 June 1994. The mayor had faked that peace had prevailed and that everyone should go back to their respective homes. Due to this trap Mukanyadwi claims to have lost the majority of her family members.

    On the following day the blood-thirst militias broke into the church and killed a good number of people, she was lucky since she hid herself with wounded bodies, “my God the church was full of corpses,” she recalled.

    The militias break-in was no surprise since the catholic priest Wenceslas Munyenshaka used to organize masses as a way of inviting militias who would indentify those to kill next. It is also known that the priests made sure that those hiding were present during the preaching sessions.

    To make matters worse, the priest also ordered a good number of huge pits to be dug at the church’s backyard and since it was done in secrecy, no journalist nor UN peace keeping soldiers were allowed to see what was going on, when asked the priest would simply lie that the pits were to be used as toilets. But literally the pits served as graves.

    Killings went on and militias would often commit atrocities in the church, “I remember one day they came and shot people randomly, the anger was a result of a successfully rescue operation conducted by RPF soldiers,” Mukanyandwi comments.

    Igihe.com further talked to some of the Inkotanyi soldiers who are now serving in the Rwanda Defense Forces about some of the rescue activities in the city. Major Gerald Nyirimanzi in charge of Military History Department was together with Major Emanuel Rusakara at a rescue operation at Saint Famille. He noted that among the reasons why they started the war was to rescue and remove an oppressive regime which carried out the genocide. In an interview with igihe.com they told us how they conducted the rescue process.

    Major Nyirimanzi noted that they immediately rescued Tutsis who were hiding at Saint Famille after receiving intelligence reports that there were plans to kill them. RPF mission was to rescue and restore peace in the country, Tutsis who were in the country during the war at least they had heard about the Inkotanyi’s initiatives through Radio Muhabura which was used by the rebels to communicate their plans about Rwanda’s development.

    The small team of soldiers had to find all means to rescue the Saint Famille victims despite the large presence of militias surrounding the church. Of course penetrating through the militias required some skills and among the tricks they used concentrated on corrupting the enemy’s radio communication system. Nyirimanzi noted for instance they tricked that the RPF soldiers were about to attack the presidents house, the aim was to disorganize the large number of militias at the church with the majority rushing to the presidents house, the trick worked and the Inkotanyis fought their way into the church. 

    Major Nyirimanzi disclosed that the rescue operation was a challenge since the victims hesitated to open the door even after explaining to they came in peace , it seems they didn’t trust them given that in the past militias have used a similar statement. Inkotanyis didn’t spend much time on the doors since they were working on a deadline hence they proceeded to rescue those who were hiding in neighboring Sainte Paul premises, here the rescue process was fair since they broke windows and saved those who were inside including the ones hiding in nearby bushes.

    Rescuing those in the city centre also required more military coverage in other suburbs. In this respect a group of soldiers attacked from Gisozi sector were later on supported by a battalion known as Bravo from H Coy three platoons. The first platoon was in charge of taking the lead while the second platoon was assigned to rescue people at Saint Paul premises which is close to Saint Famille Catholic Church and the third took the back cover and also assisted soldiers and civilians who were affected in several cross-fires with the militias. The soldiers rescued more than 500 people who were taken from Gisozi to Kabuye for treatment.

    The major added that ”saving everyone wasn’t easy because they were some who wanted to carry their property along which delayed the rescue process elsewhere . It is due to this delay that some military police from the militia side started shooting at the RPF soldiers in various parts of the city. The crossfire led to injuries of some of the rescued people which made even some to halt their movement due to serious injuries. Those who were left in the swamps were rescued the previous night..

    The rescue process from the city’s Catholic Church and Saint Paul wasn’t the only operations in the city. Details about other hiding spots and how the saving process was conducted will be disclosed in our second part of the story. The second series will highlight rescue activities at Stade Amahoro, Sainte Andre in Nyamirambo and Rebero.

  • 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.