Life Must Go On
Survivors of Rwandan genocide, which took place between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War “Hutu against Tutsi”, Genocide killed approximately 800,000 people. In Kicukiro district of Kigali, Rwanda, the survivors of the 1994 genocide are having a new start. Survivors realized that the cycle of life must go on and they must forgive. Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Mubamubebel Marie, 67, lost her husband and three children in the genocide.She said the state should take care of youth because they easily get influenced and most of the militants in the civil war were young. I asked her how she could live alongside those who killed her family. “You have to forgive,” she answered.Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Marie was pregnant at the time. She thought that’s why the militants did not kill her. Her son was born in 1995. He works now outside Kigali. Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Gaju Jeannette, 44, remembers when her family was killed in the Kabgayi church, where they were hiding. Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Jeannette briefly left her family for water, and came back to find them all gone.Jeannette is now a fruit seller, and searches for another source of income. She has a 16-year-old girl called Bella Ange Nicole. The girl is proud of her country. She says she wishes to have enough money, so that she can help others in need.Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
That tank is source of water where Kicukiro district of Kigali for survivors.Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Kayitiesi Marie Claire, 49, she was 24 years old when most of her family was killed in the genocide. Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Claire managed to escape with her elder sister and two children, one of them was 3 years old and the other was 3-month infant. They Rwandan army saved them and they were re-housed in a new place..Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Claire is holding a picture of her daughter, also talked about forgiveness, saying it is a process that takes time and that she shouldn’t punish or blame a murder’s children for their parent’s crimes. She, however, hopes to move to another place. Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Kicukiro district of KigaliKigali, Rwanda 2019 
Kicukiro district of KigaliKigali, Rwanda 2019 
Makure Berina was 41 years old when she lost three of her four children in the genocide. She is now 66 years old. She said that her family gave her the support she needed to move on.Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Berina is now 66 years old. She said that her family gave her the support she needed to move on.Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Mukantaganzwa Leonile was 10 years old during the genocide. She had 5 brothers, of whom the youngest died of tiredness as they had to move consistently for two weeks. Their father was injured and died later. Their neighbors helped them to escape to Congo as refugees. She returned to Rwanda in 1997. She got married to another survivor in 2008 and got three children. In 2013, she opened a boutique. Kigali, Rwanda 2019 
Leonile is now 35 years old. I asked her if she has ever told her children about the genocide. She said she tries to tell them the whole story gradually and she focuses on the forgiveness part.Kigali, Rwanda 2019
Kigali, Rwanda 2019, I am from Upper Egypt where vendetta is part of traditions. Vengeance is an unfinished circle. I don’t support it but no one can easily forgive.
When I watched videos about the Rwandan genocide, which took place between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War “Hutu against Tutsi”, I got upset and wondered how they survived that and how they could forgive. Genocide killed approximately 800,000 people.
The Genocide Survivors Support and Assistance Fund (FARG) is a parasternal organization that provides vulnerable genocide survivors with support of education, health, shelter, social assistance, and income generation. FARG did great job supporting the Rwandan genocide survivors.
Unlike older women in Upper Egypt, Rwandan women do not encourage vendetta and seems really looking forward to have a better life and new opportunities for them and their children. They feel they must move on and forget about the past.
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