The 7 day commemoration of the Genocide against the tutsi marked its closure today at the Gikondo Rebero memorial center. The memorial site which was specifically built in honour of the government officials that died as heroes during 1994 , was host to hundreds of people who came to gather around for one more official tribute to their loved ones. You could tell from the sombre mood of the crowd, to the terrible cries of the survivors reliving their darkest moments, that the anguish that filled people’s hearts was still very present. This showed the ongoing struggle of the atrocious moments that tormented people’s memories.
” It is not just a day of remembrance but also a day of empowerment , a day of unity and recognition to what happened, so as to serve as a learning lesson for working together in unison towards the path to prosperity “. Those were words the President of Ibuka presented as he addressed his speech . “When we are here it is an occasion to look onto the past , so we can plant the right seeds , that will bear the fruit of freedom , truth and love, freeing us from any corruption and oppression”.He went on to say . “ We should be inspired by the heroes that stood their ground amidst the atrocities, simply because they valued themselves and the truth above anything.”
This event portrayed how those heroes had died for this truth , a truth that must not be twisted and it was our responsibility to preserve it and protect it by any means. This was something that was also stressed by the President of Senate in his speech. “Even though it is the end of the commemoration, we should continue to remember and honour those who left us and most importantly to give out a helping hand , to those in need and still in pain. “ Urged the President of Senate as he concluded the event.
The heroes undoubtedly displayed the perfect example of upholding the truth and standing by their dignity, principles which formed the themes of the 17th commemoration of the Genocide against the tutsi,. Even though they had died , what they had died for remained behind . Uwiseze Yvonne , despite not being present during the terrible time , was heavily affiliated with the survivors and victims and had a good insight on this . “ Even though it is impossible to get over what happened , people throughout this long journey have become gradually more resilient . I asked how profoundly she had been affected by the Genocide.?“ I was personally not around when all this happened, but I lost many of family members. We have been struggling together ever since so i am deeply affected.“ Says Yvonne. “ We have come a long way since 1994 and things are still improving for us , we have refused to let our past tie us down.” It was a good display of optimism , resilience and giving value to oneself . This could be seen from even some of the survivors themselves. Kayitesi Clementine was a young girl when she witnessed the massacres . “ I can never forget and I will never get over this.” She says, as tears trickle down her cheeks. “ But what happened is irreversible, i can’t bring them back , i have learnt to try my best to be strong no matter how hard it is.” This was courage in every sense of the word and it still lingered within the broken hearts of the survivors.
This courage was helping them overcome this immense burden that they carried. It was leading them to the right path, a path that was set by the heroes buried at that memorial site. This courage was giving them strength and value. It was mending their broken hearts and helping them take part in rebuilding Rwanda. Even those such as Uwiseze Yvonne, where giving out a helping hand to those in need and honouring those that they had lost. Showing how Rwandans were not only remembering the victims that had perished but also helping out ,serving and contributing in the rebuilding of Rwanda.
Honouring the legacy of our heroes and commemorating our loved ones should not end here. It should be an ongoing reflection that should serve as the tool towards maintaining this powerful truth and giving value to ourselves. Principles which will guide us as we stride on to prosperity and development.
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