Bahoneza – Kinyarwanda, Rwanda Welfare, Social Welfare, Rwanda People, Nutrition and Diet, Rwanda Habitat, Living in Kigali

Dr. Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, president of Ibuka foundation has asks genocide survivors to go back to their places of origin and promote development, saying the economic growth of their area depends on their activeness.

Ibuka President resolved this on July 22^nd 2012 during an event to lay to rest 407 bodies if 1994 Tutsi genocide victims in Musanze district.

Dr. Dusingizemungu stresses: “Be confident, come back here and start projects like staring up schools, hospitals and do tourism businesses like others. The governor and the district mayor will make it easier for you to start businesses. ”.

He added that genocide survivors of Musanze but living outside the district should go back and compete with others on market. There are a lot of opportunities here that one can invest in and become rich, says Ibuka foundation president.

Genocide survivors reveal that genocide in Musanze started in 1991 where Tutsi “Abagogwe” were killed on grounds that they are related to “Ikotanyi”.

On April 7^th 1994, “Abagogwe” were killed to an extent that two children and those that had not spent a night at home were spared, lament Musanze genocide survivors.

Some of the Abagogwe bodies are buried in Busogo genocide memorial centre in Musanze district while other bodies of their genocide victim loved ones are not yet found.

Families which received and took care of orphans of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi have been asked not to use these children’s properties like land and houses for their own benefit in the guise of supporting them. 

This was said by Ndeze Jean Baptiste Kagimbura who represents families that lost their members and loved ones at Rwinkwanvu in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis during the commemoration of health workers and patients at Rwinkwavu hospital.

He said that some families take advantage of being caregivers of genocide orphans and use their properties for their personal gain forgetting the fact that it is what these children will live on in future.

He asked that families that misused the properties of genocide orphans to be followed up and reinstate these properties and asked families that take care of genocide orphans not to do the same mistake of misusing their properties.

This problem mainly affects double orphaned children who are meant to make their own future and the properties they left with by their parents are the only support they have either in paying schools for their siblings and in developing themselves and for daily survival as Kagimbura explained.

Though this problem has already been found in some places, there are no exact numbers of families that did it that is known yet but local leaders were asked to follow up on families that received genocide orphans and find out if those families have ulterior motive behind their kindness.

The administrative of Gatsibo District council has continued togive cows to the 1994 genocide against Tutsi survivors in Girinka program on behalf of FARG so as to ensure their social welfare.

On the 8^th.June.2012, about 12 cows were given to people in Kiramuruzi, Murambi, Muhura and Gasange sectors and were meant to replace cows that were rejected by district administration  because they never fulfilled the required criteria like having 50percent of the type of cows with enough milk production like Friesian cows, being pregnant and having more than 250 Kgs as the veterinarian of Gatsibo district Dr. Erneste Nsigaye explained.

Gatsibo district prepared to give out 25 cows in 2012 and in 2011, 40 cows were given out to the poor and genocide survivors and they were asked to take good care of those cows by feeding them well, drugging them on time and finding them good and clean kraals and to give to their neighbours when they multiply.

Those to get cows are chosen in their villages depending on the most poor among themselves, this will improve their social welfare with time as cows will increase and rotate among people to the extent that everyone will own a cow. Eating habits will be good, good production in farming through use of manure, and a change in economic statuses.

People who are not yet given cows were asked to remain patient as the program is still in process and only pregnant cows are being given so they will give birth soon and be rotated around.

some of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi survivors in Kabgayi in Muhanga district in the Southern Province of Rwanda said that they would like to have a place they can testify to their most difficult situations during the genocide to ease the pain in their hearts but in secrecy.

One of the people who survived at Kabgayi said that during the genocide, many women and girls experienced many traumatic experiences and they wish to have trusted people to talk to about such things so as to ease their pain.

“Some of us women were raped and others were defiled and others were raped with clubs and we wish we could have people to listen to us because we can’t testify about such things anywhere, we wish we could get a secret and trusted place where we could talk about our burdens and maybe we can be relieved.” She stressed.

Janvier Forongo The executive secretary of Ibuka said that this place should be introduced so as to make people who had traumatic experiences to ease them and move on with their lives.

Forongo said Ibuka prepared these places and in almost all sectors in the country there Are Ibuka and AVEGA workers who were trained about listening to people that were hurt and had traumatic experiences in the genocide.

He asked genocide survivors that were traumatized to trust them and give them their testimonies. He also said that because most women and girls were mistreated during the genocide and that’s why they have a day to remember women and girls that were killed during the genocide.

Such a function will be held in Kibirizi in Nyanza district where 350 women were killed and one place where the majority women killed in Rwanda. Alphonse Munyantwari the governor of Southern Province of Rwanda said that Rwandans should help each other to heal because where there is a problem, a solution can be found.

The mayor of Rulindo district has strongly reminded the 1994 Survivors of genocide against Tutsi that have been given houses to work hard for their own property.

Justus Kangwagye said this recently as one of commemoration in Rulindo district saying that though there is a step taken by genocide survivors, they should not be left alone.

“A nice house is one that you will build for yourself and what is worth you, you need to find strength in yourself, you genocide survivor and develop yourself above the level you’re on” he said.

Today, at least every family of a genocide survivor in Rulindo district has a cow and a house but there is a lot that has not been achieved as Eric Rubayita the coordinator of IBUKA in Rulindo district explained.

“We are asking that the genocide survivors be given permanent documents for the houses that they were given. So that they can present them as collateral guarantee and get loans.”  He further commented.

Ibuka in Rulindo district is calling for special treatment for those with chronic diseases resulting from the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.

The leadership of Ibuka in Rulindo district said that though genocide survivors who cannot support themselves are given medicine, there is special treatment and medicine that should be given to those with difficult and chronic diseases.

Eric Rubayita the director of Ibuka in Rulindo district said, “There is a need for special treatment to the people that got chronic diseases due to the genocide, and if nothing is done soon, some people might lose their lives when we still need them”.

He said that there is a way that they are preparing a way for people to get services from big hospitals since some of these diseases are curable.

He thanked FARG that supports and helps genocide survivors who are not able to support themselves in accommodation, education and in medical care.

Some of cows given to victims of genocide against Tutsi

Nine families of 1994 Tutsi genocide survivors in Burera district have received cows for socio-economic development, an event of 12th April 2012.

Ancilla Mukarugwiza, a resident in Rugarama sector and a beneficiary reveals that this cow will improve her social development since he has no other source of income.

“I will have milk for my children, manure and money to cater for my family needs,” adds Mukarugwiza.

Florence Uwambajemariya, Vice mayor for social affairs in Burera district revealed that these beneficiaries had been selected to get cows and fight poverty.

Burera administration talks to genocide survivors in this area to know what the survivors want and help them accordingly, explains Uwambajemariya.

Uwambajemariya narrates that some genocide survivors choose to have small income generating projects while others choose different developmental projects.

Six cows were given to 1994 genocide against Tutsi survivors from Rugarama sector while three were given to genocide survivors in Butaro sector in Burera district.

Kigali- in a bid to reach out to the victims of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the staff of Hotel des Mille Collines have made a commitment to provide support for genocide orphans at Gisimba memorial orphanage.

The commitment was made by the hotel’s General Manager, Alian Rillof in an exercise dubbed “All Together Umuganda”. Rillof said that the orphans will receive various kinds of support every month.

Rillof said that the hotel plans to supply the orphanage with mattresses, bed sheets, and provide internship training at the hotel, for some of the teenage orphans.

During the umuganda exercise, the hotel staff cleaned the compound, gutters, drainage systems, toilets and painted the main dining hall with the help of orphans.

Rillof said that this was part of the major project and commitment of the hotel to share its resources with the orphanage and use the monthly general cleaning exercise (umuganda) to reach out to the community.

“This is the first time the hotel participates in umuganda, and we shall be doing this every month. It is always good to complete what we started and we shall support the orphans in various ways,” he said.

The legal representative of Gisimba orphanage, Damas Gisimba Mutezintare, hailed the hoteliers for their endless support and the growing relationship between the two institutions. He said: “The hotel has always supported the orphans and our relationship of love is sealed whenever we host them for such events.”

The hoteliers and orphans also participated in games, dances and songs after the cleaning exercise which lasted for two hours. The orphans remarked that this event was a sign of love and parental support.

Gisimba orphanage is located in Nyamirambo, Nyakabanda sector and has over 150 orphans who were picked off the streets and abandoned by parents. The orphanage was opened in 1980 by the late Pierre Chrysologue Gisimba- as a way of supporting destitute children in the community.

The 18^th genocide memorial month will start next month, in commemoration of genocide committed against the Tutsi in 1994.

Gicumbi survivors receiving cows

 Over 60 cows of were donated to the families of survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Gicumbi district, last week. The donation is part of the one cow per family programme locally know as ‘Girinka.’  

Deogaratias Mwanafunze the coordinator of one cow per family program in the northern district of Gicumbi said that the cows were donated to poor families through the fund for genocide survivors (FARG).

“We have given cows to selected survivor families who seem to be under privileged than others in a bid to boost their economic and social wellbeing,” said Mwanafunze adding that those who benefited were selected from the Sectors of  Mutete, Muko, Rutare, Ruvune, Bukure, Giti, Kajyeyo, Nyamiyaga and Rwamiko.

Mukandamutsa Daphrose who benefited from the program said that the cow given to her will help her and her neighbors to get milk and manure adding that her social wellbeing will improve as a result.

Those who were given cows were urged to take good care of them so that they can fully benefit from them.

Girinka program (One cow per poor Family) was inspired by the Rwandan culture and initiated by His Excellency the President of the Republic in 2006.