First Lady Jeannette Kagame, on Tuesday, June 4, joined elderly survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Huye to commemorate and honour the victims of the genocide.
Speaking at the event that took place at Impingazima hostel, a facility that hosts vulnerable elderly survivors from Huye and Butare districts, Mrs. Kagame told the survivors that it is from them that the country learns resilience.
"We thank you because you are a school from which we learn the resilience we always talk about," she said, recognising them for raising children and being strong enough to contribute to families, despite suffering huge losses.
There are four Impinganzima hostels built by Unity Club in four different districts of the country: Bugesera, Huye, Rusizi and Nyanza.
Altogether, the four facilities host 222 elderly survivors. Of these, 195 are women and 27 are men.
A study carried out by the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (Minubumwe) shows that there are 148 other vulnerable elderly genocide survivors across the country who need to be settled in such homes. However, currently, there are only 45 slots remaining in the facilities.
"When we come to a home like this where there is concrete evidence of our history, we once again look back and recognise the seriousness of the responsibility we have to continue looking for sustainable solutions for the problems that resulted from the genocide against the Tutsi," the First Lady said.
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In his speech, Jean Damascene Bizimana, the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, recognised the difficulty that comes with commemoration for the elderly survivors.
"This is not an easy time for those affected by the genocide because it reminds them of the heavy sorrow and days of great sadness they encountered during the three months of the Genocide against the Tutsi," he said.
"Our parents, you have us; we are here so that we can comfort you," he added.
Scolastique Mukahigiro, an elderly survivor who stays at the Impinganzima home in Huye, gave a testimony of how hard it was to survive amidst being hunted down by government soldiers and Interahamwe, as well as being denied refuge by some of the residents of the area.
After many days of fleeing to various places, she reached Kabgayi from where Inkotanyi rescued her later. But she had lost almost all her family members.
"After the genocide, I lived with a problem of insomnia and headache. But I am so thankful that we were brought to this home where we are being taken good care of and live with fellow elderly survivors," she said.
