The culture troupe is the group of young boys and girls, 56 members strong (and growing) that performs traditional Rwandan dancing, singing and drumming. They are a source of pride and joy for the center and are truly talented. The best part are their smiles as they perform.
Based on an idea from Jackson, some of the mothers of members of the troupe have begun coming to the center 5 days per week to make handicrafts: traditional Rwandan baskets and woven bags to raise funds for the center. Our delegation was their first round of customers and Karen Gruber nearly emptied their shelves of baskets that she plans to use as centerpieces at the upcoming fundraiser her family holds for MCW Jacqueline’s Human Rights Corner and MCR in October. I also believe she is using some for gifts (and wants to keep some for herself as well).
The woman behind both of these exciting initiatives is Yvonne Makariugema, a beautiful woman with a big, welcoming smile.
Yvonne’s dream for the center and its surrounding area can be summed up in one word: development. She says that everything we do at the center is for that one goal and I agree with her. I asked her why the culture troupe was so important and she outlined many reasons for me: (1) to have kids gather together in a positive and safe environment (and not on the street), (2) for the kids to feel confident, laugh together, develop friendships and have pride in their talent, (3) the songs and dances convey important messages like treating each other fairly, respecting your elders and your culture, giving back to your community etc.
When I asked Yvonne what being in charge of these programs means to her, I was so encouraged by her answer. She says that being the leader of these programs gives her pride. She takes great pride in having a skill and talent that she can then train other community members in. She also takes pride in being trusted by Jackson and the MCR team as well as by the entire MCW community to take on these responsibilities. Providing leadership opportunities to talented, energized and loving community members like Yvonne is something that I personally and professionally admire MCW for, and Yvonne is a perfect example.
Before I concluded my short interview with Yvonne, I asked if there was anything else she would like to add. She said “yes, I want to tell you how happy I am that your group came to visit us. It showed us that we still have the support of so many people and gives us hope and makes us want to work hard”.
Wow. Yvonne just told me in one sentence that all of our hard work paid off…based off of her impressions and reactions of our trip, I think we can call it a success.
Do you agree?
MCR’s English teacher Steven Shyaka (profiled later) was so generous to let me come to his class and conduct a short program to learn more about his students. I prepared some questions to ask them and the idea was for the exercise to serve as a way for the students to practice their English comprehension and speaking while I engage them and hear their ideas and thoughts about the center. Steven and Jackson helped introduce me to the group. I recognized nearly all the students from my previous visits to the center, which meant that they all recognized me. I explained that I was able to stay in Rwanda a few extra days and wanted to spend the time with them. I told them that my job was to take pictures and write about the trip and about what is going on the center so I can report back to my colleagues in New York as well as to potential supporters of the center. Then I just started going through my questions…below are some of the highlights:
Q: Why did you decide to take this English class?
A: One student said “English is the language of business”, which is a quote you will see later in my profile of English teacher Steven. I think the students learn much more than English from him. An older woman, a mother answered in English “I am learning English for my children, they are proud of me and I want to teach them”.
Q: What does the center mean to you and your community?
A: Students told me that they were excited to have the center in the community because it is a place “to gather, to keep busy, to learn skills and to have fun”. One student said that he didn’t know very much about the center until our community reception on August 18th .He said he used to just come to take the class, but now he understands that the center is for the whole community and he wants to get more involved. (Yay!).
Q: What are your dreams for the center?
A: The students had so many ideas and were competing to have their voices heard. Some of their ideas included having a playground, a sports field, chicken farming, a driving school, a class for hotels and tourism and a preschool.
Q: What does it mean to have Jacqueline Murekatete support the center and come visit with a group from the US?
(My favorite answer) A: The first students to answer expressed a lot of appreciation that Jacqueline decided to build a center in the Bugesera District although that wasn’t where she was born. They understood that she chose this area because it had so many survivors and she wanted to help them. I got the impression that the students felt very privileged and special that a Rwandan survivor in the US thought about them even though it wasn’t the same area that she was born…the premise was more powerful than I would have thought. Then, a young man stood up and although he began to answer in Kinyarwanda, Steven told him “I know you can speak English, try to answer in English”, so he did. “She is a hero, she is a patriot, she has love, a love that has no limit” he said as I held back my tears. He continued, “because we respect her so much we never want to do something to make her disappointed, we want to try and make her proud”. All I could think about was how touched Jacqueline would feel when she heard this. To be honest, I didn’t know how to tell her, so I just told her that the students said some beautiful things about her and that she must keep an eye out for my blog. So I think she is reading this just as you are…(Hi, Jacqueline!)
Then I decided to open up the floor for the students to ask me questions about myself. The first question from the floor came from a handsome young man named Jean-Claude who asked “do you have a boyfriend?”. After we all finished laughing and I finished blushing, we continued.
Students asked me about my favorite music and my favorite food and then they asked if I had a family, a question that has been hard for me to answer every time it has been asked to me in Rwanda. “Yes” I replied “I have a mother, a father, a sister and a dog”. They laughed, but in my heart I was feeling grateful and guilty and homesick and the need to stay longer all at the same time. Then they asked “What is your favorite thing about Rwanda?” I wasn’t sure how to answer, but I told them “My favorite thing about Rwanda is that I am learning about many bad things as well as many good things, about a difficult past and a bright future, that I have had some painful times and some very fun times” and it is this dichotomy in Rwanda that has made it so memorable and unique for me. Of course, the lovely people, the delicious food and the absolutely unmatched beauty of the landscape also help.
Finally, after having a few exchanges back and forth (with a lot of laughing), they asked for my facebook name. I wrote it on the blackboard. I explained to them that the middle name was a nickname I received while living in South Africa. Then the kids started talking back and forth in Kinyarwanda and Steven explained that they were saying that if I got a nickname in South Africa, I must also get a nickname from Rwanda. The kids brainstormed a few named and settled on my new name: Gikundiro. Which, I am told means “lovely” and what a gift (and self-esteem booster) that was! A nickname is a perfect souvenier to take home with me and it was a very touching way to end my exercise
Solange, 19 years old, is a student in the tailoring class. She is a star student, in fact. This is why she was selected as my personal tailoring teacher when I decided (was forced by Jackson) to try my hand at tailoring. After my visit to the tailoring class, Jackson and I went to walk to lunch and she accompanied us as her house was in the same direction (she walks about one hour each way to attend class five days per week). This was my perfect opportunity to get to know her, with Jackson translating for us, of course. I asked her how long she had been taking the tailoring class. Jackson told me she had been one of the original students and has been taking the class for about 7 months. She was quick to add that she has only missed one day of class when she was sick, but that was it!
She told me that her favorite part of the tailoring class is that when she tries hard, she really understands and in fact, excels. She has a real talent for tailoring and combined with her work ethic and mentoring from the teacher, she has a real recipe for success. After graduating from the class, she wants to get a job to earn some money of her own. Her big dream, though, is to own her own workshop with about 10 sewing machines and help employ others from her community. I shared with her that my father’s biggest wish for his children was that they worked for themselves one day and that I think he would be very proud of her too. Of course, I don’t know exactly how this made her feel, but her smile told me that I got my message through.
I was so fortunate to have several extra days in Rwanda after the rest of our group departed. Of course, I decided to spend this time with Jackson at the center. I saw this as my real opportunity to connect one on one with the people there and really try to capture their work and their voices to share with all of you.
When we arrived at the center in the morning, the Tailoring class was already going on, so this is where I started. Jackson brought me into the class and helped me to introduce myself and my purpose to the class. I took some photos and then watched a student create a miniature version of a beautifully tailored skirt (which I was given as a souvenier).
Then, I hear Jackson say something in Kinyarwanda and the kids started to laugh and clap. Uh-oh. Just as I suspected, Jackson wanted to get me on one of those beautiful manual sewing machines even though my only experience with tailoring was sewing my own sleeve to the table cloth when trying to hem it.
Solange (profiled later) was chosen to be my tutor and before I knew it I was pressing my feet down on the pedal trying to make a steady motion. I thought that would be the extent of my lesson, but no, Jacqueline, the tailoring teacher wanted to test out my skills (on scrap material of course). After causing a few jams, I was able to create a pretty straight double hem, and was extremely proud of myself!
Then, I had about 10 minutes to ask the class some questions. First, I asked them why they decided to join the tailoring class. Two different girls answered me and both said that they had to leave school and knew that they needed to learn a skill to make some money for their families. This class seemed to be the perfect fit. An elderly man was also taking the class and he explained that he was unemployed and really wanted to make some money to support his family; we were all so happy and proud that he was in the class. Michael, the singer and dancer from the Democratic Republic of Congo who I profiled in a previous post, also expressed his desire to acquire a valuable skill from which he can make money and draw pride. Got it. This was not a hobby, but an opportunity for people to make something of their lives.
What were their dreams for their sewing class? This was easy: new sewing machines! They explained that now that the center has electricity they hope to get some electrical sewing machines which are much more efficient than the manual ones and able to do different types of tailoring. There are also a variety of sewing machines available and the class would love to have diverse types of machines so they can practice all of their skills.
What were their dreams for the center in general? Almost every student said that they would love a sports court outside (and there is plenty of room for one). Some said they wanted to play volleyball, some said basketball, soccer, etc. But it was clear that they wanted to be able to play some sports at the center, which I also think could add a whole new level of attraction and value to the center.
Then, before I left, one of the students raised their hand and shared her dreams for the class: A success strategy after graduation. She (and the other students) want to receive some support when they actually seek employment after graduation. This could either be through creating partnerships with local businesses, creating a network of employers, developing an outlet for them to conduct work from the center etc. Jackson shared with me that an exit strategy is something that the center is already working on and thinks is very important.
The program started with Jacqueline, Alphonse Nkuranga of the National Youth Council and the Deputy Mayor of Bugesera District and ceremoniously cutting the ribbon to officially welcome the community and begin the program. Then, Country Coordinator Jackson Vugayabagabo introduced our delegation and our guests of honor to the community explaining why we were here and sharing his goals for the center. He outlined all of the programs at the center and explained that they want to focus on vocational training and enterprise developing activities in the future. With his signature enthusiasm and charm, Jackson got the community excited about the programs to come.
 Then, we were delighted by another performance from the dance group. Some of us are even learning the moves! Afterwards, the kids at the center performed a series of skits that they wrote about all of the programs offered at the center and what the center means to them. They had a skit about students in the sewing course, students in the IT course, students learning English etc. The most moving one was about the Survivors Group—it showed members going through turmoil and depression and how through the group, they began to find happiness . Of course, all of these performances were in Kinyarwanda, but the center’s English teacher Steven was sitting nearby and he translated and answered my questions. The performances were such a hit with the community that at points the laughter was uncontrollable! There were also some short skits just meant for comedy and they really added an element of joy and excitement to the program and helped keep the audience engaged.
Victor Gruber was next to speak. He explained his background and how he and Jacqueline first met. He and his kids Yaritza and Marty were in New York and actually walked into Jacqueline on the street on their way into a program at the Museum of Tolerance New York. Once they sat down, they saw that Jacqueline was one of the survivors telling her story. Victor was incredibly moved by her story and her energy and personality, but the kids (around 5 and 7 at the time) were crawling all over him and hugging him and sleeping on him. After the program, Jacqueline spoke privately to Victor and told him that she used to hug her father the way Marty and Yaritza were hugging him. And then Victor said “Well, I cannot be your father, but I can be here to give you a hug any time you like”. This is when something amazing happened. As soon as Jackson translated that line into Kinyarwanda, the entire audience gasped and made an audible “awwww” and some started to clap. While of course I knew the community was listening to the speech, I couldn’t be how much they were actually taking in or how closely they were following. That instant reaction gave me the answer I was looking for: they heard us; they heard our message; we connected with them. Victor told the community “this is your center; it is up to you to make sure the center is successful and remains a source of light for your community”.
When Jackson introduced Jacqueline to speak, I got choked up. I know how anxious she had been about this day and this moment and that nothing meant more to her that having a successful event and pleasing the community. She told her story and explained all of the work that has gone into building the center. While not everyone would have picked up on it, her voice quivered and she also got quite emotional. Victor Gruber says “I have seen Jacqueline speak in many different settings for many years and this was the first time I ever saw her cry”. This really speaks to how seriously she sees her role and the role of the community center in the community. She also told the community that she and her colleagues in New York were very upset to hear that the center was called “The AmericanCenter” and told them that this was not true, that this is their center. A message that was really central to everything we did that day
Also to speak were the Deputy Mayor, a representative from the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports and our guest of honor, Alphonse Nkuranga from the National Youth Council, who invited Marty Gruber to stand with him. These three important community figures expressed their support for the center, their appreciation for our delegation coming to visit and encouraged the community to make full use of the center to empower themselves. Our guest of honor then closed the program by presenting Victor (as a representative of our entire delegation) with a beautiful Rwandan basket as a token of appreciation from the people of Rwanda.
After the program, Jackson gave a tour of the community center andwe all had the opportunity to spend time with the kids. It was easier to connect to the kids today than when we came previously because they had much more background and understanding of us. We joked, we sang, danced to the drums in the background and asked questions of each other. It was the perfect way to end a long but successful and moving day at the MCR Center.
Today, over 500 community members attended our Community Reception and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it went. First, Mimi Salzman, an artist from New York, conducted an art class for about 40 children. This was her idea to help the children express themselves and to give the center something to brighten up the walls. The kids made a quilt. Each child got a square of fabric, some markers and some stick-on jewels and made some beautiful self-portraits. Mimi ended the lesson with handing out some candy, which the kids loved. I caught the kids standing and staring at the quilt throughout the day and I know they appreciate it. The best part was watching Mimi and her assistants for the day Karen and Yaritza Gruber interact with the kids and work together with them to create something beautiful. Take a look at some of Mimi's artwork on her website: http://mimisaltzman.com/
Then it was time for our stakeholder reception where we brought together all of the people from the U.S. and from Rwanda who have played a part in making the center a success. In attendance was the chief of police and deputy mayor of the Bugesera District, Januarie, the head of the electrical company that helped electrify the center, Gabo Wilson, the head of the Survivors Fund (SURF), Freddy Matuhunga from the Kigali Genocide Memorial as well as our good friends Innocent, Ferdinand and Steven. Jackson and Jacqueline made a few remarks to thank everyone for their hard work and introduced everyone in attendance. Everyone had the chance to network and discuss ways to work together to bring the center forward. We enjoyed drinks and appetizers together and discussed the programs at the center and the upcoming ceremony.
Then it was time for the main event. I could hardly believe my eyes when we left the classroom where we were having the stakeholder reception and I saw how many people had come. Nearly 400 people were seated in chairs under the tents and about 100 more came as the program was going on. There were kids, young adults and the elderly, all from the surrounding Kayenzi area. They were all dressed in beautiful African dresses and had smiles on their faces. We were very excited, but we also felt the pressure to deliver a successful event to the community...
Sometimes the most worthwhile experiences are completely unplanned, and this was certainly the case today when on our way home from the King's Palace in Nyanza, we decided to stop at the orphanage where Jacqueline survived the genocide.
Quick Background: Jacqueline was 9 years old and visiting her grandmother several villiages away from her home when the genocide broke out. Because one of the first rules to be implemented in the genocide was that Tutsis could no longer travel, Jacqueline was unable to return home. She ran to several hiding places seeking shelter with her Grandmother, but all were deemed unsafe. Her grandmother heard of an orphanage run by Italian priests that was taking in Tutsi children to protect them. The orphanage was not accepting any adults as it was too risky, so Jacqueline's grandmother made the choice to bring Jacqueline there as it was her best chance of survival, although it meant being separated from her beloved granddaughter. That was the last time Jacqueline and her grandmother saw each other. Jacqueline survived many raids in the orphanage and was eventually rescued by a surviving uncle and made her way to the United States to live with an uncle there.
Since we would be passing the orphanage on our journey today, we decided we could stop by and take a few photos....it turned in to a lot more. When we first arrived, we didnt see any children. Jacqueline gave us a quick tour. She showed us the cafeteria where they ate. This was also the place that she was gathered, along with about 300 other children by Hutu soldiers on many occasions, who told the kids that they were snakes and cockroaches and would be killed. Jacqueline said that the Hutu soldiers would also make them sing Hutu victory songs, just to torment them. Below the cafeteria was a small cave area where Jacqueline and the other 300 kids would hide from upcoming attacks. She told us that many of the children were injured before they came to the orphanage and some died every day. She pointed to the area where they would be burried.
I asked Jacqueline: "Did you make any relationships with any of the other kids in the orphanage?" and she said "we were from all different parts of the country, and we were not worried about what each other's names were or if we were to become friends...all we thought about was if we were going to die that day". She told us that the Italian priests (one of whom is still alive and who Jacqueline is trying to get in touch with) would bribe the Hutu soldiers every time they came with food or money. By the end of the genocide, the kids had nothing left to eat because all of the orphanage's resources were used to prevent the kids from being massacred.
I was talking to Gini, Karen and Ross Gruber and we were all marvelling at Jacqueline's strength and poise as she showed us a place that represents the most horrifying time in her life. I felt like Jacqueline wasn't worried about her own emotions, rather, she just wanted to give the group an amazing experience and answer all of our questions. I remarked to Nate Crossley that the orphanage, surrounded by rolling green hills, seemed so peaceful now, and it was hard to imagine the horrors that occurred right where we stood. As soon as I remarked about how quiet it was....the kids came home from school.
About 50 kids walked up to our group and each and every one of them looked us in the eye and shook our hands and said "hello". To break the ice we were all trying to communicate with one another as best we could not speaking the same language. I pointed out "Christiano Ronaldo" on the back of one of the boys' shirts and talked about some soccer teams I knew of in Africa, for example. But then, Victor Gruber and Mimi Salzman came up with a great idea...and they just started to sing a song. A Beatle's song in fact: Rocky Ragoon and the kids absolutely loved it! According to Victor's kids, this is his favorite song and he sings it all the time.
This sparked a new idea and I started to name some famous musicians, asking if the kids knew them. I tried Michael Jackson, who is incredibly famous in South Africa, but I didnt get a response. Then a shy young girl said "Justin Bayva", and I knew she was talking about teen pop sensation Justin Bieber. Quietly I just sang one line of his song "Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh" to show her I knew what she was talking about...and the crowd went wild! The kids started screaming and laughing and completely surrounded me. Yaritza and Marty Gruber joined me in the center of the circle and we did our very best rendition of the song. I was so happy to finally make a connection with these kids! They had such huge smiles on their faces and I felt accepted immediately.
After the sing-a-long, we were invited (or dragged by the hand) to go play volleyball with some of the kids. There was just a lot of laughing, a lot of hand shaking and joking around...and I can speak for the whole group when I say that it warmed our hearts.
I have visited several different orphanages in Africa and I always leave heartbroken and depressed...but this time was different. There is so much hope for these kids. Jacqueline was one of these kids. She is one of these kids. And now she is one year away from a law degree and has made a wonderful life for herself in New York and does amazing work in the name of Rwanda and Survivors every single day. I tried to explain to some of the kids that Jacqueline, the stunning young women with this big group from the US lived in this very same orphanage during the genocide. Whether they understood me or not, I am sure that the staff will explain it to them and they will not have any choice but to be inspired. As we left, some of us donated some money to the Director of the orphanage and Jacqueline suggested that they buy food and drinks for the kids in the name of our group.
Back on the bus, it was an absolutely unanimous opinion that this was the highlight of the trip and a day that none of us will ever forget.
...and it wasn't even on the itinerary.
Today, after we had an uplifting and inspiring experience at the MCR Community Center, our group visited one of the most graphic memorials of the genocide in Rwanda, the Nyamata Church Memorial.
The Nyamata Church Memorial in the Bugesera District of Rwanda (about 5 minutes from the MCR Community Center) is a Catholic Church where thousands of Tutsis sought refuge from the killing in their community during the genocide. This was very common throughout the country at the time, as Rwandans believed that a church would be a safe haven. According to Freddy Matanguha of the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, churches were used as weapons of the genocide. It is known now that it was tragically common for priests and other Catholic Church representatives to actually aid the Hutu Genocidaires to find and massacre the Tutsis. There are reports that priests helped compile lists of the Tutsis in their churches and provided it to the Genocidaires and tried to clean the blood and other evidence of killings from their churches to hide their crimes.
As you walk into the Church, you see holes in the ceilings and in the walls, which we learned from our guide were from grenade shells. To me, looking up into the ceiling, the holes looked like stars in the sky, providing an ironic and chilling image. Even though it is the dry season in Rwanda, it began to rain and thunder very hard as soon as we arrived to the Church. The moment our tour guide said the word "grenade" a huge blast of thunder filled the sky and as you can imagine, sent chills up my spine. We were unable to take pictures inside the Church, but I encourage you to look at some photos online. There is no official website, but I found two Youtube videos that paint the picture quite well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teKXVOo0Skk&NR=1 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ytKIu8-8ZQ&feature=relmfu.
Inside the church we saw pew after pew covered in 17 year old blood stained clothing of the victims. I was transfixed by a small blue sweatshirt with a cartoon figure on it that said "Skate Pro". The young boy to whom the sweatshirt belonged could have been a young man now with a family, and it broke my heart to have that reality right in front of my face. I also noticed a hat that looked like it was worn by an elderly man and a pink scarf that I pictured in a young woman's hair. Also on display were pipes, jewelry and other personal belongings that remain in the place of their owner's final moments.
The most jarring image I saw on that first floor was the large figurine statue of the Catholic icon the Virgin Mary with her hands pressed together in prayer overlooking the site of a barbaric massacre. The stained glass windows, partly shattered, still hung on the wall.
We went downstairs to see something that I was certainly not prepared for....shelves and shelves of skulls and other bones. Looking at the skulls, you could see which ones were children. The skulls had teeth and some of them were smashed, either from their age or more likely from being broken during their torture and death. One skull had the name "Patrice" etched into it...we were told that he was one of the only bodies to be identified by his family. Below the floor under a glass encasing was a coffin covered in satin and lace and a wooden cross.
We asked the tour guide who was down there, and his answer has been the most horrifying and difficult thing I have heard since I came to Rwanda.
The coffin held the body of a woman who was horribly tortured and gang raped before she was killed. The manner in which she was eventually killed is too graphic to include in this blog, but I was forced to go upstairs and outside and take a moment to gather myself. It was actually trip participant Marty Gruber (11 years old) who kept checking on me to ask if I was okay...The tour guide said that she is kept in this coffin as a representation of all the countless women who suffered fates similar to hers, but whose stories we will never know and whose bodies we will never recover.
Victor Gruber said that the experience at the Nyamata Church Memorial was the most intense thing he has experienced thus far in Rwanda. Gini Gruber said that the most heartbreaking aspect of the tragedy at Nyamata was that the Catholic priests encouraged the terrified Tutsi's to seek protection in the church and eventually sold them out to the Hutu Genocidaires. It was by far the most heart-wrenching experience we have had, but necessary nonetheless. You cannot learn about the 1994 Genocide Against Tutsis in Rwanda only through books, movies or interactive museums...to really understand it, you must look it in the face, which is what we did today at Nyamata.
Well, this is what we have all been waiting for and the reason we are in Rwanda...to visit the Miracle Corners Rwanda Center in Kayenzi, Bugesera District.
Our welcome to the center was a series of beautiful dance performances by the center's youth dance group Abakundamuco. This was the perfect way to energize the group and make us feel at home. The performers grabbed some of our group members and danced with them, which was unexpected but very fun.
Then, Jackson Vugayabagabo, MCW country coordinator for Rwanda took us on a tour of the center and gave us some background on all of the programs:
English Classes
Tailoring Classes
Culture Dance Troupe
Young Survivors Group
Stay tuned for details about each program and interviews with participants in each class!
After the tour of the center, our group went into a classroom to meet some of the teachers and students at the center and introduce ourselves to them. Jackson and Jacqueline spoke in Kinyarwanda to the whole room, explaining to them why our delegation was here and how we have been involved with MCW. Then, some of the teachers, students and program coordinators got the opportunity to speak to us.
The first to speak was Steven, the English teacher at the center. First, he expressed how happy he was to have us visit the center. Then, he tried to explain to us what the center really means to the community. Steven said "not only do we want to teach our students skills, although that is important, but we also are changing mindsets...showing people that they can change their lives"
The next to speak was Michael, a student in the tailoring class, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He spoke to us in Kinyarwanda and Jackson translated for us. Michael told us that he wanted to express his appreciation to us as the center has been an important part of his life. He said that he was an artist and wanted to express himself by song. As he was singing, we were all visibly moved even though we didnt understand the language he was singing in. After he finished, we gave him a round of applause and Jackson explained to us that this performance was a surprise even to him and the song really moved him.
The message of the song was: come to the community center to improve your life. He said that in the past few years of his life, he had lost hope. He even began to call himself "Hopeless" as a sort of nickname. But since he has come to the center, made friends and begun to learn a new skill, he is no longer "Hopeless"...he is Michael. (The video of his song is too large to upload to the blog, but I will be uploading to youtube and will provide a link!!!)
Then, the President of the Young Survivors Group expressed his gratitude for the MCR community center housing the group. The group was established this past April (The commemoration month of the 1994 Genocide Against Tutsis in Rwandan) after youth from the center participated in a "Walk to Remember" at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. They formed the group, which now has 60 members and a committee. The group serves as a support system and family to each other.
Here is a picture of our fantastic speakers:
We left the community center very moved and excited that we will be returning on Thursday for the Community Reception where we will spend the whole day learning even more about the programs and getting to know the people a lot better.
On the bus, I sat next to Gini Gruber, mother of Victor Gruber (and 3 other sons) and grandmother to Ross, Yaritza and Marty (and 5 others) who shared her reflections of the center. She told me "it was what I expected and more". Gini was particularly touched by Michael, the tailoring student from the DRC. She said that his message of going from hopeless to once again having hope because of the center deeply moved her and proved to her how important the MCR center's work really is.
Secondly, she was really affected by the young survivors group. She said as a mother and grandmother, she has come to realize the importance of family and the intergenerational passing of wisdom, values and love. It warmed her heart to see young people, who felt like they didnt belong or have a family, create a support system for themselves to be each others role models for success. I completely agreed with her and said that the real tragedy here is that these young people were not born orphans, they had a family, they did belong...and it was taken away from them for a reason nobody will ever be able to explain. We are all proud that our MCR Center now houses this group and we look forward to supporting them in whatever way we can.
Lastly, Gini was really proud of the policy of the center to charge an affordable fee for all classes. Gini has a theory that if you give people hand-outs for free, they may not appreciate it or really see the value in it. Jackson has said about the policy that the fee really ensures their ownership of the program, which is key.
We all look forward to returning to the center and I especially look forward to reporting back to you all about it.
Leave us some comments, some questions, or some messages for the people at the center!!!
What a day!
After a trip orientation and a drive around Kigali city center, it was time for lunch. The group marvelled at the traditional Rwandan buffet lunch at a Kigali restaurant called Karibu. We ate rice, stewed plantains (Jacqueline's favorite), peas, veg, beef and assorted salads. Plus, I finally tried a Fanta Citron (I had two) that my colleage Khalid has been raving about for years!
Then, we met our tour guide Amani. He is extremely passionate and knowledgable about his country. He served as our tour guide for the rest of the day.
First, we went to the Belgian Memorial, a memorial for the Belgian soldiers who were killed during the genocide. The memorial is a grouping of 10 stone sculptures, each with customization for the soldier's ages. The memorial sits outside of the actual site where the soldiers were detained and killed. Their killing caused a fire fight (bullets and grenades) in the area, which is why the building is filled with bullet holes. These bullet holes were our first glimpse into actual evidence of violence in Rwanda, which helped prepare us for the rest of the day. The museum also has a beautiful poster exhibition explaining the genocide, which we found very informative.
Next we went to the Kandt House/Museum of Natural History. Richard Kandt was a German explorer who came to Rwanda in search of the source of the Nile river. He became an influential figure in Rwandan history, highlighting coffee and tea as potential revenue making exports and identifying the Gorillas as tourist attractions and setting the stage for the national parks among other things. Amani told us that he is very beloved amongst all Rwandans. His old residence now serves as a Museum of Natural History with exhibitions on Rwanda's animals, its mineral wealth and its archeological finds among other things. One of the Museum's highlights, however, was the amazing view from its courtyard where our group spent some time reflecting.
The next stop on our itinerary was the Presidential Palace Museum, the residence of the formal President J. Habyarimana, who was famously shot down from his plane on April 6th, 1994, triggering the genocide. The massive palace had original furniture, spiral staircases and a secret entrance to a safe room. The group was fascinated by our tour of the palace as we were trying to imagine what life was like inside the walls.
Our final stop was the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center where Freddy Matanguha, the Direcor of the center and friend of Jacqueline and Miracle Corners Rwanda gave us a private tour of the incredible facility. Freddy walked us through the timeline from before the genocide until today. Some topics we covered: how the colonial system turned the Hutu and Tutsi lifestyle classification into a racial classification; how children were effected by the genocide; how women were affected by the genocide; how post-genocide justice was handled using the gacaca trials and all of the warning signs the international community ignored. We then toured the memorial garden which serves as a mass grave for 250,000 people. Then, we went upstairs to the children's memorial, where we saw picture after picture of children killed during the genocide along with information about their lives. While all of this was moving, our group's favorite part of the tour is when Freddy brought us upstairs to one of the center's two classrooms and we sat in a circle and had a discussion. Freddy is a huge supporter of the Miracle Corners Rwanda center and hopes to partner with the center to create some enterprise development initiatives for survivors. Please visit the website for the center at: http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/index.html. [[posterous-content:eDeyHdyylcvICapnJDAd]]
We concluded the night with a dinner at an Italitan restuarant in Kigali called Sol y Luna. Despite the physically and emotionally exhausting day we all had, we had a very lively (to say the least) dinner and really got to know one another. It was a wonderful day. Tomorrow, we look forward to visiting the MCR center and meeting with survivors to hear their stories. Goodnight!
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