Last week our Nkula group drove to Rwanda from Uganda. We immediately felt a difference as the dusty red road turned to smooth pavement over the border. The drive itself was probably the easiest thus far because we were in a private bus, not packed with a zillion other people.
We entered Kigali (the nations capitol), and were taken back by the infrastructure. There were sky scrapers, side walks, and the police actually cared about seatbelts and traffic laws. Rwanda is extremely developed in comparison to most countries in Africa, this is because of the foreign aid poured into the country after the genocides. Mackenzie hit the nail on the head when she said “It feels like there is a blanket over the deep issues in Rwanda”. It seems as if all of the countries who turned a blind eye during the genocides have tried to make up for it, or relieve their guilt by giving money to help develop the country.
The people in Rwanda are upbeat and fashionable, but there is a lack of trust and sadness in their faces, rightfully so. I personally felt eerie and uncomfortable the whole time while we were in Rwanda. It was hard to step forward knowing that 20 years prior someone was killed exactly where my feet stood, nearly everywhere I walked. Our week in Rwanda was hands down the heaviest, most emotionally draining week our group has experienced so far.
We started off our week at the National Genocide Memorial Museum, this gave us an in depth overview of Rwanda’s history. We learned how much of a impact Belgium left during and after colonization, and how simply making divisions of economic class can result in years upon years of hatred and bloodshed. We also learned about many other genocides, recent and historical, and how people of power who are under the radar are usually the mastermind. I know that I have a way more clear view of Rwanda’s history, the good and the bad.
While learning about the militia groups, we also learned about plenty of people that fought for peace in Rwanda. Our group was given a scavenger hunt by our wonderful leaders Colin and Avy that allowed us to see a lighter side in Rwanda. We were sent to Hotel Des Mille Collines, which is the hotel that the film Hotel Rwanda was based off of. Paul Rusesabagina (a Hutu), and the manger at the time housed saved over a thousand Tutsi Refugees. Skyler and I (DeeDee) were lucky enough to get a tour from a friendly employee that shared with us everything he knew. It was a crazy and uplifting sensation to be in the hotel that saved so many lives, and to be where I learned about in history class. After the lightness of the scavenger hunt we went to three different extremely heartbreaking, dreadful, and eye opening places of the genocides.
We stood in places where thousands, and even tens of thousands of people were brutally murdered. We touched the clothes that people wore as they were killed, we saw the blood left on a wall where babies were thrown and smashed, we smelt the Lyme that kept bodies preserved, we listened to the theĀ individual testimonies of those who survived and about their families who did not. It’s simple to say that not a single one of us left these churches with a dry eye. I am honestly not sure what else to say about the churches because of how draining to write about something so much bigger than words.
Altogether, last week was intense, draining, heartbreaking, maddening, and even though I still feel so much pain thinking of what we saw, I wouldn’t take it back for even a second. We all have a new perspective of tragedy and tenacity, and how to help stop this from ever happening again. I am happy that we were able to take the time to appreciate the lives lost that I never thought about back home.Ā I appreciate my life and lives of my loved ones more than I ever knew I could. Hug everyone tight guys!
– DeeDee š
P.S.Ā I love you Dad, MJ, Bonnie, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Ken, Aunt April, Nick, Kendra, and everyone else in our family that I don’t have time to list.
Oh, and of course all my friends, including, the love of my life Morgan Frye.