GYC Delegates visited Gihembe refugee camp.

Gihembe refugee camp is located in Byumba town, Kageyo Sector of Gicumbi District in Northern Province, 60 km north from Kigali City. This camp was established in December 1997 to host Congolese refugees who fled conflicts in the Eastern DRC and initially hosted at Mudende camp in Rubavu District.

Following attacks by armed groups at Mudende camp, the Government of Rwanda and UNHCR decided to move refugees far from the border, then Gihembe camp was established to accommodate survivors of those attacks that had caused several causalities to some of these refugees. The Gihembe Refugee Camp has more than 14,000 Congolese refugees. 

Gihembe refugee camp landscape.

On Monday August 17, 2015 During GYC's visit to the camp we discussed human rights with 20 youth from the camp. We learned that many human rights are not met or are partially met at the camp. For example, there is inadequate education at the camp. Students can only attend up to Senior Three. Youth from the camp who graduated from university had tried to overcome this challenge. They started a school in the camp called Hope School to teach student the advanced levels, but the challenge they are still facing is that this school is not recognized by the Rwandan government so the students are not allowed to do the national exams in the camp. Instead, refugee students go to schools around the camp to do national exams. The teachers at the camp are volunteers, and are not paid. Therefore the school in the camp is not well equipped for proper education. This lack of a complete education for the refugees limits their opportunities of employment, and thus the chance to integrate into Rwandan society. In addition, we compared the same human rights that the refugees talked about to those rights in Rwanda and in the USA. It was interesting to learn that the rights we discussed were placed in the same categories (met, partially met, and not met) by the Rwandans and Americans. 

Rights discussion.

However, the refugees placed their rights in either partially met or not met. Discussing and comparing human rights really opened my eyes to what life is like for the refugees, and how differently we all live.

After discussing human rights, the refugees took us on a tour of the health and education areas of the camp. This allowed us to physically see the lack of human rights they had, especially after discussing with them that education and health were two rights that were not fully met at the camp. Seeing these facilities was evidence of this. The health clinic did not seem very clean, and looked cramped. Additionally, it was definitely not large enough for the 14,000 inhabitants of the camp. Going to the camp and meeting with the refugee youth was a really valuable experienced that allowed me to better understand the importance of human rights for every human being.

Furthermore, the Turikumwe participants together with youth from the camp had the opportunity to meet with the staff from UNHCR. 

The meeting with the staff from UNHCR.

UNHCR, Explained firstly all about the camp. They said that they are in partnership with some local and international NGOs, such as ADRA, Plan International and American Refugee Committee, who help  in different domains like education and health care. They explained a little bit about the new policy of UNHCR in the camp of giving money instead of food to refugees. They proclaimed that this new policy is better than the previous one. Participant and youth from the camp had the opportunity to ask questions to UNHCR. A frequently asked questions was "why is there only one doctor for the whole population of the camp?" UNHCR explained that life in refugee camps is hard, and this is the sad reality. If UNHCR had more funding they could possibly address some of these problems. 

In conclusion, our visit to Gihembe Refugee Camp was beneficial to our overall study of human rights. It added to the varied groups of people we visited (such as the Batwa community and the Kiziba camp youth) in comparing and examine human rights.

Participants played with kids before leaving the camp.

It was really interesting to go to a refugee camp because people there live completely different lives. We always hear about refugees on TV but to actually see how they live was really impactful. – International Participant 

 

#Sefie team foto.

It is not how much we participated, but how much we felt, that will make us to advocate for the refugees.--Local Participant.

GYC Team visited Genocide memorial Sites: Kigali and Nyamata

On Saturday August 15, 2015 GYC visited the Nyamata and Kigali Genocide Memorial sites. Delegates travelled to Gisozi, the main national genocide memorial in Rwanda, run my Aegis Trust. Afterwards, they continued on to Nyamata in the East, a church where mass killings took place.

                                                    Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre

 

Kigali Genocide Memorial Center.

On April 7, 1994 the Rwandan genocide began. Over 1 million people were killed in 100 days. How does one comprehend this kind of atrocity? A racist and ethno-centric ideology spread a culture of violence, hate, and understanding. Today the people of Rwanda are still coping with this massive tragedy. On August 15th we visited the Genocide Memorial Centre, a permanent place of remembrance and burial for an estimated 250,000 victims of the genocide. The memorial focuses on the causes of genocide, child victims, and reconciliation. There was also a lengthy section on genocides around the world - understanding these atrocities can help us avoid them in the future. It was a difficult and emotional experience. It is hard to imagine Rwanda - now a friendly and peaceful country - thrown into the throes of genocide. It was an important visit and one we all valued as we continue to understand the difficulties of a post-conflict country still reconciling itself to a violent past.

Black wall with names of victims

The program has really increased my passion of becoming a lawyer in the future, being one of those people that would change the world being a human rights activist. – Local Participant

The day did not end here though. After a short break for lunch, Delegates visited the Nyamata Genocide Memorial in catholic church.

Nyamata is situated in the Bugesera region, approximately 35 kilometers from the capital city of Kigali. Nyamata and the surrounding region suffered some of the most extensive devastation in 1994, a result of targeted attacks during the Genocide against the Tutsi. When the Genocide began in April of 1994, many residents of the region gathered in Nyamata Church, hoping for protection. The church was thought of as a place of refuge and of sanctuary where the militia would not dare to attack. Unfortunately, this was not the case at Nyamata Church. According to testimonies given by the memorial guide and evidence gathered, approximately 10,000 civilians were killed in and around the Catholic Church compound on April 10, 1994.

A church building at Nyamata where thousands of people were murdered.

As the marauding killers approached, people gathered in the church and padlocked the iron door that safeguarded the entrance. Members of the ‘Interahamwe’, the Hutu militia, and the Rwandese Government Forces forced the door open and entered the church with their rifles, grenades and machetes. They massacred the people hiding inside the church and went on to kill those in the surrounding area. At Nyamata, the brick walls show several gaping holes. The victims inside had locked the doors to prevent the militia and soldiers from entering the church. In response, the Interahamwe used sledge hammers to break the wall, through which grenades were thrown into the church. The killers eventually forced their way into the church and proceeded to murder the surviving men, women and children, using machetes, clubs, and local farming tools. The ceiling is riddled with bullet holes and is still stained with blood. The remains from this massacre have been removed and placed in two mass graves behind the church. The clothing of the victims of this massacre and others remains within the church walls, piled on the pews and along the floor.

Piled clothes of Genocide victims.

 Inside the church, there is a cave that contains a grave for a woman who was sexually violated during the attack as well as many skulls placed above the casket.

Glass showcase with skulls and bones under the church.

 The mass graves behind the church hold coffins, as well as skulls and bones from those killed during this massacre.

The mass graves behind the church.

 GYC participants were allowed to walk into the grave, closely coming into contact with the tragedy that happened at that spot over twenty years ago. 

 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.  -- GYC Local participant's prayer.