Thirty years ago, Pascal Kanyemera, then a teenager hiding from the machetes that claimed his father, two brothers, and around 800,000 others during the Rwandan genocide, made a pact with God. “If I survive one more week, I will give you 100 Rwandan francs,” he prayed. God listened, and Kanyemera, now 46 and living in Ottawa, Canada, kept his promise, paying 400 Rwandan francs in total. “It shows how much I trusted in His protection,” he says.
Kanyemera’s grandmother, uncles, and cousins were among the thousands of Tutsis killed by Hutu extremists in the genocide, which began on April 6, 1994, when a plane carrying President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down. Hutus blamed the Tutsis for the attack, leading to widespread massacres with military and police support. Kanyemera, hiding in a school, learned of his family’s deaths only after he was reunited with his mother and sisters in a French-controlled refugee camp in late May.
Survivors like Kanyemera and Frida Umuhoza, who witnessed her mother’s beheading and survived brutal attacks, recount their harrowing experiences. Umuhoza, in her book Chosen to Die: Destined to Live, describes her ordeal and how Christian faith helped her forgive. Another survivor, Immaculée Ilibagiza, survived 91 days hiding in a pastor’s bathroom, finding solace in prayer.
Kanyemera, now president of the Humura association supporting genocide survivors, attributes his survival to divine intervention. Despite the dangers, including Hutu militias patrolling the school where he hid and planned attacks on refugee camps, he survived.
Many survivors, despite the pain, continue to share their stories, educate younger generations, and write about their experiences to prevent future genocides. Tarcisse Ruhamyandekwe, who lost family members in the genocide, emphasizes the importance of remembering and honoring those who perished. He reflects on the brutal nature of the killings and the discrimination Tutsis faced, which started early in life with enforced identification.
Ruhamyandekwe, who fled to Congo in 1985 to escape rising violence, recalls the long-standing animosity that fueled the genocide. Despite the challenges, he has preserved memories of his childhood home in Rwanda and shares his experiences with his children.
Writing and faith have been his sources of solace and expression. “In my book, I talk about what I call the invisible hand of God,” he says. “Some call it luck, but I believe it was divine guidance.” For Ruhamyandekwe, remembering and teaching future generations about the genocide is crucial for reconciliation and honoring the memory of those lost.