Thousands of children massacred in 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Kayonza District were remembered yesterday.

Over 3000 students from primary and secondary schools in the district were joined by adults to participate in the commemoration event.

"We must remember our ugly past so as to shape a better future. Unity, peace and security are the foundation of everything,” John Mugabo, the district mayor said.

The role of children in nation building was also emphasised.

"The little children here must take note of this. They don’t need to say anything at their tender age, but inside their minds, something important is shaped as they learn about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Children must grow up to detaste discrimination, hate and divisionism,” Mugabo added.

The students marched along Kayonza streets before they headed to Mukarange Genocide memorial site, where they listened to testimonies about the Genocide.

At least five thousand children were killed in the former Kayonza commune, now part of Kayonza District.

Ignatius Munyabuhoro, the coordinator of Ibuka, the umbrella of Genocide survivors’ associations, in the district, said the participation of children in commemoration activities was important.

Munyabuhoro said remembering children who perished during the Genocide was a good gesture that showed respect to the victims.

"We are guided by our conscious to remember children who were killed as their mothers carried them on their backs…their life was cut short for no reason. They never lived to enjoy their life. Let these children take the responsibility to build a better society. Ibuka sees children today as hope and inspiration to build a brighter future,” he said.

Claudine Mukeshimana, a survivor of the Genocide, who was only four years old when her family was wiped out, reflected on the suffering of children during the Genocide noting that it shouldn’t happen again.

Twenty-one years later, she gave an incredible testimony of survival, resilience and renewal.

"…I remember the days of Genocide vaguely because I was very young, but the graphic scene of my parents’ death has never been erased from my mind.

‘‘They were killed in my presence…it was horrible, I cried all the day while I sat besides their lifeless bodies.

I was later picked by a good Samaritan, who took care of me throughout the dark times till now,” he said.

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