KIGALI - Local artist Eric Sendeli, a former soldier and Genocide survivor, has donated his ‘one dollar campaign” launching song – ‘impfubyi zirababaye’ (orphans are grieving), to orphans of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

In an interview with The Sunday Times in Kimihurura Friday, Sendeli narrated his ordeal during 1994. He pledged to compose even more genocide commemorative songs.

"I sing for people who suffered and are in need of support, orphans hurting out there or genocide survivors. My plan now is to sing songs about the genocide,” said Sendeli.

Sendeli’s noble contribution comes as Rwandans countrywide get ready to mark the 15th anniversary of the horrors of april1994.

Being a survivor himself, his lyrics have an effect on him too and he believes the song will always help comfort and encourage the orphans.

"While composing this song, I also felt touched or affected in a way since I lived through the same horrors,” the 33-year old
Impfubyi zirababaye’s significance is two-fold; it is a voice for the orphans and a fundraiser.

"It is a song I gave them as my own gift without outside assistance. This is my own contribution.”

Sendeli produced two other related songs, "Nyarubuye iwacu hari heza” about Nyarubuye, his birth place and one on Nyarugenge – Kigali city.

"This is a song about my birth place Nyarubuye which was such a beautiful place with good and beautiful people who have since perished.”

In the song Nyarugenge, Sendeli grieves over former city residents killed during the genocide.  Their ordeals wreck his heart.

•His testimony

Like most survivors, Sendeli was in Rwanda when hell broke loose and neighbours turned against unsuspecting neighbours.

"I joined the Rwanda Patriotic Army but when I returned after the war, all my parents had been killed and it was only my sister and I remaining. I  applied to be released from the army in 1997 so that I could work and look after my sister and permission was granted. She is now grown up.”

"Having been a young soldier living through the period – people died in large numbers, in the east, Bugesera and even further south in Butare. It is from these experiences that I sing.”

The Genocide against the Tutsi, in his view, manifested its most wicked aspect in the fact that males or young boys were the most hunted because the killers sought to exterminate Tutsis.

"That is why you find that there are fewer male Tutsis of that generation than females. That is the worst form of wickedness I witnessed than anything else, people died just because they were Tutsis yet they never planned to be born Tutsi.”

Sendeli, however, says that all survivors should embrace hard work.

"We are living and we must show those whose intent was to decimate us that we are well and strong, living on despite the challenges. He is going to preach love and urges those still harbouring the genocide ideology to cease. 

"Those found guilty of participating in the genocide and are now serving all or part of their sentences in community service should stop hurting survivors, stop distressing them because they forgave them.”

•Signs of hope
 
Hope for the future is not entirely lost as some of the guilty parties are seeking forgiveness.

"I began with those who killed my family because I know them. Some tried asking me for forgiveness, the women really tried to approach me, seeking for my forgiveness and I forgave them. What is significant is that they are the ones who took the first step.”

"I never ignored them because I think it was evil spirits that had taken over them. Most of their children now don’t understand why their fathers killed. They really need to be forgiven because even their children, as it appears also question their past actions.”

Ends