Unity Club donates over 360m for One Dollar Campaign

KIGALI – Unity Club, through its chairperson First Lady Jeannette Kagame Friday evening donated Rwf 366 million towards the “One Dollar Campaign”. The cheque was handed over by during a high profile discussion organised by Unity Club at Serena Hotel in Kigali, President Paul Kagame who was also present advised to emulate Edouard Uwayo Bamporiki, the producer of a short film titled “Long Coat” that tends to depict Rwandan reconciliation realities. Bamporiki was an 11 year-old Hutu boy in 1994, and during the Genocide agaist tutsi was hospitalised in A hospital in Cyangugu where he witnessed many Tutsis being murdered, including patients. He gave a moving testimony on how what he witnessed, including the hacking to death of has favourite teacher before his eyes, had haunted him as he grew up, trying to understand the reasons behind the carnage. He decided to campaign for reconciliation which led to his movie that has won awards in many international film festivals. Quite clear that the producer made his own choice to forge his own way out of social turmoil despite his surrounding’s influence, Kagame told the youth to also draw their own paths and not be influenced by those around them. “There must be a personal responsibility and a personal choice,” he said, referring to Bamporiki’s testimony. “Throughout his testimony I haven’t heard of anyone who gave him directives of what to do. Why then is it that his actions are good? Because of his personal choice.” The 25-year old playwright and actor Bamporiki says the youth should decide to move forward and forge a better future without being held back by the bad history, most of which should be blamed on their parents. “Let’s put our parents’ wrongdoings in a file and throw them somewhere, then move on with new determination to build our country together,” he told the meeting. The youth appreciated the efforts by the country and sponsors of the programme that aim at building shelter for the orphans of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, but also stated that what they need most is love and compassion. Ends