Dukundane family: a juncture of survivors hope implementers

After Fifteen years after the Genocide against the Tutsi was ended a lot has been achieved. In Rwanda, we have the official Genocide commemoration week in April but the commemoration lasts for the 100 days as did the Genocide. For the survivors, the commemoration always goes on. It is in this regard that Dukundane Family members organized this juncture of survivors hope implementers, after those hundred days. It is an association bringing together two hundred genocide survivors. It was established by former students of the association for the genocide survivors (AERG) at St.Andre Nyamirambo after completing secondary school. According to Ejide Gatari, the association’s coordinator, Dukundane Family’s main objective is to remember, fight and confront the genocide consequences among the genocide survivors. “We want to speak for and encourage the genocide survivors by always visiting them in schools.” After the official launch on December 16, 2007, electing the committee and establishing rules guiding the family’s activities, Dukundane family has achieved a lot in line with its plans. Among the achievements is writing and publishing a book ‘Ishavu ry’abato’. The book, launched on April 9 this year, contains testimonies of 41 members who were as young as two to eleven years during the Genocide. The family has also managed annually organise commemoration of those who perished in rivers and lakes during the Genocide. The association also started income generating projects and improving social cohesion among members. The projects include a traditional dance troupe ‘Indangamirwa’ which performs at mainly wedding ceremonies. Gatari says that money generated by the dance troupe enables the association to visit genocide survivors in schools and taking care of them. On July 26, 2009, the association launched its website ‘hopespace-rwanda.org’. It will feature testimonies of the genocide survivors and shade more light on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. During the website’s launch at Prime Holdings, the Minister of Youth and guest of honour, Protais Mitali, acknowledged the love and passion the association has for the country by speaking for the survivors and being near them. “We the survivors who have at least managed to reach further ahead than others, we need to be the ones to encourage the rest and show love to them so that they can lead a better life,” Augustine Ntaringwa, a member of the association and a genocide survivor, said. Ntaringwa is a student at the School of Journalism in Kicukiro centre. He is also the association’s public relations officer. Email: krbfred@yahoo.com