The Alumni of Genocide Survivors’ Students Association (GAERG) has provided 950 poultry to 95 families of survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi based in Ntarama Sector, Bugesera District, in a bid to continuously build their resilience, economic sustainability and promote their wellbeing. The handover ceremony happened on Saturday, November 12. Each of the 95 families received 10 hens. The activity was part of GAERG’s Nyunganira Poultry Farming Project which aims to uplift the resilience and livelihoods of Genocide survivors, especially the old ones. Prior to coming up with the project, GAERG supported Genocide survivors in different activities, including training them through their center, Aheza Healing and Career Centre (AHCC) which was inaugurated in January 2019. According to Jean Pierre Nkuranga, President of the association, the journey towards healing and building resilience has been long, declaring that many GAERG members were children during the Genocide and were supported by the government to move forward in life which compelled them to also look back and offered their contribution in uplifting the Rwandan community, particularly helping older Genocide survivors. He said that through AHCC, GAERG helps them to take care of their mental health, adding that the initiative propelled Nyunganira Poultry Farming Project which was initiated to help the ‘old’ Genocide survivors build their resilience and wellbeing since it is doable for them to take care of poultry, thus beating loneliness. Nkuranga revealed that so far, the project took three million, adding that GAERG seeks to expand it to more districts across the country. Over 3000 Genocide survivors have so far benefitted from GAERG’s healing program, according to Nkuranga. Agnes Murorunkwere is one of them. She said that the association rallied around her and her fellows when they were hopeless by enrolling them in peer-to-peer healing programs that she said planted hope in them again and compelled them to work together. Talking about how poultry will help improve her wellbeing, she asserted that she will be able to get nutrients from the eggs, thus aging gracefully. Jean Baptiste Munyankole who is also part of the program said that after surviving the Genocide, he was lonely, vulnerable and standoffish until GAERG approached him and helped him to interact with others and receive medication. He noted that poultry and other livestock they were given will not only help them to get nutritious food but also manure for their farms where they’ll be able to grow crops to sell and earn some money. Caroline Mukandoli, a Genocide survivor who already started poultry farming said it helped her get occupation since she has to take care of the hens every day instead of staying lonely. She is also aware that they will give her eggs to eat and those for the market. Mukandoli also noted that she benefitted from GAERG’s healing program, declaring that her heart was relieved as she got people whom she could call her children and friends, let alone Yoga sport that improved her well-being.
