Today we went to the genocide memorial here in Kigali. The museum is about six years old and is very beautiful. The grounds are quite lovely with beautiful flowers and palm trees. Like just about everything in Rwanda, it is perched on the side of a very steep hill, so the view down the valley and up the next hill was interesting.
We started outside. We toured the gardens and saw the mass grave sites, which are huge concrete structures with a terrazzo coating. Approximately 250,000 people are interred here. Some are whole bodies (i.e. intact skeletons), but other people were interred not intact, but with only the parts of them that were found.
Later we toured the museum. It was terrifically moving, and I found myself fighting back tears the whole way. I came undone in the upstairs part of the museum, which was devoted to the children who lost their lives. It made me really angry.
We had lunch at the museum and spent the afternoon in a workshop run by two young teachers at the museum. They explained how they provide genocide information to students and teachers across their country. It was very interesting. One person in our group was not feeling well, and she flew back to Canada today.
We started outside. We toured the gardens and saw the mass grave sites, which are huge concrete structures with a terrazzo coating. Approximately 250,000 people are interred here. Some are whole bodies (i.e. intact skeletons), but other people were interred not intact, but with only the parts of them that were found.
Later we toured the museum. It was terrifically moving, and I found myself fighting back tears the whole way. I came undone in the upstairs part of the museum, which was devoted to the children who lost their lives. It made me really angry.
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI am thinking about you and wish you alot of strength!! Bless you, that you also be a Blessing to these people!
Take care,
Alie