Quis autem velum iure reprehe nderit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit nulla or narjusto laoreet onse ctetur adipisci.
Quis autem velum iure reprehe nderit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit nulla or narjusto laoreet onse ctetur adipisci.
EMBRACING FORGIVENESS: KINYAKURA ODETTE’S JOURNEY OF HEALING
Kinyakura Odette is a member of Never Again Rwanda’s Space for Peace located in Cyuve Sector, Musanze District. She shared her personal journey of how the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi deeply impacted her, leading to long- standing resentment. As a child, she lost most of her mother’s family during the genocide, and her grandmother with whom she resided with for most of her life suffered disabilities as a result.
The trauma she and her grandmother endured made it challenging to interact with individuals she identified as perpetrators, people she held responsible for her grandmother’s disabilities and the loss of her family members. Even though they were not the people personally responsible, her anger was directed at the entire ethnic group. This bitterness persisted for many years, even after her marriage.
“Living with my grandmother deepened my hatred towards those people. I shared a significant part of my life with her, from the age of eight to 22. Seeing her living with disabilities they caused fueled my avoidance of any form of interaction with them. This avoidance continued even after I got married. I refused to welcome them into my home, and if their children were playing nearby, I would chase them away,” she recounted.
However, upon joining a Space for Peace, Kinyakura began her transformative journey towards forgiveness. This shift in perspective has empowered her to lead a happier life. She no longer feels the need to distance herself from certain individuals and has grown more accepting of everyone in her community.
Kinyakura’s message to those who may be grappling with similar emotions is to embrace the power of forgiveness. She firmly believes that holding onto resentment only burdens individuals, preventing them from experiencing a fulfilling life. As a testament to her personal growth, Kinyakura actively encourages forgiveness within her family and community, promoting the unifying idea that all Rwandans are one people.