Through the Eyes of Children

Abstract

The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi claimed an estimated 800,000 to one million lives in a short hundred days. This chapter explores the genocide in Rwanda through the eyes of the children who lived through it. We intertwine the experiences of six individuals who reflect on their experiences before the genocide, such as attending school and the discrimination that was embedded within Rwandan society. We hear about the escalation of tension that is seen with the increasing threat of Hutu extremism, the presence of the Interahamwe, and the pervasive threats to safety. The tension boils over when the president's plane is shot down and their experiences with the genocide are interwoven with historical details to explain the genocide. The individual children all experience the genocide differently. Some flee to and hide in homes of Hutu friends, administrative communes, the Bissesro Hills, an orphanage, the Congo, the French-controlled zone (Operation Turquoise), and Nyamata Church. Survivors continue to share memories of liberation and life in the aftermath of the genocide. They speak of found families, activity in Association des Etudiants et Éleves Rescapés du Genocide (AERG), the gacaca justice process, and life in Rwandan diaspora. We conclude with a brief overview of the accomplishment of the survivors as they transition to adulthood and the inspiration they have found.