Mukeshimana
Before joining the healing circle, I believed there were no good people in the world, that everyone was born to harm others, because during the Genocide, I was hunted down and brutally attacked. My neck was slashed, and my head struck with a machete. When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a hospital, not knowing how I had gotten there. My mother had been killed in the fields. In that state, I never imagined I would survive.
After I recovered, my brother took me to live with him in Rusumo. But even there, I found no peace. His wife and I could not get along, so I left and began working as a housemaid while still young. Because of my disability, I was weak and often misunderstood. People called me lazy, and I struggled to endure the mistreatment.
At 18, I got married hoping life would improve, but it only became harder. My husband and I lived in constant conflict, without peace or understanding. I lost faith in people and believed compassion didn’t exist.
My life began to change when Community Healing Assistants visited me and invited me to join Imenye Wigire healing circles. I accepted because I finally found a place where I could speak openly about my struggles and my past.
Joining the group restored my sense of humanity. I discovered that there are people who truly listen, and that brought me deep joy. My painful past had made me feel like I was no longer Rwandan, but in the group, I began to feel human again. It reminded me that I am alive and I will continue to live. I felt life return to me. I started connecting with others and even helping to restore hope in those around me.
Before joining the group, I was so depressed that I had become severely underweight and aged prematurely. At 35, I weighed only 35 kilograms. But now, at 40, I feel strong and youthful. My confidence has returned so much that people say I look like a sibling to my five children.
The self-tapping exercises transformed my health. I used to suffer from constant pain, severe headaches, and numbness in my limbs. I used to blame the genocidaires, thinking they had cursed me. But I realized it was the weight of my thoughts, the overthinking, fear, and grief that made me sick. After the exercises, the pain faded. My head cleared, my body regained strength, and I felt alive again.
Throughout the journey, I also learned about saving and self-development. I began to think clearly about improving my life. I started saving and opened a small shop, which I plan to grow into a wholesale business. My dream is to rise beyond where I am today to support my family, contribute to Rwanda’s development, and be a person of impact.
I am grateful to Imenye Wigire Healing Circles for helping me rebuild my life. I hope this program reaches every Rwandan. May Kirehe become a model for healing and hope across the country.
Ratifa
Mbere ntaraza mu itsinda nta tuze nari mfite, nta cyizere cy' ubuzima bw’ejo hazaza nari mfite. Numvaga nta muntu mwiza ubaho numvaga abantu Bose bararemewe kugira nabi.
Kubera ibikomere natewe na genocide yakorewe abatutsi muri 1994. Ubwo genocide yabaga narahizwe kugeza ubwo nahuye n’abicanyi bantema ku ijosi, bankubita impiri mu mutwe nagaruye ubwenge ndi kwa muganga sinzi uko nahageze. Icyo gihe mama nawe bamwiciye ku gasozi. Uko nari meze sinari uwo kuzabaho.
Abavukanaga na mama banyitayeho ndakira, musaza wanjye ahita anzana kurererwa iwe ku Rusumo. Murugo rwe naho ntago naboneye amahirwe kuko umugore we ntitwumvikanaga. Hanyuma ndahava njya gushaka akazi ko murugo nkiri muto, ariko kubera ubumuga nakuye muri Genocide, nakoraganaga intege nke cyane maze bakanyita umunebwe rimwe narimwe kwihangana bikananira.
Maze kugira imyaka 18 nagiye gushaka umugabo nibwira ko ubuzzima bugiye kunyorohera. Ariko ubuzima bukomera kurushaho. Umugabo twabanye mumakimbirane nta mahoro namake mfite bituma niheba nibwira ko nta muntu numwe umfitiye impuhwe. Numvaga abantu bose bararemewe kugira nabi.
Nyuma naje guhura n’ikibazo cyimbuza ituze burundu numva ubuzima burahagaze. Abaturanyi twari tumaze igihe tubanye neza nta kibazo baje kumpa akato banshinja gutera amabuye hejuru y’amabati y’ingo zose zigize umudugudu. Batumaho abayobozi bose banteraniraho barabinshinja kugeza ubwo icyigo cya gisirikare cyaje gukora iperereza mu mudugudu nubundi abaturanyi baranshinja numva noneho ntaho nsigaye. Narababaye nta ibyiringiro mbura ayo cira nayo mira. Icyo gihe narababwiye nti koko icyaha nicyimpama burundu bazandase mveho nubundi ntacyo maze ku isi. Naje gufata umwanzuro wo kwimuka ariko nubundi icyo gikomere cyirakomeza. Nubwo byageze aho bamwe mu banyhinjaga bakansaba imbabazi, byatumaga numva nshira numva. Narababaye nitera icyizere mbura ituze nanga umuntu kuburyo ntageraga aho abandi bari.
Nyuma naje guhura n’abubatsi b'amahoro bambwira kujya mwitsinda rya Imenye Wigire, ndabemerera kuko noneho nari mbonye abo mbwira ibibazo byanjye, n’ amateka mabi nanyuzemo. Kuko uretse mu itsinda ntahandi nari nayabonye nshobora kuvurira ibyange.
Nkigera mu itsinda nibwo nagaruye ubumuntu, mbonako hari abantu burya batega abandi amatwi ndishima. Amahirwe ntabonye ngo nanjye mbone abanganiriza ubu nayabonye muri Imenye Wigire, amateka mabi yamperanye nkumva ntari umunyarwanda, ngeze mu itsinda niyumvisemo ubumuntu numva ko mfite agaciro mubandi kubera kubona abanyumva.
Ikiganiro cyamfashije ni icyo kubaka icyizere, cyanyigishije ko ndiho kandi nzabaho. Numva ngaruye ubuzima, mbaye muntu, ntangira kwiyumvamo bagenzi banjye ngarurira abantu icyizere. Nize gutuza nkagira amahoro nkayaha nabandi. Ntaraza mu itsinda kubera agahinda nari nanutse bikabije narashaje imburagihe kumyaka 35 nayigize mpima ibiro 35 ariko ubu nabaye inkumi kumyaka 40 ubu ndumva ndi inkumi ndakomeye namwe murabibona iminkanyari yaragiye. Mfite abana 5 ariko ntawemera ko ari bange bavugako tuvukana kubera icyizere nigaruriye.
Umwitozo wo kwikomanga waramfashije cyane. Nahoranaga ububabare, umutwe ukandya cyane, imitsi yanjye yaragagaye nkajya mbishinja aba genocideri ariko nasanze ataribyo kuko nabiterwaga no gutekereza cyane. Numvaga ko umubiri wanjye wasinziriye nkibwira ko norozwe. Naratekerezaga bikarenga mu mutwe bikagera mu ingingo ariko. Ubu umutwe warakize, ingingo zirakora neza, imitsi yari yaragagaye ubu irakora.
Ikindi nigiye mumatsinda ni ukwizigamira no kwiteza imbere. Nkimara kujya mu itsinda, natangiye guteketeza neza icyanteza imbere, negeranya amafaranga nshinga boutique, iyo boutique mfite icyizere ko izavamo iduka rinini riranguza. Ibyo nzabigeraho kubera gufatanya nabandi.
Mfite intego yo kurenga aho ndi nkazaba umuntu ukomeye mu iterambere ry’ahazaza kandi nifuza kuzaba umuntu w’ingirakamaro ku muryango wanjye no mu muryango nyarwanda. Mfite intego yo kuzagura imodoka. Kandi mfite icyifuzo cy’uko ibi biganiro cyagera kuri bose bikabagirira umumaro nk’uwo byangiriye. Kirehe izabere abandi intanga rugero