Orphans

Emelda decided to become a Pastor after witnessing the love for God that her grandfather had. After the genocide, she decided to serve God by helping orphans, and she adopted Jean de Dieu, who she considers to be her own son. Jean de Dieu has many questions about the causes of the genocide, and Emelda patiently answers his questions and gives him advice. She tells him that the most important thing is to love God and fight against anything that could lead to genocide again.

Justin and Rivan are siblings who lost their parents during the genocide. Since Justin was very young at the time, he wants to hear from his older sister Rivan about their family and the different hardships that she went through after the genocide. Since he has no other adult to turn to, Justin also asks Rivan for advice about how he should behave in different settings. As any good older sister would do, she advises him on the proper way to live his life.

Manzi wants to tell his foster sister-cousin, Marie, the story of his survival during the 1994 genocide, and the fate of their extended family. She listens to details of his extraordinary story of his many escapes from death, and the horrors he witnessed as a young boy. The story describes how his parents’ mixed marriage saved him, plus the outreach from persons of both Hutu and Twa backgrounds. Even cows were his salvation one awful day; another time he was only survivor of a bomb blast that killed over 100.

Stories For Hope created a forum for elders to inspire the youth; at least that’s what Judith and Nadia expected when they accepted to share their story. In this story however, the roles astonishingly reverse as an elder finds encouragement and inspiration from her niece and adopted child who tries to point out how children now play together in Rwanda, even as their own parents were once enemies.

After being orphaned by the genocide, Amandine risked going to school without supplies, and was befriended. Friends, and her faith enabled her to combat drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. This led to a working life, a home, and a resolve to help other orphans like herself who almost lost all hope.