Kigali: GAERG (Groupe des Ancients Etudiants Rescapés du Genocide) on its 11th is planning a commemorative event for families completely wiped out in the Genocide against Tutsi. This event will take place in Nyanza District on Saturday 11 May 2019 starting from 4pm.
A completely wiped out family is a family whose members were entirely killed, with no survivor to continue the family line. Since 2009, the families are remembered under the theme, “Ntukazime Nararokotse”.
From 2009 to date, GAERG has identified 15,593 families whose 68,871 family members have been identified in all 30 districts of Rwanda. The collection and preservation of this history is a sign of defeating denial.
GAERG is a non-governmental, non-profit organization of educated genocide survivors getting together to preserve the memory of the genocide against Tutsi and restore families to overcome post-genocide consequences through education, capacity building and strong survivors’ network.
It was established in 2003 by former members of the genocide survivor student’s association (AERG). GAERG is a member of genocide survivor’s umbrella IBUKA. The organization envision for a world free of Genocide.
Members of the organisation are grouped into families, with a father, a mother and children. This model of grouping them into families came as a mechanism of covering the gap of parents by enabling orphans to raise their peers.
In 2018, the organization has adopted a strategic plan with four programs including “Genocide prevention program”. The program strategic goal is to increase knowledge and awareness of history of the Genocide against the Tutsi, other genocides around the world, and increase knowledge on prevention of the spread of stereotypes and ideologies that could result in genocide and other conflicts. (End)