GAERG, a Rwandan graduates Genocide survivors organisation, will commemorate families who were completely wiped out in the Genocide against Tutsi. This event will take place at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi, Kigali on Saturday 21 May 2016 starting from 4pm.

Charles Habonimana, President of GAERG, said that completely wiped out families is a proof that the Genocide was planned and systematically executed to exterminate the Tutsi.

“We remember completely wiped out families to ensure that their memories never fade away. Remembering them is our priority as we pay respect to all the families killed in the Genocide against the Tutsi. Remembering them is a pact we have with them, ” he said.

A completely wiped out family is a family whose members were entirely killed, with no survivor to continue the family line. To date, 6,914 completely perished families composed of 30,618 members have been identified in 14 districts. The target is to cover all 30 districts of Rwanda.

Since 2009, the families are remembered under the theme, “You Will Never Be Forgotten While I Am Still Alive”.

Relating this the theme to Kwibuka22, Habonimana said: “We are alive to commemorate and tell the story of wiped out families. The collection and preservation of this history is another sign of defeating denial. As young generations we need to act to rebuild the country and defeat denial. That is what will inspire the future generation.”

This year’s commemoration event will be held at Kigali Genocide Memorial – the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi and a place for remembrance and learning.

This year is the eighth time completely wipe out families have been remembered.

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About GAERG

GAERG was founded by Rwandan graduates Genocide survivors in 2003 with a mission of creating a world where the memory of genocide is preserved and a self-sustaining genocide survivor’s community exists.

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.
About completely wiped out families:

To-date, 6,914 completely perished families composed of 30,618 members have been identified in 14 districts.

For the first time, the completely wiped out families were remembered on 06th June 2009, at Ntarama Genocide Memorial in Bugesera District.

• On 22nd May 2010; 682 families composed of 2,812 people from Nyamagabe District were remembered at Murambi Genocide Memorial.
• On 21st May 2011; 2,839 families composed of 13,371 people from Karongi District were remembered at Bisesero Genocide Memorial.
• On 9th June 2012; 2,110 families composed of 8,436 people from Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge Districts were remembered at Nyanza Genocide Memorial.
• For the 5th time, on 4th May 2013, GAERG members remembered 86 families composed of 366 people from Gatsibo District.
• On 24th May 2014; 461 families composed of 1,897 people from Musanze, Rulindo, Gakenke, Gicumbi and Burera districts were remembered in Musanze.
• Last year, 16th May 2015, GAERG members remembered 822 families identified in Ruhango, Muhanga and Kamonyi districts in Southern Province. The families were composed of 3,742 people.
• This year the commemoration event will be held at Kigali Genocide Memorial – the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi, a place for remembrance and learning.