On Wednesday 13 April, a group of over 50 employees form the Serena Hotel visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial to remember the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi and to learn about fighting genocide ideology. The visit was organised by the management of the Serena Hotel so that their staff could learn the importance of remembrance and the history of the Genocide and the events that led up to it.

The staff were accompanied by Prince Amyn Aga Khan, the Chairman of the Aga Khan Group of Companies which owns and manages Serena Hotels. Mahmoud Jan Muhammad, Managing Director of the Serena Group of Hotels in Africa, also joined the visit.

“Though it is our history, it is true that some of our employees do not know about the causes of the Genocide that happened in Rwanda. So, we brought them here to help them get more information. We also chose to call our directors from abroad to be with us in this commemoration period and visit the memorial to learn more about Rwanda’s history,” Denise Benzinge-Omany, Country Sales and Marketing Manager at Serena Hotel said.

“Some people do not have clear information about the Genocide against the Tutsi. It is a responsibility for every young person to visit the memorial so they can share what they learn about Rwandan history. For us, if our international clients at the hotel ask us about our own history, we will be better informed thanks to this visit. As Rwandans, especially youth, this is our history. We have to accept it and think about how to avoid it from repeating. Visiting the memorial helps you to get the truth about the Genocide against the Tutsi and that truth can be shared with the next generation to make Rwanda’s future brighter.” Christian Habineza, in charge of sports at Serena Hotel Kigali, said.

After concluding the tour, Prince Amyn Aga Khan left the following message in the memorial guestbook:

“A most excellent memorial. These events must never be repeated anywhere.”

All photos by Timothy Kisambira.