Rwanda

A few weeks ago I went to Rwanda for 17 days. I was part of a development project run by the Conservatives Shadow International Development team during Parliaments summer recess. I was asked to write about my recollections of Rwanda for a booklet produced on 'Project Umubano'. Here's what was published:

Vague recollections of the 1994 genocide couldn’t help but shape and dominate my expectations of Rwanda. Soon after I arrived I was simultaneously struck with the realisation of how extraordinarily atrocious the events of just 100 days in 1994 were and by a glimpse of how effective the reconciliation, forgiveness, healing and rebuilding processes have been.

My colleagues returning for a second time to Rwanda were quicker to look beyond the countries tumultuous past to its, by African standards, promising future. Rwanda is a genuinely spectacular country populated by a very warm people. In Rwanda I always felt safe, I never felt threatened. I always felt welcome, I never felt unappreciated.

I spent two short weeks in Butare working with primary school English teachers. Their technical understanding of our language was doubtlessly superior to mine although at times it was hard work to understand them! It was invigorating spending time teaching people who were so enthusiastic about learning.

In four days time I’ll take my last malaria tablet and my daily reminders of Rwanda will cease. The sharpest memory I’ll take with me from Rwanda is this: on Sunday I visited the church that my new friend Wilberforce attended (his wife and three of his five children were killed in the genocide), the previous day I’d visited a church building where thousands of people were slaughtered which is now a permanent genocide memorial. On the Saturday I was reminded of such a heinous atrocity, such a dark stain on the country, such a hopeless and horrifying end - thankfully unlike anything we’ve ever witnessed here in Britain. On Sunday I witnessed a sense of community, forgiveness, celebration and genuine joy – sadly rarely seen in Britain!

Matthew Thomas, Parliamentary Researcher to Rt Hon Greg Knight MP.