Rwanda 15 Years After Genocide
During a trip to Uganda, my fiancé and I decided to cross the border into Rwanda out of curiosity.
We expected to find a broken country manned by armed guards, one full of poverty and depression. What we found was so different from our expectations that I felt compelled to share the experience – to broadcast the fact that Rwanda is safe, enchanting, and inspirational.
The genocide in Rwanda, which began in April 1994, was one of the most horrific crimes against humanity the world has seen. Neighbors killed neighbors, Hutu husbands killed Tutsi wives and children; entire churches filled with refugees were burned to the ground.
Today the genocide is still very much in the national conscience, and for that reason – because Rwandans refuse to let themselves forget what happened here – the country's residents believe it will never happen in Rwanda again. Slowly, but surely, Rwanda is healing.
Watch my story here, which appeared in today's episode of "Washington Unplugged:"