“Never again”: A report from Rwanda

[Note from Kathie Malley-Morrison:  Today’s post is part of an ongoing series by Andrew Potter, reporting from Rwanda where he is working on a documentary film about his experience.]

Writing on Rwandan brick wall: "Never Again"
Photo by Andrew Potter

I am experiencing this country with fresh eyes and an informed perspective.  I am encouraged by the balance that seems to have been achieved here.

Nathan and I have visited a number of local schools and are awed by the students’ intelligence and excellent grasp of the English language.

Two days ago we toured a genocide memorial at the site where over 10,000 Tutsis were massacred. This was a very visceral experience, one that was extremely difficult to digest. A description will have to suffice because photography was not permitted.

We entered a church, the same church where thousands of Tutsis had attempted to seek refuge. Walking into the church is like stepping onto a crime scene. Everything is freshly preserved. The pews of the church are piled with mounds of cloths from the dead.

In the underbelly of the church is a coffin holding the body of a Tutsi lady who was raped 15 times before she was brutally murdered. The ceiling is covered in bloodstains and bullet holes. It was an absolutely chilling scene.

I feel that this was incredibly important to witness first hand. It made me realize the severity of what Rwanda is currently attempting to overcome.

In being here I get the sense that people are doing the absolute best they can in the wake of an unspeakable past. In light of this I have shifted the focus of my documentary away from the genocide and reconciliation issues to simply documenting the school we are staying at and the everyday life of the people in this country.

There is a power, simplicity, and beauty in the way people have recovered and how they have achieved so much growth in the past 16 years.

Andrew Potter