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RWANDA - FROM TRAUMA OF GENOCIDE TO
HEALING & HOPE FOR ORPHANS & WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
By
Rwandan native and survivor of the genocide in
(WNN) United
Nations New York, UNITED STATES, AMERICAS: As twenty years has passed since the
genocide in Rwanda brought devastation to over what the United Nations
estimates as 800,000 people, one woman is shining a light on the disaster. Her name is Marie Claudine
Mukamabano. And she speaks of stepping over the bodies as if it was yesterday.
This horrific time in her
life and country was also the catalytic moment that would shape the rest of her
future, and the future of orphans in
What was Marie Claudine’s
message? I had to know more.
Was it her joy that drew
me? Come to find out it was. I was fascinated by her capacity to speak of
tragedy with such candid storytelling, and at the same time exude what seemed
like overflowing joy. Marie Claudine’s panel, “Economic Empowerment for Women
and Girls through social media, entrepreneurship and technology” struck me.
First of all, we opened with a prayer to a ‘Creative God’ and classical
musician Schubert’s song Ave
Maria, with Marie Claudine giving thanks to God.
In the panel were women
that Marie Claudine had studied with in the creation of her own not-for-profit
called the Kuki Ndiho (Why Do I Exist?) Foundation, and organization
set up to help Rwandan orphans.
I thought of the beauty of
this. For the panel she brought her very own teachers to us to educate us. As
she introduced each woman Marie Claudine, who most recently graduated from the
International Trauma Studies Program in
While the presence and
cause of Why Do I Exist.org was the backdrop, Marie Claudine was
clearly here to help orphans and raise awareness. Her approach was education
that empowers. Her panel didn’t ‘just talk’ about the topics, it was a class
for those present in the room including multi-media training on how we too can
get the word out about our own causes.
In her presentation Marie
Claudine, who now lives in
“Sometimes, we blame other
people for our failures; and we sit down with our arms crossed assuming that
they will do something to solve our problems,” said Marie Claudine during her
presentation at the UN.
“I wanted to do something
for the helpless to take responsibility, and make a difference in somebody’s
life” she continued.
“Because I wanted to
acknowledge how God saved my life, that’s how Why Do I Exist came to life. It
helped me to fulfill my promises…” Marie Claudine added.
She told us a story about
what brought her to her desire to serve. Sharing with us that during the
massacre in
From an early age, Marie Claudine was good at math. Her mother knew she was smart and encouraged her to be who she was from an early age. Her awareness of her own gifts of intelligence and math were a part of what she conveyed as her “call to service in that moment.” If she survived the genocide, she said, she would put her whole self to service on behalf of the orphans.
But not only that. Marie
Claudine would also teach about forgiveness. Her mother, father, sisters and
brothers were all killed in the atrocities in Rwanda. Only one brother is alive
today in Rwanda.
“I found myself jumping
over the bodies of the people,” she shared.
“Children were being killed
from my left and right. People were being shot in front of me. I really didn’t
think I’d survive. I thought I’d die like everyone else,” outlined Marie
Claudine.
“Therefore, I took a vow
before God,” she continued. “I said, ‘Lord if you save my life, and I survive,
I will do everything in my ability to help Rwandan orphans,” she added.
It is hard to imagine how a
person could have so much light and joy after having suffered so much.
Marie Claudine believes in
the power of connecting those who are not connected, which is also why she has
created her very first book, an audiobook called The Power of Social Media.
When I ask her about this, she tells me a story. She met a woman on Facebook
who works with trauma, and this woman, Suzanne Feldman-Levy agreed to come to
Rwanda to teach to orphans how to lead others in the healing of trauma. The
marvel of meeting a woman online who would agree to come to Rwanda is part of
what motivates Marie Claudine – she can see that healing is happening. This is
the source of her joy – that she gets to be a part of the healing.
“Why Do I Exist? Is a question
I ask myself as a genocide survivor. I believe that my existence is to praise
God and help others. I believe my existence is to change somebody’s life. I
believe it’s my duty to promote peace, and to prevent evil acts by promoting
the acts of kindness, and the benefits of performing God’s holiness,” outlined
Marie Claudine in her presentation.
I haven’t told her this
yet, but I can see Marie Claudine as a future leader at the United Nations.
Since we are now friends, the next time we have tea I plan to share my vision
with her.
It is this kind of human
being, the one who not only survives but thrives, who will lead us into the
future.
Recently in Lagos, Nigeria
Marie Claudine was given recognition as an “Impact Maker in Development on the
African Continent” by writer and lead editor Mr. Adebivi Olusuolape of the Development Diaries, a Pan-African
publication covering development news in the region.
On our second meeting, I
tied a red thread on her wrist telling her about the connection the red thread
would give her with other woman around the world. Sharing I told her about the
Chinese legend that says that those who are supposed to meet are connected by
an invisible ‘Red Thread’ since before birth. I knew she understood this. Over
the next few days we worked together with a group of women in a painting class
I was teaching in New York that uses art as a path of healing.
After I met her I realized
as an artist, poet, dancer, mathematician and humanitarian, Marie Claudine
Mukamabano provides that brave unreasonable hope that keeps us all believing in
the global path of ‘Peacemaker’.
*WNN Special
Commentator Shiloh Sophia McCloud
is a visionary artist and teacher who has dedicated the past 20 years of her
life to art as a path of healing through the process of painting, writing and
intentional creativity.