The CPR is a Council of Protestant Churches in Rwanda. Activities to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, particularly the visit of families of genocide survivors from the village of Mulinja, began more than twelve years ago. Since then, it has become an annual event.
This year, as Rwandans commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsi for the 31st time, on May 19, 2025, CPR employees organized two important activities: 1. A visit to the 1994 Genocide Memorial in Nyanza, Kicukiro District; 2. A visit to families of survivors of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide living in Mulinja Village, Gahanga Sector, Kicukiro District. According to the guide, the Nyanza Genocide Memorial contains more than 105,600 bodies of genocide victims from various parts of Kigali. CPR staff also visited the site’s garden, where each symbol represents the genocide period and the lessons we must learn from it for the future of the country and Rwandans: sorghum fields, marshes, traditional Rwandan trees, etc. After visiting the memorial, CPR staff laid wreaths and presented an envelope in support of the site.
The day continued with a visit to the genocide survivor families of the village of Mulinja. These are 46 families with whom the CPR and its employees have collaborated for over 12 years. As resources became available, the CPR provided them with assistance in various forms: household supplies, food, etc. This time, the CPR employees were accompanied by its Secretary General and the representative of its President. The meeting was held at the Nazarene Church near the Gahanga sector office. We shared a message from the Word of God to comfort hearts, a message presented by the representative of the President of the CPR. The representative of the families visited praised the way in which the CPR has continued to support them for many years, both in tangible ways and on a spiritual level (through its psychotraumatology project).
The Secretary General of the CPR, Reverend Samuel Mutabazi, stated that churches are doing a lot to help survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis, but that much remains to be done, as the wounds left behind are too numerous. This includes treating serious physical illnesses from which some still suffer, repairing their homes or building new ones for those who do not yet have one, and generally providing good training to people to change bad mentalities. He asked the survivor families to continue to show patience and resilience. The event concluded with the families receiving small support envelopes that the CPR had set aside for them.
