Bugesera Reconciliation Village
Bugesera Reconciliation Village, also known as Mbio Reconciliation Village, is an hour’s drive from Kigali City and is home to perpetrators and victims, murderers and survivors, Hutus and Tutsis.
Bugesera has an abundance of water resources, including Lake Luvelu, Lake Kuoha, and the Nyabalongo and Akanyara rivers. High temperatures, on the other hand, make the environment very arid, with dry savannahs, shrubs and small trees, and occasionally drought. As a result, in addition to Kigali International Airport, the Rwandan government is developing an airport in the region.
Many Bugesera villages, such as Nyamata and Ntarama, were involved in the 1994 Hutu and Tutsi genocide, which began in April 1994 when President Habarimanyi’s plane was shot down in Kigali, resulting in massacres and a genocide.
Many of the surviving women were widowed, and many children were forced to live on the streets after losing their parents and relatives. Food crops, orchards, and homes were all destroyed and burned in a systematic manner. The massacre began in early April 1994 and lasted approximately 100 days, ending with the Hutu Power movement’s defeat in mid-July.
There was no longer the comfort of home, no more barely audible weeping widows and orphans, only the victors’ jubilation and the sound of rifle fire. The famine affected survivors’ families because food was no longer available and it became dangerous to move around in search of food. As a result, people sought refuge in the forests and woodlands as starvation and disease spread. The powerful were forced to flee to neighboring countries, while the poor died. Discover the village’s true history, including genocidal murders, tragedies, crimes, and scandals, as well as its current life. The genocide not only claimed lives, but also ruined the lives of countless others. The victims were unable to return to their villages.
Six reconciliation villages, including Mbio, have been established and now house over 400 people. Members of the Bugesera Reconciliation Village include former genocide perpetrators, survivors of genocide who were often victims of the same perpetrators, returnees, and other vulnerable families.
Residents of this settlement, as well as other PF Rwanda-run communities, have moved from forgiveness to reconciliation. Over the years, ex-offenders and genocide survivors have been supported through a process of repentance and forgiveness. Through the confessions of ex-offenders and the willingness of survivors to engage in dialogue, they were able to overcome their painful and painful past and improve their psychological resilience and life situations through group introspection.
A dance chorus of victims and perpetrators, as well as a cooperative, are featured in the film. A guided tour of the Mbio gives you a better understanding of this one-of-a-kind location. The dramatic realism of this area, which stretches between the horrors of genocide and the complex issues of today, will take at least one day to experience.
You will learn about the feelings and experiences of both victims and perpetrators. Actively participating in activities such as farming, interacting with residents, learning to cook and weave, and hosting a party in a reconciliation village will provide you with a true understanding of the land. Rwandan people amaze me with their perseverance, beauty, and love. They make every social interaction a cause for celebration, even with friends who made fun of each other during the turmoil.
Book a Rwanda safari that includes a visit to the Mbio settler village in Bugesera, Rwanda, and enjoy the best of Rwanda’s unique culture and natural beauty with Africa adventure vacations.
