As Rwanda continues activities to mark the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) donated 35 cows to survivors and protectors of friendship pacts, known as Abarinzi b’Igihango, in Karongi District.

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The event was held on Friday, May 22, at Gatwaro Genocide Memorial in Karongi District, the final resting place for thousands of victims, including those massacred at the former Gatwaro Stadium.

Speaking during the event, the Secretary General of the Office of the Auditor General, Olive Muligo, said the support was part of efforts to stand with survivors while honouring those who risked their lives to save others.

"We came to mourn with survivors, but also to support them and thank the heroes who stood against the Genocide,” she said.

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"We wish survivors continued strength after the losses they suffered, and we thank them for their resilience and rebuilding efforts.”

Muligo said the annual support activities are meant to preserve the memory of the Genocide while contributing to the welfare of survivors.

"Thirty-five cows are being provided today, including 30 for survivors and five for Abarinzi b’Igihango. We hope the cows will reproduce and help beneficiaries support others in the future as well,” she added.

She also thanked Abarinzi b’Igihango for their role during the Genocide.

"Your courage in fighting against the Genocide ideology and protecting people will never be forgotten. RRA and OAG will continue working with you,” she said.

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RRA Assistant Commissioner in charge of Human Resources, Emery Batayika, said the institutions chose Karongi because of its history during the Genocide against the Tutsi.

He urged beneficiaries to treat the cows as a lasting investment that could also benefit neighbours and communities in the future.

Karongi Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Pascasie Umuhoza, thanked the two institutions for the support, describing the cows as a symbol of solidarity and resilience.

"These cows are not just animals. They are a memory of kindness and unity,” she said.

"When people come not only to commemorate, but also to support survivors, it helps address some of the challenges they might be facing.”

She urged beneficiaries to take care of the cows and later support others in need.

Umuhoza also said it remains painful that bodies of Genocide victims are still being discovered more than three decades later.

"The continued discovery of bodies shows that there are still people withholding information. After 32 years, that remains deeply troubling,” she said.

Survivors who received cows said the support would help improve their livelihoods.

Elizabeth Nyiranshuti, a resident of Bwishyura Sector, said she had never owned a cow before.

"This morning, I was called and informed that I had received a cow as a vulnerable survivor,” she said.

"I did not have one before, but now it will help me through fertiliser and give me other benefits from livestock farming.”

Another survivor, Anastase Ujyakuvuga, thanked the government for standing with survivors over the years.

"The government continues to stand in solidarity with us, especially President Paul Kagame, who led the liberation struggle that stopped the Genocide,” he said.

"Today, the government continues to help survivors recover and rebuild their lives.”

Among Abarinzi b&039;Igihango who were recognised during the event was Joel Nkurunziza, a resident of Giheke Sector, who said his Christian faith inspired him to protect the Tutsi.

"Before the Genocide, I was a devout Christian, and that encouraged me to reject the killings and instead protect endangered people,” he said.

"I was injured while hiding some of them, but I did not give up.”

Nkurunziza said the recognition means a lot to him even though he already owns cattle.

"This cow is a symbol of appreciation. If it gives birth, I will also support my neighbours,” he said.

"The people I saved are now like my own children. One of them is already married, and I treated him like my son. When I fall sick, they come and take care of me.”

Another rescuer, Jean Pierre Bahutu, said he helped save around 17 people while working at Kibuye Hospital during the Genocide.

"I was a healthcare worker at Kibuye Hospital. I hid targeted people and also treated those who had been assaulted,” he said.

According to Vedaste Ngarambe, the president of Ibuka in Karongi District, Gatwaro Genocide Memorial is the resting place of thousands of Tutsi killed during the Genocide against the Tutsi, particularly those massacred at the former Gatwaro Stadium on April 18, 1994, when the victims were lied that there they would be protected.

The memorial also preserves the history of the killings carried out in the former Kibuye Prefecture, where victims from several former communes, including Gitesi, Mabanza, Gishyita and Rutsiro, were buried.