Mzee Gaspard Gatera was laid to rest on August 17, 2020, following his untimely passing August 12, 2020, in Kigali. The late Gatera was born on August 12, 1948, to the late Wenceslas and late Rose Gashotsi in Murambi in the Northern Province where his family lived. He was the second of 9 children. The family moved to Uganda in 1961 where he eventually grew up and went to school. His entrepreneurial drive led him to leave his family in Western Uganda to Kampala, where he eventually became a successful businessman dealing in multinational trade and commerce. Gatera was blessed with a huge and loving family. He married his wife Immaculate Gatera in 1977. He had ten children, 5 boys, and 5 girls. He wasn’t just a father to his biological kids but to many others who he raised and supported in many ways from opening his home to providing for their education and helping them start businesses and careers. Like many other Rwandans living in exile, Gatera longed to return to his motherland. He gave all he could to support the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) Inkotanyi during the liberation struggle. Soon after the liberation in 1994, he set up a home in Kigali and expanded his business to Rwanda. He eventually retired and moved to his farm in Matimba, Nyagatare district. A man of God who was devoted to serving through the catholic church, he initially helped build churches in Uganda. His strong faith and dedication to service enabled him to build another church in honor of his father late Wenceslas Gashotsi, for the people of Matimba to worship in. When he first approached the church and requested them to provide land on which he could build a church, they offered him a small piece of land and he told them that the type of structure he wanted to build would not fit on the land they had initially offered him. They eventually agreed on the plot size and he modified his plans to match the land size. The church was completed and officially handed over to the Catholic church in July 2019. The people of Matimba are grateful for this act and also remember his various acts of kindness. He was passionate about community development and donated to various social causes including donating wheel chairs to those in need. His Requiem Mass was held in the church he built at Matimba Parish. He will be remembered for his humility, kindness, wisdom, and generosity. May he rest in eternal peace.
