There is no doubt that the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi left many Rwandans broken, orphans, widows, not to forget the hidden scars. Youth who were born after the genocide were also affected in many ways. Although some have managed to get counseling as a way to heal from their trauma, others haven’t got any better yet. It is for this reason that Laurette Annely Akariza, 21, decided to write a book that she figured may bring healing to the youth. Her book, dubbed “Wet under the rainbow”, was inspired by the Rwandan history and everyday struggles of Rwandans to heal from their unbelievable past. The young author said that her book was inspired by the Rwandan youth and their silent battle for resilience and their transmission of trauma. Her novel is about the daily life stories of the youth born after the Genocide showing how trauma is transmitted to them, and the hurdles of acting strong to help their parents heal. The book also talks about how living in this modern life pushes them to depict more happiness than what they have, which makes them ‘wet under the rainbow.’ Akariza who is a student of International Relations at University of Rwanda completed this book in two months, having written the book during her free time. She was surprised by how her book has positively impacted the people that read it. It was more than what she expected and it gave her more courage. However, the writer was challenged by the fact that she had no information about the publication of books yet publishing in Rwanda is expensive. In addition, many Rwandans lack interest in reading Rwandan novels. While writing, she was assisted by authors like Fred Mfuranzima and Enock Luyonza in gathering the information, while Imfura Heritage Rwanda did the publication. Akariza’s book is available at Kigali Public Library and Caritas Butare. She is looking forward to displaying it in various libraries in the country, in the next few weeks. She hopes to avail the book on Amazon and later on translate it to Kinyarwanda and audios. Her book of 106 pages was released in October 2020 and goes for Rwf10,000. The youngster started writing three years back. She writes quotes and poems too. Some of the poems she has written include, “Hey girl”, “We are different”, “The dove”, “Happiness”, “The pearl”, among others. She anticipates being a successful diplomat, activist, and peacebuilder.
