Feeling out of place, a lack of words, being afraid of saying the wrong words, or doing a triggering action in a deeply wounded and mourning Rwanda, especially in April, are some of the many challenges that the post-genocide generation faces. Its like life is normal from January to March, then everything changes all of a sudden in April, Priscilla Kezakabo, 19, explains. My mind goes to people who experienced life as normal as they knew it from January to March in 1994, to then running, fighting for life in April. Rwanda commemorates the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi for the 28th time this year. Grief as we know it causes both anguish and sorrow. Now the post-genocide generation wonders, “How do we react in such moments?” What do we tell a person who is mourning? How do we console a survivor? How do we lessen Rwanda’s agony? “Especially when its your parents and you have to see them go back in their memories and break down while they tell you what happened? Kezakabo continued, How can we cleanse Rwandas tainted history if that is even possible? These are questions that Kezakabo affirms are not peculiar to her but instead shares with the friends of her age. Her peer, Enock Ntaganda says that We listen to our parents, relatives, teachers, and others educate us about Rwandas history and what led to the 1994 Tutsi genocide. And most of the time, he adds, they entrust us with the desired change, the Never Again to genocide and they say we are responsible for a better, reconciled, and unified Rwanda, but to be honest, it is terrifying. “We, too, grieve, you know?” Sonia Ujeneza remarked. We mourn for the perished relatives well never meet, for the happy parents we may have inherited, and we mourn even if we werent present when the genocide took place. Ujeneza continued; Some of us are brought up in full confusion with parents who arent open to discussing the events of the genocide. Some people who were born after the genocide feel like it is a taboo to bring up conversations about the genocide, according to a 21-year-old who did not wish his name used. In an era when there are so many books, movies, songs, and even testimonies that describe the events of the genocide, I often yearn to engage in conversations about it, he said. According to Dan Rugamba; We have no choice but to keep ourselves informed and fight the negationists. Rwandas youth who make up more than half of the countrys population are now empowered to engage in community policy and development, he explained. This comes with a certain level of responsibility and pressure. “Naturally, we will not be like young people in other countries who are primarily concerned with schooling, getting jobs, and so on,” he stated, We, the Rwandan youth, have a national covenant, igihango. Experts in mental health also indicate that even if post-genocide generations did not witness the acts of genocide first-hand, they inherit a trauma, generational trauma. Apparent symptoms may be anxiety, depression, and self-destructive behaviours, which in worst cases lead to suicide. According to Rulinda Kwizera, mental health activist, “government and non-governmental organizations should introduce/support school programs to tackle mental health among students and other organizations where youth belong.” This way every aspect of mental health including trauma can be addressed earlier and solved according to him.
