He is a mobiliser, organiser and among his peers, he is known as ‘manager’. His ability to bring young people together in numbers to do things out of their own will and pockets can explain why the events organised by the Our Past Initiative always pull crowds. But these are not just crowds. These are young people yearning to learn more and do more for their country. Beyond commemorating the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and staying in touch with their past, however ugly it is, they also want to be a difference in the socio-economic transformation of the country. Christian Intwari, the founder of ‘Our Past’, a youth-led initiative that organises the event and aims to educate young people about the Genocide and inspires them to take the initiative to rebuild the country, says keeping young people involved is key because they are the ones to take up the mantle. Over the past 12 years, Intwari says the fruits are visible for all to see and more than ever, young people have been fully involved in the nation-building process, considering the country’s past and the progress it has made over the years. “We started 12 years ago and this year marks the 14th edition of ‘Our Past’ events,” says Intwari, explaining where the idea came from. Born and raised in Nyamirambo, Intwari was a member of a dance group a dozen years ago, composed of people from different backgrounds. At the time, he was more embedded in the entertainment industry, where he earned the moniker ‘manager’ from his dealings with different artistes and organising events. It is then that he conceived the idea of doing something, together with his friends, that could make a difference in society, using the platform they had. The idea was to keep young people in touch with their past and also own the nation-building process. ALSO READ: Kwibuka25: Why the youth must learn about Genocide “When we started, the idea was one; to educate ourselves and our very people about our history and the second objective was to encourage parents to talk to their children, and tell them stories and the truth about what happened in 1994,” he says. Most importantly, they wanted young people to be hands-on in the development process, starting with initiatives that lifted up vulnerable groups, including Genocide survivors. Indeed, it paid off. Intwari’s mobilisation skills have been able to draw in sponsors and well-wishers too, who commit funds to the cause but most importantly, young people turn up in hoards whenever there is a call to action. They have built homes and they renovate at least nine houses annually for vulnerable households in different parts of the country. They do so out of their own means. They have also been able to buy medical insurance for the same households. Intwari says that at least 78 per cent of the resources they use annually comes from the youth themselves. “We have been able to give some of these households easy access to water and health insurance. Last year we joined the government in providing access to sanitary products in primary and secondary schools,” says Intwari, explaining some of their achievements. They have also been able to build a menstrual hygiene room at Ngeruka Primary School in Bugesera District and they are looking to build at least one annually. ALSO READ: PHOTOS: What you missed at “Our Past” event Their events started with about 300 people but as it was on April 9, more than 2,500 turned up at the Kigali Genocide Memorial and filled the amphitheatre, as part of Kwibuka 29. Many times they will not get sponsorship but that never stops them, and Intwari believes that as long as young people own the process, they can push on. This year, only 40 per cent came from sponsors. Intwari says they have a number of projects coming up, some during the 100 days of commemoration, where they will renovate eight houses of Genocide survivors— four in Rulindo, four in Bugesera, and one in Nyarugenge. They are also working on a project dubbed ‘Library for All’ where they will start building libraries in schools in rural areas, a project they hope to execute with pharmaceutical giant BioNTech. Over the next two years, Intwari says they hope to build ‘Future Hubs’, centres where the young can go to explore inventions and creativity. It is an ambitious plan. They hope to build one in each district. “It is a huge project. This is our biggest project so far and we hope the first one will be operational soon,” he says. Intwari says engaging young people in the nation-building process not only ensures that the youth are involved, but also proves that young people will not sit back and ask what the country is doing for them but rather what they are doing for the country.
