Rwandan students studying from different countries on Saturday joined Gisozi residents to clean up the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre where over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide are buried.Jean Michel Habineza, the representative of the Rwandan youth at the UN said the idea was mooted during the just-concluded national service (Urugerero) of the Diaspora youth when they agreed that before they return to their respective host countries, they would conduct Umuganda at the memorial. Habineza said acts such as these, are an indication that the Rwandan youth, despite living in far flung countries, are mindful of who they are ready to play their modest role in building their nation.Habineza said they also intended to echo the ‘never again’ mantra as the youth.“Although we study from abroad, we cannot forget what happened during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. This Umuganda gives us an opportunity to to better understand what happened in Rwanda in 1994 and explain it to other people out there,” he said.The students engaged in a clean up of all sections of the memorial and took the opportunity to tour it and learn more about what transpired in the Genocide and its build up.The Executive Secretary of the National Youth Council (NYC), Alphonse Nkuranga, appreciated the idea of the youth getting involved in national activities, and said choosing the memorial for Umuganda was a sign of respect to the victims.
