The Inspiring Journey of Rwanda’s Resilient Youth

The 13th National Youth Conference on Healing and Resilience, organized by Never Again Rwanda on September 24, 2024, was more than just an event—it was a celebration of hope, courage, and the power of youth to overcome adversity.

?Held in Kigali city, the conference brought together 200 participants, including youth leaders, representatives from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), decision-makers, and the media. The conference was a melting pot of wisdom, energy and experience, where the older generation shared hard-earned lessons and the youth exchanged stories of resilience, determination, and healing.

Amidst the lively conversations and uplifting performances of poetry and music, one person sitting in amongst the participants, had her own silent story of resilience and healing. Claudine Uwamahoro, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is a living testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Claudine’s journey of resilience began tragically. Orphaned by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at the tender age of two years and nine months, she was saved by the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) and sent to an orphanage in the Eastern Province.

?“As a young girl, Iived in an orphanage and switched families. I faced many hardships, as often times I was tasked with household chores and treated like an unpaid maid. I felt desperate, hopeless and lonely. I even thought that my motherland has forgotten me as I didn’t have anyone to look after me,” Claudine reflects.

Yet, despite the hardships, Claudine was determined to rise. She completed her secondary education in 2014 and went on to graduate from university in 2019 - a remarkable achievement for someone who had faced so many odds.

?“A very beautiful moment changed my life for the better. It was in 2018 that, after the completion of a three-month long workshop on trauma healing in Kigali, I discovered a purpose for my life,” expresses Claudine.

?Inspired by the shared experiences of other survivors, she founded the Mahoro Claudine Foundation (MC Foundation). Her vision was clear: to create a “surrogate family” for children who had lost their loved ones in the genocide against Tutsis, a safe space where they could heal, connect and support each other. “After receiving training on wounds and how to cope with them, my life changed massively. I became aware of myself, accepted my past and developed my strength to serve the community, starting with those with similar backgrounds,” she remarks.

Since its inception in 2019, the MC Foundation has become a beacon of hope for 39 individuals who share a similar background to that of Claudine. The foundation members engage in regular dialogues to promote healing, visit genocide memorials to honor those that were lost during the Genocide and contribute their finances to support the most vulnerable among them.

Currently, MC Foundation pays health insurance for a five-member family in Kigali and covers the school fees for two children in Kirehe district, extending the reach of its compassion beyond its immediate circle.

?Claudine’s journey and that of the youth of Rwanda, is far from over. As MC Foundation awaits legal status from the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), its mission grows ever more critical, with plans to support surgical operations for vulnerable members and more.

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Claudine’s story is just one of many that emerged from the conference, each a powerful reminder of Rwanda’s incredible resilience. Never Again Rwanda, through conferences aimed at youth, continues to create safe spaces for young people to share their stories, heal from intergenerational trauma and build a more inclusive future.

In 2024, NAR is supporting 71 spaces, bringing together 1,775 young people who are charting their own paths of reconciliation and resilience. In every story told at the conference, one message was clear: Rwanda’s youth are not just survivors—they are leaders in the ongoing work of national healing and reconciliation, proof that resilience is a powerful lived reality.

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