Center for Religion & Civic Culture

April 7, 2004 10:22 AM

"When I think about my dear ones who passed away, a song arises in me. I sing it; it is a grief song." --An orphan survivor

The United Nations has designated April 7, 2004 as an "International Day of Reflection" on Rwanda. Ten years ago, at least 800,000 Tutsis were murdered by Hutu extremists. Using machetes, spiked clubs, and garden tools, the killers rampaged for 100 days while the world watched. Nearly 85 percent of the ethnic Tutsi population perished.

Orphans and widows of the genocide continue to deal with the aftermath. One group, Association des Orphelins Chefs de Menages (AOCM), an association of orphan heads of households, is providing support, solidarity, and education to over 1,300 members. Each member has experienced the trauma of genocide witnessing the murder of their relatives and the challenge of providing for an average of three children in their households. Despite tragic experiences, the officers of AOCM are a heroic group of young adults. They are dealing with their personal pain by serving others and in this process they are healing themselves. They are the future of a unified Rwanda and a model to young adults throughout the world.

Donald Miller, Firestone Professor of Religion and executive director of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, and Lorna Touryan Miller met the officers of AOCM at an international genocide conference several years ago. The Millers, authors of two books on survivors of the Armenian genocide, trained members of AOCM in oral history methods to document their experiences. To date, AOCM has conducted and translated 100 interviews.

The Millers and photographer Jerry Berndt traveled to Rwanda in January 2004 to visit members of the association. Their photo essay, “Orphans of the Rwanda Genocide,” contains moving images and excerpts from interviews.

Download a copy of the report in Adobe PDF format (large file).

For more information about AOCM, visit this site.