1994 genocide survivor: Raped by 37 men and thrown into a mass grave, her backbone broken

Her name is Maria Mukangarambe. As the genocide against the Tutsis was being committed, 37 Interahamwe militia raped her and threw her into a deep mass grave. As she fell into that mass grave her backbone was damaged and she is bedbound since 1994.

Before the genocide, she was dated by different men including Hutus but she rejected their proposals. Some of them remained hateful against her until the genocide happened and they raped her one after another before throwing her into a mass grave, believing that she will never recover.

Fortunately, she was taken off the pit but she suffered from her backbone that was seriously injured and infected.

The Genocide Survivors Assistance Fund (FARG) funded her medical treatments but the doctors’ diet subscription is highly expensive as it is worthy 200, 820 Frw/per month that she is unable to afford.

She recognizes the medical assistance provided by the FARG but she calls for more financial support to afford the medical diet subscription as to sustain her health.

In 1994 she was seventeen years old and from the fate she encountered she never recovered from the backbone’s injury.

As a bedbound girl she didn’t get married and her welfare depends on the assistance of her niece who is likely to leave the house since married.

She lived in a relatively small house located at a difficultly accessible area in Remera sector, Ruturusu II cell, Gasabo district Kigali Rwanda.

Not more than four persons from her entire family survived the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994.

UM– USEKE.RW