During the genocide, Achille Michel Rugema was 18 years old. He had both parents and six brothers and sisters combined.
All of them were killed and he remained alone but did not despair and continue to build his future through education and family building and happiness.
At Kimihurura where the family members were living, life was good and but the family happiness did not last longer as the genocide against the Tutsi started.
He told UM– USEKE that he saw many Interahamwe militias holding heads of killed Tutsis in Nyabugogo square.
Unfortunately, Achille who completed his secondary studies did not continue university studies as the genocide erupted.
Due to the fact that he was an up grown boy, his parents took him in Kenya where some of his family members were living before the genocide erupted.
His parents did that because males were the most hunted during the
In Nairobi he heard news that the presidential plane of the late Habyalimana was fired.
Some of his relatives became joyful, thinking that Inkotanyi forces have thrown the Habyalimana regime but Achille knew that the situation was about to be worse.
After the genocide, all of his family members who dwelt in the former Kibuye Prefecture.
He managed to bury his four relatives among all that he lost.
Two of my brothers have been killed in IFAK and others were brought elsewhere to kill them and none among the killers wants to tell the true story about where the bodies of their relatives were thrown.
He said that he suffered from the depression after losing all of his beloved relatives.
At his return in Rwanda; he had none who could support her to feel safe and sustained.
He consequently suffered the depression disease which demoralized him for three consecutive years.
He afterwards received a strong support from his friends. The later ones searched a psychiatric expert who provided him with an effective and friendly counseling support which healed him.
After this effective support, Achille woke up and started to strive for a better future.
He pursued his studies and learnt the international business at the Staffordshire University where he completed his Master’s degree.
Achille has managed to overcome all the genocide consequences. Currently Achille owns a import and export company that deals with food supplying business.
As he managed to become self made, Achille advises the rest of survivors to keep working hard and become self reliant.
In these days, his objective number one is to raising his children and cater for his beloved wife. For him, overcoming the post genocide challenges is means of showing to the killers that their efforts to exterminate all Tutsis were worthless.
UM– USEKE.RW
