Stories From The Past: Rwanda Genocide Survivor

Society today seems to have an obsession with the future. What's next, what's new , what will be better then the last experience? We focus so much on the future, barely live in the present and often forget about the past. The past shouldn't be something that is ever forgotten, but something that constantly gives us a reminder of where we have been, what has happened, and what could be our future. Jean De Dieu Gatete,28,was born and raised in Rwanda, Africa but has had many opportunities to come to the United States. I met him while volunteering at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles. What is fascinating about him is that he was able to live in a community that became engulfed with death. And what he takes away from his survival is divine humility. Gatete spent his childhood with simple joys and a carefree spirit. He played with friends, pulled pranks on people, and tried to stay out of trouble. He grew up in a culture of hospitality. Gatete describes it as a system where people helped each other. "The kids don’t belong to the family they belong to the society. If some kid is doing mistakes, any parent will try to correct him or her and feel like it’s their responsibility to take care of everyone. If someone is sick everyone will bring him to the hospital. There were times when people didn’t have cars and things and people had to carry sick people to the hospital… whatever happens to them is happening to us so we need to take action. " said Gatete. Although Gatete grew up in a time of peace, around 50 years ago the government introduced a ethnic system that eventually poisoned this hospitable culture. This ethnic system divided people, families and friends into different social classes mainly based on the assets they owned. With the division of classes came control and power. Those of a higher class would be used to force orders on those of a lower class. Slowly this system was integrated with violence, people were beaten if they did not follow orders. And by the time Gatete was 10 years old he witnessed those that he grew up with, his neighbors and friends die before his eyes. The river that Gatete grew up by became a moving storage for dead bodies. Washing away the evidence and the memory of those that were slaughtered for the sake of power. There was so much fear that it laid a permanent scar on those that survived. Years later the trauma of the event still lingers on with the people of Rwanda. And at the age of 10, Gatete could not fully understand why the killings were going on, all he could do was worry about who would be next. One day the violence can too close to home when Gatete's mother was attacked and taken away. Attacked by machetes, his mother was able to survive thanks to friends who sought to protect versus destroy. She was found and taken from a grave site and was brought home and eventually to a medical center where she spent six month recovering from head wounds. Although Gatete's mother suffered from an attack it was because of his father's ethnicity that he was never attack directly. But he was never hidden from the tragedies as he witnessed others die in front of him and. His home was under constant attack because his family would hide others to keep them safe. After time passed, Gatete and his family decided to flee from their home. People weren't just dying just because of the ethnicity but because of their land, their assets and anything else that was decided by a person of power. After years went on with much violence , a new government came in and created a new order of peace.Since then Gatete has returned to Rwanda, where he works as doctor and runs a non profit organization for the youth. When the killings finally stopped and people had to learn to forgive one another. With so many killings blood was on almost everyone's hands. Punishment wasn't possible for everyone and forgiveness was the main option. Gatete had to learn to live with and forgive the man who tried to kill his mother. This new government was critical making sure the Rwandian people could move forward. Systems were put into places, where people were tried in front of the people who they committed a crime against. They confessed of their crimes and were either forgiven or imprisoned. Gatete story is a realization of how far people can stray away from their humanity. It is also reminder of the strength, compassion that people can have and power of forgiveness.