Kigale Genocide Memorial

A few hours after driving through the lush green countryside of Rwanda to our base campsite to view the gorillas, we stopped in Kigale to visit the Kigale Genocide Memorial.  It was built in honor and memorial to the nearly 500,000-1,000,000 Tutsi people murdered in the 4 month rampage of 1994 by the Hutu-led government.  It was a gut-wrenching few hours, reading through the displays of the history prior to the genocide, the actual pictures from the killings and then visiting the gravesite of over 250,000 Rwandans who are buried at the site.  As unbelievable as all of that, it's also become a place of healing and remembrance for the people who survived it as well as the visitors who can learn from it.  They showcased videos of survivors who go to schools and travel around the country to talk about what happened, ensure the memories of their loved ones are not lost and that the country never forgets.  It was a very tough afternoon for me, but also proved that the human spirit is profoundly alive and that other countries who have experienced the same atrocities could learn from this amazing country - Talk about what happened, help people heal and bring the country to be united in their affront to the divisions that led them there.  Considering all that is going on right now with the divisions in the U.S., we could certainly learn that lesson as Americans that we are always stronger together...