PSF donates Rwf 5 million to support genocide survivors’ business group

The donation was made during remembrance events marking the 32nd anniversary of the genocide, which also included a visit to the Nyanza Memorial Site in Kicukiro District, where more than 105,000 victims are buried.

PSF officials said the support is intended to strengthen economic resilience among survivors who are rebuilding their lives through entrepreneurship.

The beneficiary group, Abiyubaka-Gakoni, based in Nyabugogo Cell, Kigali Sector in Nyarugenge District, operates grain milling and flour production activities.

“We have two milling machines provided by the Rwanda Defence Force. We buy sorghum and cassava, process them into flour, and sell it. We also mill for others for a fee,” said group leader Mukagatare Francine. “This income has helped members meet basic needs such as food and clothing, and we are no longer a burden to the government. This PSF support will help us expand our activities, and we are grateful for remembering us during this commemoration period.”

PSF Human Resources Director Felix Mutagoma, who represented the federation at the event, said supporting survivors who are rebuilding their livelihoods is part of the organization’s annual remembrance activities.

“It is our tradition during the commemoration period to support genocide survivors who are working to rebuild themselves and overcome poverty,” he said. “The support may not be large, but when combined, it can help address some of the challenges within your group. It is meant to empower you so you can become self-reliant rather than depend on government or other organizations.”

He added that survivors should be encouraged to build sustainable economic capacity and support others in turn.

Mutagoma also reflected on Rwanda’s past, saying that unlike in earlier periods when business people supported a regime that facilitated violence, the country now promotes unity and development under current leadership.

Following the visit, PSF members joined the main commemoration ceremony held in Gikondo, where the Minister of Trade and Industry, Prudence Sebahizi, addressed participants.

Sebahizi said the country honors businesspeople, workers, and families who were killed in the genocide because of their identity, noting that the violence also destroyed economic activity and affected national development.

He said Rwanda’s recovery has been made possible by improved governance and unity-focused policies, adding that reconciliation efforts have contributed to national stability and economic growth.

Sebahizi credited the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) and its armed wing for stopping the genocide, saying the international community failed to act despite having the capacity to intervene.

He said Rwanda has since built a society based on equal opportunity and unity, with current estimates placing national unity at 95.3%, but warned that genocide ideology has not been fully eliminated.

“It still exists in some families and neighboring countries, and it is also spread through language and digital platforms that mislead young people,” he said.

He called for continued efforts to counter genocide ideology, preserve historical truth, and support survivors’ healing and economic empowerment.

The commemoration events included the lighting of a candle of hope, testimonies, and performances reflecting on remembrance and resilience.