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Gemima's Story |
| Gemima Mukashyaka, orphaned by the tribal genocide of 1994, has persevered in restoring her family farm. She recently was the guest of PEARL, Michigan State University Non-profit Institute, to tell her success story. Here is the speech, in her words of her story. |
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| Life Before The 1994 Genocide |
| I was born in the South-West of Rwanda, Gikongoro province, Mudasomwa district. My parents had nine children and modest income. They were farmers. |
| I attended primary school and was lucky to have access to secondary education. Unfortunately I could not carry on with my studies. However, my parents were able to pay my school fees. They could provide me with books, pens, school uniform, etc. I was the sixth child in my family. The first and second children had completed their secondary education. The third was in fourth year, secondary school. Two children were craftsmen and the other four children were still in primary school. |
| My parents owned a coffee plantation which allowed them to provide us with everything we needed. That is the reason why I did not have any financial problem all along my secondary education. Unfortunately I had to give up my studies because of the 1994 genocide. |
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| The 1994 Genocide |
| I was at my godmother’s when war broke out in April, 1994. She was Hutu. She was the only person who knew about my ethnic group. Three days later, people started to inquire about my ethnic group. My godmother betrayed me and revealed that I was Tutsi. |
| Then the Interahamwe (notorious killers) were just about to kill me when a young man who was a neighbor of my godmother came and gave them some money. He wanted to marry me but promised the Interahamwe that he would kill me whenever the order to kill Tutsi women who married Hutu men would be given. Though I did not love him, I was obliged to stay with him. Otherwise, I would have been killed. |
| The killers did not stop persecuting me even after he took me to his home. One week later, all the young men from the village wanted to rape me but the one who had married me refused and told them that I belonged to him. They all became furious and wanted to kill me. |
| The young man who married me was a doctor and was leaving me alone at his house every morning. The killers came and asked me to dig my own grave before they kill me. They came three times but my so-called husband always came back and gave them some money in order to save my life. |
| It became worse when defeated soldiers running away to former Zaire came to Gikongoro and wanted to rape me. As those soldiers were more powerful than my so-called husband, we were obliged to move to another place. This young man was really in trouble. As for me, I was frightened to death. I was waiting for my death every time. |
| When Gikongoro was captured by the Inkotanyi (RPF soldiers), I was not afraid to die anymore. I came back to Gikongoro where I heard of what happened to my family. Only my two young sisters survived while my mother, father and other children had been tortured and fiercely killed. |
| My young sisters who survived were hidden by malicious men who were raping them though they were too young. One was 12 years old and the other 8. |
| I was 16 years old. The fact of meeting my sisters brought me some relief. Then I went back to my so-called husband and asked him if he could put my sisters up. He refused, arguing that it was not possible to accommodate three people. I left him in order to stay with my sisters. We moved to Kizi refugee camp and started a new life of orphans. Life in the refugee camp was not easy. Moreover I was pregnant. |
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| Post-War Life |
| As we had become orphans, people thought that we would prostitute ourselves so as to earn our living. However we did not prostitute ourselves. We were not afraid of being hacked by machette anymore. |
| Therefore, we tried crops that grow fast such as beans, sorghum potato, etc. Moreover, there were some NGO’s that were helping orphans. Everybody pitied us because we were very young, that is the reason why we were always the first to get aid. |
| We only lacked affection. We had nobody to give us advice and I did not know how a pregnant woman should behave. When we got some aid, we sometimes sold part of it so as to get some money and buy sugar, salt, etc. |
| Although I and my sisters tried to cultivate, we were not strong enough and had never cultivated before. Moreover I was becoming weaker and weaker because of pregnancy. I had no means to hire people who would help us cultivate. Finally I had a baby. I was taken to hospital by my neighbors. It was very difficult and painful because I had never gone to a doctor’s office for antenatal consultation. |
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| Coffee Growing |
| My parents had a coffee plantation which allowed the family to earn their living. After the 1994 genocide our coffee plantation looked like a bush. |
| We immediately thought of maintaining our parents’ coffee trees. It was the only heritage from our parents. We also thought that maintaining the plantation was a way of paying tribute to our beloved parents. |
| They had 800 coffee trees. I have managed to maintain 400 trees so far. I have not got enough money to maintain the whole plantation yet. In 1996, I got 15,000 FRW from coffee. This was a small amount but it allowed me to maintain our coffee plantation and fill some of our needs. This money encouraged me to maintain the plantation. |
| In 1997, I got 46,000 FRW and decided to go back to school because I was still young. After two semesters I was not able to pay my school fees anymore. I had to stop studying and devote myself to coffee. In 1998, the prices were too low. I got 25,000 FRW only. This was a small amount but it helped us fill our needs. |
| In 1999, ABAHUZAMUGAMBI cooperative of Maraba was created. I joined the cooperative first of all to sell my coffee at higher prices. |
| Secondly joining the cooperative helped us get loans from banks. I needed money to hire people who would help me maintain the whole plantation. |
| Thirdly, I thought that it was important to join the cooperative in order to listen to different views from all the members. |
| One year later, I harvested 300 kg of coffee and got 75,000 FRW. This was an important amount for me. I had never owned 75,000 FRW before. |
| Something great was that I was picking my cherries and bringing them to the washing station, where they had to be processed. Before joining the cooperative I had to process my coffee and sell dry beans. My task then became much easier. |
| In 2000, some trees were old and I replaced them. I sold 150 kg and got about 35,000 FRW. By 2002, I had already sold 300 kg to the station and 250 kg to local buyers. I got 63,000 FRW. |
| Last year, I got 60,000 FRW and then 10,000 FRW as a rebate. The money I get from coffee fills my needs, those of my sisters and my child who is in primary school. I do not get the same amount of money every year since the crop is not always the same. |
| The cooperative helps me get loans from banks. I am able to pay people who help me, to buy fertilizers, etc. The building of another coffee processing station near my plantation will make my task easier. I will not have to take my cherries to long distances. |
| Another interesting thing is that I discuss issues related to coffee with other members of the cooperative and make improvements whenever necessary. |
| I have recently got a job at the coffee processing station. When I get my salary, I hope I will not have to ask for loans anymore. Moreover, this salary will allow me to maintain the whole coffee plantation and get excellent crops. |
| In brief, I earn my living thanks to my coffee trees. I get money and buy food, clothes, etc. I am very proud of my coffee. I owe my open-mindedness to coffee which allowed me to travel and see what is going on in foreign countries. I am speaking from a foreign country just now. My coffee gave me hope of a better future. |
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