Remembering

POEM: TOGETHER LET US BUILD RWANDA

By: Young Rwandan boy

I demand the explanation
I demand the history
I demand why, so as to lay strategies,
I demand the cause, so as to plan the future.

I renew the fraternity of Rwandans
And reminisce about the past days
And talk of the evil white man,
Who came covered in sheep’s skin
Who came into our homeland without fear.

10 He came with religion
So as to trap us
He used what was Rwanda as a ladder
He climbed and declared himself chief
He took what was Rwanda’s and left us in misery.

He lived in peace back in his homeland
He introduced schools and the appreciated
Those who went there became intelligent
They learnt a lot and became vigilant
They then started asking how he had arrived.

20 He intimidated them
He introduced the ideology of ethnicity
Though he had peace in his homeland
He knew colonising Rwanda would not be an easy task
Except by dividing its people.

He envied our culture
I remember my grandfather before his passing
He told me of a beautiful Rwanda
A Rwanda of peace
A Rwanda with a united people
30 Rwanda was house to everyone
Rwanda was fertile and home to many animals
The buffalos and rhinoceros shared pasture
The youth were united
They exchanged cows in Nyanza and in Kiyaga

In Nyanza, cows were exchanged for brides
This is the fraternity that existed in Rwanda
He brought hatred, he is a warmonger
He brought ethnicity,
He named he who kept cattle Tutsi
40 He named he who cultivated Hutu
He who moulded clay was named Gatwa.
We adopted this ideology
We taught it to our offspring
We passed it on as a heritage in our families.

We feel the consequences
Rwanda my motherland
Rwanda that loves me
Rwanda that I love
Rwanda that I exalt.

50 Rwanda that I dream of
Allow to talk about you
Talk of hatred and fight against it
Mix our ideas and create a solution
Preach fraternity and build Rwanda.

Awaken, we the force of tomorrow
Rwanda of our ancestors
The culture of the whites weighs on you
Hatred is everywhere
What will be your future.

60 In fifty nine is when the cries started
In sixty-three you anguished your own
In seventy-three was the same story
In eighty-two I arrived
In love with you and wanting to unite you
I wished to get to know your people
I wished to share my all with them
I remember the day I was born
I cried at seeing the look on your face
At hearing the laugh of an enemy

70 That those you want are not the ones born
I thought it was all a joke
My mother calmed me down
Hush little one, we shall be all right
As I grew up
I wished to know you better
You showed your other side
As you shouted out with loud voices
You became an enemy without pity
What evil regimes!
80 What youth of that time!
What devaluing of the human being!
He was taught to devour his own
I saw a lot in a few days
I will remember so as to lay strategies
Let me remember for the tenth time
When the spear was thrown
When the sword persecuted many
When the machetes and clubs
Slaughtered and massacred the son of man.
90 Let me ask myself and lay strategies
I recall when the situation got worse
The spears were being sharpened
The plans were finalized
The neighbour became the hunted
The enemy of the state
The foreigner who has no home
Let me remember and promote fraternity
So that it never happens again
So is my contribution to the nation.

100 Let me live in Rwanda in security
Let me remember those who were the youth
Who were used as tools of the evil regime
Through your unceasing meetings
Through your provocative songs.
Through distracting dances
They had the same objective
They trained here and there
Those youth full of strength
Who are training to devour each other.

110 While waiting in ambush
While waiting for the signal
To massacre that enemy
The boys hunted down those who were their own
The girls were applauding.

They destroyed the churches and raped their own
Their motherland was filled with screams of terror
Their strength spilt blood
The survivors fleeing across the world
I am remembering so as to lay strategies

120 They killed as many as they could
They killed infants and foetuses still in the womb
They killed old men and those who were praying
They killed old women and singers
They killed reverends and servants.

They killed nuns and Belgians
Rwanda was swept into tragedy
Orphans grew up with sorrow
The youth of Rwanda
I abstain from talking.

130 I would suffer to mention all those killed
I would sweat to recount all that happened
I would talk of ours and remember the young
No, the youth of tomorrow
Let us fight against hatred in Rwanda.

Here comes the “gacaca” court jurisdictions
Humble yourself and be open
Strive for intelligence and fight divisionism
Do everything possible to
Strive for knowledge and be proud.

140 Never again should it happen
Retrieve our dignified image
Sensitise the youth of tomorrow
Let there be no dominant ethnic group
Let there be equality.
Let us take a step beyond grief
Let Rwanda regain its respect
Youth of my generation
Let us together say “this is what to do”
Reconstruct our fraternity and build Rwanda.

150 All of us, without basing on ethnicity
Without jealousy, without hunger
With the same objective
Let us say together “this is what is right”
Democracy, this is what is right
Technology, this is what is right
Unity and reconciliation, this is what is right
Development, this is what is right
I am grateful to the government of national unity

160 We are following you with all our strength
Continue with the objective of uniting us
So I may rejoice like the other day
When I saw Gatwa carrying a pot
With the sons of Gahutu following behind
Heading towards Gatutsi’s home for a bride
When I saw the Rwandans
Sharing the word in ceremonies
I danced with joy
I am proud of them.

170 I appreciate those who had the idea
To ban divisionism in Rwanda
Let those in the Diaspora return home
Let us build Rwanda and share mutually
Without any hindrances.

I am the poet Uwiringiyimana Donatien
I love Rwanda and its people
I love God and I love life
Not only mine but also the life of others
Not only the people of Rwanda but also others.
180 Not only the people of Rwanda but also foreigners
Long live all human beings
On this tenth commemoration
Let us remember and ask ourselves
Let it never happen again.