you
[Music]
yes my name is Caritas happy mana I am
from Ronda 23 years ago I survived the
genocide of Ronda a million people died
in just a hundred days Rondon Hutus
majority were killing Tutsis minority
I’m here I’m grateful
April usually takes us back I’m happy to
be speaking today I divided my story in
three pieces my happy life my story and
then Colombia I was born in a very big
family we were 13 children
I’m the eleventh my father was also a
refugee in Congo he came to Congo after
the colonial power divided us measuring
our noses and our height the only
difference that make us fight until now
my father was a doctor he cream I found
a job back home he had his own cabinet
he raised us fine and beautifully he
gave us everything even shoes on our
feet he was a good father my mom gave us
love that’s why I remember love the real
love I even remember fighting with my
brothers because we needed to know who
she loved the most
she was a good mom in 1981 my daddy died
with a cancer 1983 I finished my school
and found a good job in the French
Embassy in Rwanda back to Rhonda few
years later I got married few years had
beautiful three children
1990 the refugees outside the country
asked the president if they could come
back home
the president said that there were no
space for them they decided to come
fighting since 92 94 they were fighting
strongly fighting the UN were present
and they were mediating these two
parties April 6 1994 the president was
coming from Arusha Tanzania from the
peace treaty his airplane gosh Saddam he
died Doucette the killing the same night
they killed the Prime Minister declared
the Hutus in opposition
they killed Tutsis of course I could
hear the sound of the guns people
screaming the night April 7 oh I see
were the airplanes living US embassies
being closed they are living us in this
chaos there were no hope April 9th
the morning I was home waiting to die
because they were killing in my
neighborhood the militias were coming
singing killed them kill them all killed
those cockroaches I was so afraid I was
just waiting for my family and I to be
killed a cousin of my husband came
running and told me that I was on the
list I was the next one
I was so diverted he said that we had to
go I looked at him and I said where are
we going we had a radio of the militias
saying that the two Hutus that married
the Tutsi have to die the children from
the mixed marriage has to die the person
that is hiding a Tutsi has to die
my marriage was mixed where am I going
nobody could even hide me
he said let’s go through the back I
followed him and we went through the
back in the banana trees which have big
leaves where we could hide behind but I
didn’t even see where we were going to
get he said
just follow me we went to the Big Creek
very wide and deep he said you have to
jump as I can’t jump I don’t even know
how to jump he said look he went back
came running and jumped on the other
side he said do it I looked in that Deep
Creek and I saw the rocks and I said
okay it’s better to die in these rocks
it is a big cut by machetes I went back
I came running and I jumped it wasn’t me
the Angels carried me because I didn’t
think about what I was doing I was on
the other side we continued we went and
got to the road now I could see a
roadblock the militias out there with
machetes with guns they are waiting I’m
so afraid on that roadblock
they said they were cutting heads and I
was like this is my time my last prayer
so we continued as we were about to
arrive to the roadblock I saw this truck
coming along and these militias went to
talk to the truck that was carrying the
soldiers and all the militias they were
giving them guns machetes and drugs I
passed
we continued now I could see another
roadblock coming up the hill I start to
pray I’m passing through the bodies the
blogs I even recognized my dentist with
his family dead I knew I was going to
die we continued until we arrived to the
roadblock and then that truck came along
again same scenario
we passed now we were going to go
through the houses to get to my hiding
place we arrived there my mother-in-law
saw me and she was so surprised you are
here just getting the house she put me
in the back room I said there she fed me
as much she could feed me me want they
attacked my family I don’t even know
where my children are
I don’t know where my husband is I don’t
know where anybody is
I stayed there she fed me whatever she
had until the end of me where they were
bombing the town she was so afraid and
she said she had to go I was so happy
she was living because I was afraid she
would die in my place
she decided I had to move and get out my
hiding place I was asking myself how I
could go through these roadblocks again
I told her to go and find a friend of us
this man a Congolese so he can come and
help me I don’t know where this idea
came from the main camp I told him well
what we want we need to do I said
because they we don’t have the lights
the all the lines are broken because of
the bombing we it’s dark and light so we
could go past these roadblocks speaking
Lingala he said okay he was so brave we
went together arrived to their first
roadblock the chorus and he started
talking to them into this broken King
Aranda my I was asking what they were
talking about in Lingala they said oh
let those Congolese go we fast we did
the same thing for three roadblocks and
I arrived to another hiding place this
house was a house of the grandparents of
my husband but they died already has his
sister lived there
she was gone also because they were
bombing the town the only person that
was there was her maid Fatima Fatima
puts me in this room and locks with a
lock she said I’ll be taking care of you
I stayed there with Fatima feeding me
nothing just a little dough of corn
sometimes dirty water sometimes that I
could drink and take care of myself I’m
a woman
imagine we stayed together until
beginning of June when Kigali was taking
being taken by the rebels tuti people in
South were moving toward us Fatima had a
brother that was a militia
he came where we were now I’m staying
with 20 militias in the house evening
time I will look in the crack of the
window and I will see them eating
talking about who they killed and how
they killed it was a torture this time I
don’t even know what to do I lay down
upon my knees down I’m afraid even to
sneeze or cough we stayed together until
July 3rd when somebody came banging on
the window and saying they are here they
are here you have to go so the rebels
are packing I can hear them packing
their stuff they left even Fatima left I
was in the house by myself until the
morning July 4th I went and looked in
the crack of the window again
I saw the rebels outside how did I know
people were surrendering I did the same
I surrendered and I got up they took us
to this big school and we stayed there
for two weeks and then they said you can
go and find it food I went where to
check if there were some something I can
hold on and cry go to my house my house
was bombed went to see where my sister
lived the house was gone
killed they destroyed even the
I went back luckily I found one of my
cousin and then when they said go home
we went together I stayed with her two
weeks later my sister came from Colombia
to Rhonda I could even believe my eyes
she found me luckily because she saw
somebody at the gas station that knew
where I was and how did she know I was
there
the congolese that took me to my hide my
second hiding place I wrote a little
note and I said give this journal to my
brother or sister in Congo he did my
sister called my older sister here and
they found me and then she took us to
Kenya in two UN they accepted us because
she had a passport an American passport
we stayed in Kenya I started looking for
my children in September I found my
seven year five year and three years old
they came and joined me in Kenya
in November I was in Colombia a
beautiful place it was November it was
around Thanksgiving I remember there was
no leaves on the trees I was so confused
[Music]
but I loved Colombia
I stayed in Colombia with my family we
cried we weren’t we did everything we
could do but I felt like sitting in the
corner and not even doing anything to
rest
I wanted to rest could I even rest I had
to learn the language that was number
one on the list I had to do something
I have children we have to do something
we have to work find a job cleaning job
yes I had to work
it was so hard nobody could read your
mind I was I didn’t understand where I
was but life had to go on I got stronger
and stronger 2007 I had a job in a
daycare I was I worked there 6 years I
was going up the street on Ash Street I
see these people carrying loads on their
heads I looked and I said this is my
people I went and talked to them it
happened I speak the same language I
speak six languages which makes me
connect with a lot of people so I gave
some of them a ride home they’d even
know how to store the food they didn’t
know some of them were thinking that for
a switch on the world because they can
see the light they didn’t know they
didn’t know how to use a wrench
I looked at them and I said he fed me
like a bird I quit my job I had to go
and help these people they were losing
their footstep because they don’t even
know how to read at least I used
dictionary they didn’t have anything I
could even see how they we make it in
this country I dedicated myself to them
now I have phone calls from schools
Hospital even from themselves asking
myself why they got the tip I have to
explain it’s the money they gave you
because you did a good job those kind of
call they are my family they are my
friends we pray together they are here I
have something I have to live with you
they are among us I want you to
recognize them not only you will change
the lives they will change your lives –
they are good citizen thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
you
[Music]
yes my name is Caritas happy mana I am
from Ronda 23 years ago I survived the
genocide of Ronda a million people died
in just a hundred days Rondon Hutus
majority were killing Tutsis minority
I’m here I’m grateful
April usually takes us back I’m happy to
be speaking today I divided my story in
three pieces my happy life my story and
then Colombia I was born in a very big
family we were 13 children
I’m the eleventh my father was also a
refugee in Congo he came to Congo after
the colonial power divided us measuring
our noses and our height the only
difference that make us fight until now
my father was a doctor he cream I found
a job back home he had his own cabinet
he raised us fine and beautifully he
gave us everything even shoes on our
feet he was a good father my mom gave us
love that’s why I remember love the real
love I even remember fighting with my
brothers because we needed to know who
she loved the most
she was a good mom in 1981 my daddy died
with a cancer 1983 I finished my school
and found a good job in the French
Embassy in Rwanda back to Rhonda few
years later I got married few years had
beautiful three children
1990 the refugees outside the country
asked the president if they could come
back home
the president said that there were no
space for them they decided to come
fighting since 92 94 they were fighting
strongly fighting the UN were present
and they were mediating these two
parties April 6 1994 the president was
coming from Arusha Tanzania from the
peace treaty his airplane gosh Saddam he
died Doucette the killing the same night
they killed the Prime Minister declared
the Hutus in opposition
they killed Tutsis of course I could
hear the sound of the guns people
screaming the night April 7 oh I see
were the airplanes living US embassies
being closed they are living us in this
chaos there were no hope April 9th
the morning I was home waiting to die
because they were killing in my
neighborhood the militias were coming
singing killed them kill them all killed
those cockroaches I was so afraid I was
just waiting for my family and I to be
killed a cousin of my husband came
running and told me that I was on the
list I was the next one
I was so diverted he said that we had to
go I looked at him and I said where are
we going we had a radio of the militias
saying that the two Hutus that married
the Tutsi have to die the children from
the mixed marriage has to die the person
that is hiding a Tutsi has to die
my marriage was mixed where am I going
nobody could even hide me
he said let’s go through the back I
followed him and we went through the
back in the banana trees which have big
leaves where we could hide behind but I
didn’t even see where we were going to
get he said
just follow me we went to the Big Creek
very wide and deep he said you have to
jump as I can’t jump I don’t even know
how to jump he said look he went back
came running and jumped on the other
side he said do it I looked in that Deep
Creek and I saw the rocks and I said
okay it’s better to die in these rocks
it is a big cut by machetes I went back
I came running and I jumped it wasn’t me
the Angels carried me because I didn’t
think about what I was doing I was on
the other side we continued we went and
got to the road now I could see a
roadblock the militias out there with
machetes with guns they are waiting I’m
so afraid on that roadblock
they said they were cutting heads and I
was like this is my time my last prayer
so we continued as we were about to
arrive to the roadblock I saw this truck
coming along and these militias went to
talk to the truck that was carrying the
soldiers and all the militias they were
giving them guns machetes and drugs I
passed
we continued now I could see another
roadblock coming up the hill I start to
pray I’m passing through the bodies the
blogs I even recognized my dentist with
his family dead I knew I was going to
die we continued until we arrived to the
roadblock and then that truck came along
again same scenario
we passed now we were going to go
through the houses to get to my hiding
place we arrived there my mother-in-law
saw me and she was so surprised you are
here just getting the house she put me
in the back room I said there she fed me
as much she could feed me me want they
attacked my family I don’t even know
where my children are
I don’t know where my husband is I don’t
know where anybody is
I stayed there she fed me whatever she
had until the end of me where they were
bombing the town she was so afraid and
she said she had to go I was so happy
she was living because I was afraid she
would die in my place
she decided I had to move and get out my
hiding place I was asking myself how I
could go through these roadblocks again
I told her to go and find a friend of us
this man a Congolese so he can come and
help me I don’t know where this idea
came from the main camp I told him well
what we want we need to do I said
because they we don’t have the lights
the all the lines are broken because of
the bombing we it’s dark and light so we
could go past these roadblocks speaking
Lingala he said okay he was so brave we
went together arrived to their first
roadblock the chorus and he started
talking to them into this broken King
Aranda my I was asking what they were
talking about in Lingala they said oh
let those Congolese go we fast we did
the same thing for three roadblocks and
I arrived to another hiding place this
house was a house of the grandparents of
my husband but they died already has his
sister lived there
she was gone also because they were
bombing the town the only person that
was there was her maid Fatima Fatima
puts me in this room and locks with a
lock she said I’ll be taking care of you
I stayed there with Fatima feeding me
nothing just a little dough of corn
sometimes dirty water sometimes that I
could drink and take care of myself I’m
a woman
imagine we stayed together until
beginning of June when Kigali was taking
being taken by the rebels tuti people in
South were moving toward us Fatima had a
brother that was a militia
he came where we were now I’m staying
with 20 militias in the house evening
time I will look in the crack of the
window and I will see them eating
talking about who they killed and how
they killed it was a torture this time I
don’t even know what to do I lay down
upon my knees down I’m afraid even to
sneeze or cough we stayed together until
July 3rd when somebody came banging on
the window and saying they are here they
are here you have to go so the rebels
are packing I can hear them packing
their stuff they left even Fatima left I
was in the house by myself until the
morning July 4th I went and looked in
the crack of the window again
I saw the rebels outside how did I know
people were surrendering I did the same
I surrendered and I got up they took us
to this big school and we stayed there
for two weeks and then they said you can
go and find it food I went where to
check if there were some something I can
hold on and cry go to my house my house
was bombed went to see where my sister
lived the house was gone
killed they destroyed even the
I went back luckily I found one of my
cousin and then when they said go home
we went together I stayed with her two
weeks later my sister came from Colombia
to Rhonda I could even believe my eyes
she found me luckily because she saw
somebody at the gas station that knew
where I was and how did she know I was
there
the congolese that took me to my hide my
second hiding place I wrote a little
note and I said give this journal to my
brother or sister in Congo he did my
sister called my older sister here and
they found me and then she took us to
Kenya in two UN they accepted us because
she had a passport an American passport
we stayed in Kenya I started looking for
my children in September I found my
seven year five year and three years old
they came and joined me in Kenya
in November I was in Colombia a
beautiful place it was November it was
around Thanksgiving I remember there was
no leaves on the trees I was so confused
[Music]
but I loved Colombia
I stayed in Colombia with my family we
cried we weren’t we did everything we
could do but I felt like sitting in the
corner and not even doing anything to
rest
I wanted to rest could I even rest I had
to learn the language that was number
one on the list I had to do something
I have children we have to do something
we have to work find a job cleaning job
yes I had to work
it was so hard nobody could read your
mind I was I didn’t understand where I
was but life had to go on I got stronger
and stronger 2007 I had a job in a
daycare I was I worked there 6 years I
was going up the street on Ash Street I
see these people carrying loads on their
heads I looked and I said this is my
people I went and talked to them it
happened I speak the same language I
speak six languages which makes me
connect with a lot of people so I gave
some of them a ride home they’d even
know how to store the food they didn’t
know some of them were thinking that for
a switch on the world because they can
see the light they didn’t know they
didn’t know how to use a wrench
I looked at them and I said he fed me
like a bird I quit my job I had to go
and help these people they were losing
their footstep because they don’t even
know how to read at least I used
dictionary they didn’t have anything I
could even see how they we make it in
this country I dedicated myself to them
now I have phone calls from schools
Hospital even from themselves asking
myself why they got the tip I have to
explain it’s the money they gave you
because you did a good job those kind of
call they are my family they are my
friends we pray together they are here I
have something I have to live with you
they are among us I want you to
recognize them not only you will change
the lives they will change your lives –
they are good citizen thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
you
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