Murumbi

• Today we traveled five hours south near border with Burundi to visit the Murumbi memorial,  I am pasting link . It was the site of a technical school which was still being built 19 1994. It was suppose to be h

for Huti students - no Tutsi allowed, The genocidal government lied to the people ( sound familar?) and told them they would be safe in this school and the people thought since h
the aea was in a safe zone--- torquose zone- led by French forces that this was true. The result was on April 21 1994 over 50,000 Tutsi were murdered. They tried to fight back with what they had- rocks and stones. The bodies were all thrown into a pit and because there were so many there was little oxygen so the result looks like the victims of Vesuvius with victims frozen in time. The bodies, many still with tufts of hair, and wering clothes were found and now Rwanda is in the process of preserving the remains. Wgatwas suppose to be classrooms are now holding area for these bodies that ae still in the position when they were murdered, Many with the gashes, cuts, blows clearly seen. Not a place for eveeryone. Many participants were visably shaken and yu will see a few photos I took. Our guide, Lillian, whe asked told us her own story of survival. It appers anyone we meet between ages of 25 and up have a story to tell Of those attacked at the school only 32 survived.

door to classrooms

where bodies exhumed

Lillian

The French built a volley ball court on top of mass graves

mass grave

There is also a mass grave for the bodies that wre not identifiable. Together with Mitch and Jim we read Kaddish. Lllian truly was moved and she has never had that prayer said before at this site. However, it may have been said by other Jewish visiors before she worked there.

On the way home we all tried to lihten the mood and you will see a picture of a litle boy wo was so curious about us, when we stopped for a rest break he just got on the bus and said hello to all of us.

Later our driver, Peter, stopped and we met is children who are so polite, and not shy to shake hands with us all. There is a handshake which shows respect to elders w
that when you reach out the other person puts there other hand on their upper arm indicating respect.

our little hitchhiker

ice cream shop!

Lillian

Another worker at the memorial