A Journey of Forgiveness and Healing – Pelagie’s Story
My name is MUKARUGWIZA Pelagie. I am 59 years old. I am a mother of four children: 2 daughters and 2 sons. I was born and live in Cyeza Sector, Muhanga district in the southern province. The genocide made me a widow, and it took away many people in my family, including my father, whom I loved so much. When the genocide stopped, we were forced to return to our homes, but life was full of tears and many problems because I returned without a husband and my father was also killed. I had no place to live because the house was destroyed, and I went back to stay with my mother. It was especially difficult when I went to the fields to get food and met one of the offenders. I was always afraid of them, as I thought they would kill me and I would run away. By God, CARSA came and began to support some individuals in my community to get a term of reconciliation and build resilience. When I was invited by CARSA to attend their Empower-Rehabilitation workshop I rejected the invitation because I didn't want to hear anyone tell me that I should reconcile with the one who killed my father. With the grace of God, I agreed to attend and to participate in the CARSA trauma healing workshop. When I got there, I was surprised to find my neighbor who killed my father present. It was the first day, but on the second day I started learning something new, so the next day we went to the workshop together. Slowly, I asked him to share with me what he is benefiting from the workshop and why he didn't talk to me. He then said, "Yes, I was so afraid of you from what I did to you during the genocide, and I didn't apologize but my wish is to change history,”. Finally, the time at the workshop, we learned about forgiveness, and he asked for forgiveness from me and accepted his role in my father’s death. I told him that as he had a remorseful heart, he was forgiven. After forgiving him and other perpetrators like him, I can’t express enough how my life looked so special, and felt humanity returned in my heart. From the provision of forgiveness, I got the strength to deal with my pain, and some flashbacks of terrible events were erased from my mind. Today, I feel free, my relationship with him is stable, and we became like brethren. I am very grateful to CARSA for allowing me to reconcile with the man who killed my father. Now we are living together and our families are getting back together. I am a grateful old woman and happy to stay in peace with those who offended me.
If you would like to continue reading Pelagie's story of transformation and overcoming the wounds of genocide through CARSA's Reconciliation and Trauma Recovery program, please click on the below link and watch Pelagie's testimony in the video:
Pelagie is feeding the cow she was provided through the COW FOR PEACE project
Pelagie portrait photo
Pelagie’s cow ; One of hundred cows provided through Cow for Peace project
