Telling Our Own Stories: Poems by Rwandan Youth 20 Years After the Genocide

By Youth Literacy Organisation

Inspired by the history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, this collection contains 20 poems by Rwandan youth between the ages of 14 and 28. The poems celebrate the lives of over one million victims of the genocide and calls on all of us, Rwandans in particular, to strive for a better tomorrow without forgetting our past. It reminds us that whenever we keep silent about our history, experiences and thoughts, we leave a blank page for anyone to write anything they wish.

While each poem tells a unique story, they all embrace remembrance, forgiveness, and hope for a brighter future, taking the reader from experiences of anger, blame and regret over a despicable history, to the rising promise of a new generation that carries the responsibility of turning “never again” into reality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781304997357

Book preview

Telling Our Own Stories: Poems by Rwandan Youth 20 Years After the GenocideC:\Users\GilbertD\Pictures\Telling Our Own Stories, Poems by Rwandan Youth 20 Years After the Genocide.png

Telling Our Own Stories: Poems by Rwandan Youth 20 Years after the Genocide

Bloo Books, Ltd.

2014

Copyright © 2014, by Youth Literacy Organisation (YouLI).

All rights reserved.

Published by Bloo Books, Ltd.

Cover design by Malik L. Shaffy

No part of this material may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as printed under The Poetry Project 19, without the prior written permission of YouLI.

First Printing: 2014

ISBN 978-1-304-99735-7

Requests for permission should be addressed to [e-mail].

Visit www.youth-literacy.org for further information.

The views expressed within the poems or any other material associated with this collection do not necessarily represent those of YouLI as a whole or its leadership.

Printed and bound by Bloo Books, Ltd. in Kigali, Rwanda. For further purchase orders, please email [e-mail] or call ([phone].

For more information about the publisher, visit www.bloobooks.com.

Dedication

For all those who lost their lives during the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994;

To the survivors, who continue to believe;

To the people of Rwanda, who are striving for the best.

Contents

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

The Poems

Now I Am Talking

Night of Sorrow

I Remember, But Full of Life

Tribute To My Beloved

Full Bloom After Rain

Riding My One-wheel Bicycle

Uzabe Umugabo

Hora Rwanda

How Could You?

Why Not Me

The Retold

It’s Time to Change

I Remember, Forgive, But Never Forget!

I Dream

Silence

To My Grandmother

I Can Speak for Myself

Never Again!

Twenty Years, More Hope than Sorrow

Living the Rwandan Dream

Praises

Wordcloud

Acknowledgements

This collection took us to a journey of discovery, hope and devotion. We met new friends, created new relationships, discovered lots of untold stories and hidden passions.

There have been many individuals and organizations that have helped us since the beginning and many more who have cheered from the sidelines throughout the year.

The following acknowledgments may not include everyone who made a special contribution because we may have forgotten. With many apologies for these inevitable oversights, we would like to thank the following people:

Warmest thank you to Ian S. Manzi, Natasha D. Muhoza, Michaëlla