Sim Centre Opening: Sunday morning

What could be a better start to Sunday morning in Rwanda than a two hour walk with Bona followed by a massive breakfast at the Serena Hotel? The hotel even paid for our breakfast this morning as a reward for being such good customers.

Tristan has gone to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial. I am preparing a quiz and simulated scenario for our next teaching day (Tuesday). Monday is a holiday for Heroes' Day.

More on Heroes' Day:

National Heroes' Day commemorates events that occurred after April 6, 1994, when Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and the president of Burundi were killed when their airplane was shot down. After that, the Rwandan military began to systematically kill all Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Local officials and government-sponsored radio stations called on ordinary citizens to kill their Tutsi neighbors. Hundreds of thousands of Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed. This is now known as the Rwandan genocide. Victims of this genocide are remembered on Heroes' Day.

During the Rwandan genocide, rebels surrounded the Nyange Secondary School and asked the students to identify the Tutsi students. When a group of students refused to do this, the rebels killed them. This heroic act is also remembered on National Heroes' Day. Wreaths are laid at Nyange in memory of students who stood against the rebel forces. The national Heroes' Day celebration at Nyange features songs, dances, and poems praising the virtues and good example of the national heroes.The people are reminded of the great value in service to the country that the national heroes have shown those who are still alive.