Karongi: New home restores safety and dignity for genocide survivor

By Elias Hakizimana.

For more than three decades after surviving the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Marie Jeanne Mukakamanzi continued to face another hardship: living in a house so badly damaged that she feared it could collapse at any moment.

Today, the Karongi resident has a new beginning.

Mukakamanzi, who lives in Nyakabungo Village, Ruragwe Cell, Rubengera Sector, has moved into a newly built modern home, replacing the deteriorating house that had left her feeling unsafe for years.

“My house had developed large cracks, and I was always worried it would collapse on me,” she said. “Now I have a safe and peaceful place to live. I sleep without worrying that the house might fall while I’m inside.”

Her new home—a brick house with three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom—was built by Ubwiza SACCO Karongi as part of efforts to improve housing for vulnerable survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Mukakamanzi’s story reflects a broader challenge that remains more than three decades after the genocide. While thousands of vulnerable survivors were provided with emergency housing after the genocide was stopped by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi), many of those houses were built quickly to meet urgent needs and have since deteriorated, leaving some families once again in need of safe housing.

Karongi District says it currently has 282 vulnerable genocide survivor households that still require decent homes.

According to district officials, an assessment conducted in 2025 identified more than 300 survivor households living in houses that required reconstruction. The findings prompted district leaders to engage development partners to help accelerate efforts to replace aging homes.

Vedaste Ngarambe, President of Ibuka and Chairperson of the Karongi District Council, said partners have continued to play a key role in supporting survivors.

During the 100-day commemoration marking the 32nd anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi, he said, various partners donated more than 85 cows to survivors and built eight houses, complementing 10 others constructed by the district.

In the 2025/2026 fiscal year, Karongi District provided new homes to 18 vulnerable survivor households. Ten of the houses were financed by the district, while eight were built through support from development partners.

Dieu Donné Dushime, Chief Executive Officer of Ubwiza SACCO Karongi, said the institution views the initiative as a way of restoring hope to survivors.

“We cannot bring back those who were killed during the genocide,” he said. “But we can help repair what was destroyed. Rwanda was destroyed by Rwandans, and it will also be rebuilt by Rwandans. Through initiatives like this, we want survivors to know that although they lost their loved ones, they are not alone.”

Karongi District Mayor Gerald Muzungu said the district allocates about Rwf200 million each year to housing projects for vulnerable genocide survivors, but acknowledged that the funding is insufficient to meet the existing demand.

“This year we are completing 10 houses, and the contribution of our development partners is helping us address the challenge much faster,” he said. “We are grateful to Ubwiza SACCO, ADEPR, Duterimbere and other partners whose support continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of survivors.”

For Mukakamanzi, the impact goes beyond having a new roof over her head.

After years of uncertainty, she now has something she had long missed: the peace of knowing that when night falls, she can go to sleep in a home where she feels safe.