MTN – Rwanda staff with widows. The telecom company has provided them with cash Rwf 9million
Staff and workers at MTN – Rwanda’s biggest telecom company by subscribers, have donated Rwf11 million ($13,000) for rehabilitation of Murambi Genocide memorial site in Nyamagabe district and supporting genocide survivors.
Part of the donation worth Rwf2 million will be used to rehabilitate the genocide memorial site, while Rwf9 million will support Genocide widows grouped under ‘Icyizere Nyamagabe association’.
Led by Bart Hofker, MTN Rwanda CEO, the staff visited the memorial – home to over 50,000 Tutsi victims laid to rest. According to survivors’ accounts, on April 16, 1994, 65,000 Tutsi ran to Murambi School in search of refugee.
A few hours later, they were all told to gather there, before cutting off water and food supplies. Many suffocated and died of starvation.
According to a guide at the memorial, French soldiers brought in heavy equipment to dig several pits where many thousands of bodies were placed. They then placed a volleyball court over the mass graves in an attempt to hide what happened. Among the bodies currently displayed are many children.
After visiting the site that was officially gazetted as a memorial on 21 April 1995, MTN staff laid wreath in honor of over 50,000 genocide victims buried there.
Bart Hofker, the CEO of MTN told Nyamagabe survivors and residents that the telecom company mourns with all Rwandans during these hard times.
