Whats "So. Hem" you ask, well it stand for Southern Hemisphere and that's where I went last week, Rwanda to be more precise. First of all I have to say that Rwanda is way different than Uganda, they have a better, more stable government which means the roads a paved and there isn't trash everywhere. Uganda is beautiful but I would never say clean so it was really nice to be in a place that seemed more developed. The streets are lined with trees and their transportation system is fare and efficient. I was able to go to the Kigali Memorial Center, the official genocide museum, and that was such a moving experience. I think everyone knows about the horrific genocide of the Tutsi people in 1994, 
where almost 1 million people were brutally killed, but what was the most interesting was the time and effort it took to carry out the genocide. It wasn't just a random attack it was very well thought out and planned. There were signs well before it ever happened and what is the most disturbing is all the way that it could have easily been stopped but it never did.
We also went to two churches where thousands of people were killed. They have all the clothes laid out across the pew as well as open tombs with coffins and bones. It was moving to think about how the people had gone there for refuge but were killed sometimes even by the people they thought were protecting them. In one of churches
you can still see the dark stain where they would throw the infants and children against the wall to kill them. I don't know how to describe the emotion that was there and the amount of sadness that you feel. Although it was a tragic scene the people who lived though it a strong and they are moved on and looking forward to the future.
On a lighter note we convinced our bus driver to stop at the equator, so I have been in both hemispheres at the same time (beat that Mandy Moore).
where almost 1 million people were brutally killed, but what was the most interesting was the time and effort it took to carry out the genocide. It wasn't just a random attack it was very well thought out and planned. There were signs well before it ever happened and what is the most disturbing is all the way that it could have easily been stopped but it never did.We also went to two churches where thousands of people were killed. They have all the clothes laid out across the pew as well as open tombs with coffins and bones. It was moving to think about how the people had gone there for refuge but were killed sometimes even by the people they thought were protecting them. In one of churches
you can still see the dark stain where they would throw the infants and children against the wall to kill them. I don't know how to describe the emotion that was there and the amount of sadness that you feel. Although it was a tragic scene the people who lived though it a strong and they are moved on and looking forward to the future.On a lighter note we convinced our bus driver to stop at the equator, so I have been in both hemispheres at the same time (beat that Mandy Moore).
The sites of the brutal killings sound very moving. It would be quite an experience to be able to go see the open graves and churches. It is sad to realize what kind of horrible things in the world happen while others turn a blind eye.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting your thoughts and feelings about your experience of a lifetime. It sounds like time and money well spent and you did a fantastic job in keeping us posted and describing your wonderful time in Uganda.
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