Francine was 10 years old when the genocide occurred. She saved herself and rescued her four younger brothers one of whom was a baby she carried on her back: “only God knows our lives.”
Francine eventually found help at The Kigali Memorial Center. She received money for school fees and food and managed to get a university education. She is still the head of her household and is helping her brothers through school.
Francine Uwamahoro is Director Of Social Programs at The Kigali Memorial Center in Rwanda. She now directs the program of which she was a beneficiary.
The Social Programs at the Kigali Memorial Center help orphaned and widowed survivors, providing money for food, education and life-saving medication. The Social Program also engages in trainings for survivors to earn money and learn to support themselves. One of these is the Surviva T-Shirt Program. Under the guidance of Emmanuel Bucyane orphans in the program hand print T-Shirts, either for sale at the Memorial Center Shop or for special orders. Since 2006 they have been printing T-Shirts for 3 Generations. In March 2008, we helped bring artists from the HOPE Artists Campaign in California to Kigali to teach the Surviva orphans more advanced printing skills. They printed T-Shirts for The Dave Mathews Band, Ben Harper and the HOPE Campaign itself. These T-Shirts were subsequently sold at Fred Segal in Santa Monica. 3 Generations will continue to introduce potential customers to the Surviva.