Consolee Nishimwe Quotes

What happened in one day can happen anywhere, and people should be aware of [this], because it’s not something that happens overnight.

I want to make sure that those that are no longer here - their voices, their lives, their names . . . are alive. They were alive. They existed. . . My duty is to make sure that what happened is heard.

In our culture, we don’t talk a lot about experiences.

I survived for a reason.

The genocide in Rwanda was preventable if the international community had intervened.

There are women survivors who are not able to share their stories. I have been able to help them, when it came to helping those who were raped, share their stories which is something they had not been able to talk about.

It is my duty to tell what happened so the world will not forget. . . That’s my way of making sure that the history is not forgotten.

Physical violence happened to me, and also living with HIV as a result of that, it’s something I will never forget—that will never go anywhere, that I have to live with.

It takes a long time to express how we feel. I am trying to show the other survivors that we need to express that pain we have.

There’s a mantra that I live with. No matter what horrible circumstances you may face in your life, never lose hope.

For me, to share is so I encourage my fellow survivors to share their story. I want to be a part of helping - making sure the history of my family is told.

Whenever you see injustice happening, you must speak out.

My feelings of pain and suffering now have also become a way of helping other people and a big part of helping society in general. So, it was not easy. But I’m glad that I never gave up. I persisted and pushed myself to become stronger than before.

Genocide doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process. There are so many stages.

My life matters. . . No matter what you’ve been through, you should never give up. Never lose hope.