April 7, 2004 was recognized as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda by the United Nations. Commemorative events were held in several world capitals including Kigali, Rwanda, New York City, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, and Geneva, Switzerland.
As the world remembers the anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, the country’s children continue to live with the devastating affects of this brutal conflict.
When the genocide ended in 1994, 800,000 people had been murdered – 300,000 of these victims were children. In addition, 95,000 children had been orphaned.
Virtually all of Rwandan children witnessed unspeakable horror. Thousands of children were victims of brutality and rape, and thousands of children – some as young as seven – were forced into military operations and forced to commit violent acts against their will.
Nowadays the children of Rwanda are still suffering from the consequences of a conflict created exclusively by adults.
There are an estimated 101,000 children that are heading approximately 42,000 households. These children have lost parents for various reasons – many were murdered during the genocide, some have died from AIDS and others are in prison for genocide-related crimes.
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