A look back at First Lady Jeannette Kagame and Unity Club in Huye, where the journey of healing and supporting the elderly survivors continues.
KIGALI — Unity Club Intwararumuri, an organisation bringing together current and former senior leaders and their spouses, has continued its annual tradition of joining Rwandans in commemorating the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, with a special focus on elderly women, known as *Intwaza*, across the country.
The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi claimed over one million lives in just 100 days, targeting Tutsis. Each year, Rwanda observes a 100-day national mourning period beginning on April 7, marked by remembrance activities aimed at honouring victims, supporting survivors and reinforcing the commitment to “Never Again.”
As part of this period, Unity Club Intwararumuri is engaging in activities that include visiting and supporting vulnerable survivors, particularly elderly women living in *Impinganzima*—specialised care homes in Rwanda designed to support *Intwaza*—across different districts.
On April 24, 2026, members of the organisation will join *Intwaza* in commemoration events at the Impinganzima homes in Nyanza and Bugesera districts. This will be followed by a similar visit in Rusizi on May 1, after an earlier engagement in Huye District on April 17.
Members of the Intwaza community in a moment of reflection.
During these visits, a message from the First Lady and Chairperson of Unity Club Intwararumuri, Jeannette Kagame, is shared to comfort and encourage Rwandans during the Kwibuka32 period.
“Kwibuka32 is a time to reflect on the painful history our country has endured, to honour and remember our loved ones who were killed during the Genocide against the Tutsi,” she said. “Thirty-two years on, we remember without being consumed by grief. Instead, we draw strength and continue to support survivors.”
She emphasised the importance of unity in preventing future atrocities, noting that Rwandans must continue to reject genocide ideology and all forms of division.
“Striving to live is a daily struggle. Our unity is the weapon that will continue to help us overcome division, genocide ideology, and anything that threatens to destroy our country again. Rwandanness is a pact we share with those we remember,” she said.
Founded in 1996, Unity Club Intwararumuri plays a key role in promoting national unity, social cohesion and resilience, particularly in the aftermath of the genocide. The organisation regularly engages in social outreach programmes, dialogue initiatives and support activities for vulnerable groups.
Other planned activities during this year’s commemoration include community dialogues with residents near the Impinganzima homes in Nyanza and Huye on May 14, a visit to the Campaign Against Genocide Museum and a public discussion at Parliament on May 22, as well as a visit to the Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre on June 12.
Unity Club is also participating in a broader range of national remembrance events in collaboration with other institutions. These include attending an international conference on the prevention of genocide and its ideology, and joining commemorations at memorial sites across the country, including Nyanza ya Kicukiro, Rukumberi, Kabgayi, Sainte Famille, Mibirizi (Rusizi), Gashirabwoba (Nyamasheke), and Kavumu (Ngororero).
The organisation is further taking part in remembrance activities in universities and secondary schools, as well as events dedicated to women and children, families that were entirely wiped out, and specific groups such as journalists, the private sector, faith-based organisations and civil society.
Unity Club says the aim of these efforts is to stand with Rwandans during the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, support survivors, reflect on the country’s tragic past, and reaffirm the commitment to ensuring that genocide never happens again.
