During 2010 four schools from around the country were given the opportunity to film interviews with survivors of the Rwandan genocide who are now based in the UK. The project, made possible through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots programme, was organised by Survivors Fund with the help of film maker Drew Sutton, oral history expert Shirley Murgraff , the Imperial War Museum and Jean-Louis Mazimpaka, trustee of SURF and founder of Hope Survivors Foundation. The students hope that by posting the interviews other schools might be able to use the resources to teach about the genocide.
The following activities have been specifically produced to complement the recording of survivors’ testimony from students from Hampton School, ES Culham, Bilton School and Sandhurst School as part of this Young Roots Heritage Lottery Fund programme.
Prior to the teaching of these three lessons we assume that students will have an understanding of the term ‘genocide’, possibly through a study of the Holocaust. For background on the Rwandan genocide please see lesson plans and further information here:
Lesson plans:
http://survivors-fund.org.uk/education/resources/
http://www.survivors-fund.org.uk/resources/education/lesson-plans.php
Background Information
http://www.survivors-fund.org.uk/resources/education/education-packets.php
Further links
Activity 1: Before
- Eric: What are your earliest memories of life in Rwanda? (1:45)
- Eric: What do you remember about your family and local community?
- Charles: What was the relationship between Hutus and Tutsis like before the genocide? (0:45)
- Liliane: What were your ambitions before the genocide? (1:15)
As you watch the clips circle the words that are mentioned or referred to by the survivors.
| Family |
Mixed community |
Divided society
|
| Ambitions |
Football |
Friends
|
| School |
Unsafe |
Brothers, sisters
|
Questions to consider/discuss
- Which of the terms that you have circled are present in your life today?
- What elements have you got in common with the survivors’ lives before the genocide?
To extend the activity:
Watch the following clips and compare the experiences of Simeon, Cassien and Daphrose to Eric, Charles & Liliane.
Activity 2: During
- Eric: Can you describe what it was like during the genocide? (4:09)
- Charles: Did you ever have to go into hiding? (0:53)
- Jean Louis: Did you know people killed in the genocide? (0:44)
As you watch the clips tick each box that applies to the experiences of the survivor during the genocide.
| |
Eric |
Charles |
John Louis |
Resisted
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Scared
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Separated
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Hiding
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Abandoned
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Rescued
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Questions to consider/discuss
- Did the survivors experience similar things?
- How did their experiences differ?
- Who could have helped the survivors?
To extend the activity
Look at some of the other clips in the ‘During’ section of the web page and go through the same process. Watch these other clips to compare and contrast the experience of survivors
Activity 3: After
As you watch the clips add words and phrases that describe the impact that the genocide has had on the survivors. Circle those that you think are particularly important for the survivor.
Think about what the survivors say about the way they feel now, their reasons for coming to Britain, how their lives have changed, etc.
| Survivor |
Words that describe the impact that the genocide still has on them are... |
Jean Louis
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Liliane
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Eric
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Charles
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Jean Bosco
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Marie Rose
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To extend the activity
Consider all the clips that you have watched and consider/discuss the following question:
Why do you think that it is important to listen to survivors?