Young Rwandan survivor to speak to students and parents, Dec. 15 and 16

December 12, 2009
by Susie Pender

The Chappaqua PTA Cultural Enrichment Committee will host Alain Rwabukamba, an 18-year old survivor of the Rwandan genocide, on December 15 and 16. On Monday evening, Dec. 15, Rwabukamba and his foster father, Ed Ballen, will address parents and high school students at 7:30 p.m. in the Bell Auditorium. The next day, he will speak to the eighth graders at Bell and Seven Bridges middle schools at 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. respectively.

Rwabukamba will share his harrowing personal experiences as a child during the Rwandan genocide, introduce the audience to the Rwandan culture and provide a glimpse into Rwanda’s tragic past from the perspective of a teenager.

His presentation will include a slide show of photographs taken during the last three years of the Rwandan countryside, children at the orphanage with which he and his foster family are involved and sites where the genocide occurred that have been left intact as a memorial to those who died.

Rwabukamba lives in Katonah with his adopted family. Last year, he graduated from the Harvey School and now attends college in Westchester. The Rwandan genocide, and Alain’s grim recollections, serve as a source of inspiration for his important work today with a not-for profit organization to benefit Rwandan orphans that he helped found called “Orphans in Transition: Friends of Hameu Des Jeunes.” 

For additional information about this event, contact Tracy Stein, Seven Bridges PTA Vice Chair at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).