Through the efforts of Amityville Public School District social worker Reynolds Hawkins and the community group COMPASS, Amityville Memorial High School was honored to open its doors and hearts to 24-year-old Jacqueline Murekatete, a Rwandan genocide survivor who shares her story with audiences worldwide. Ms. Murekatete lived through the atrocities that constitute the crimes of genocide, and witnessed the slaughter of her entire family, including her mother, father, siblings, grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunts. Through the retelling of her horrific experience, Ms. Murekatete helps raise awareness of genocide by bringing its atrocities to life for those who only witness the casualties of this senseless crime through the media.
During her visit to Amityville, students, staff, administrators, and community members filled the auditorium and were riveted by the details of the struggles that Ms. Murekatete faced. Through vivid memories, the brave young Rwandan relived how her experiences in this war-torn region of the world affected her, recalling how the death of her family left her alone, and how she constantly had to move from safe house to safe house to survive. Ms. Murekatete explained how neighbors turned on each other in their fight for self-preservation, and also included how some people put their own lives on the line trying to save others and lost.
Ms. Murekatete has become a spokesperson against genocide for the entire world. Her goal is to stop future genocide from occurring by telling people about the true horror of genocide and the senseless killings that result. Ms. Murekatete is a Fellow with Miracle Corners of the World (MCW), an organization that empowers young people to become agents of change around the globe by providing leadership training, community development, partner initiative programs and education about Rwandan genocide to ensure that never happens again. Through MCW, Ms. Murekatete initiated Jacqueline’s Human Rights Corner, an MCW Partner Initiative, the goal of which is to prevent genocide and help survivors rebuild their lives and their communities. For more information, visit the MCW website at http://www.miraclecorners.org/index.htm.
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