Premiere: ora Kinderhilfe's first parliamentary evening
The first parliamentary evening of ora Kinderhilfe took place on April 10, 2024. The patron of the evening was former State Secretary Kerstin Müller. Prominent speakers and guests gathered to commemorate the genocide on the topic of "30 years after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda - women as bearers of hope for peace and reconciliation".
Challenges and hopes
Igor César, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to Germany, and Heike Raab, State Secretary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate to the Federal Government and for Europe and the Media, opened the evening and highlighted the opportunities and challenges facing the East African country 30 years after the tragic genocide in their welcoming speeches.
Personal experiences and encounters
The highlight of the evening was the interview with Florence Neema, survivor of the genocide and director of *Solace Ministries and Carmen Schöngraf, Managing Director of ora Kinderhilfe. Both gave personal, close and authentic insights into the fates of Rwandan women who have built a new life for themselves after the genocide and have learned to forgive, but not to forget.
Message for the future
Tanja Samrotzki hosted the evening and impressively conveyed the message: "Never again is now". These words underlined the urgency of learning from the past and working towards a future in which such atrocities are never repeated.
The first Parliamentary Evening of ora Children's Aid was a moving moment of remembrance and a sign of hope for the women in Rwanda who have been supported by ora Children's Aid since 2006.
*Solace Ministries is the Rwandan partner organization of ora Kinderhilfe and has been supporting the victims and survivors of the Rwandan genocide since 2006. With self-help groups, trauma work and income-generating measures, the women are supported in coming to terms with their past and leading a dignified life.
