Today marks the 17th anniversary of the start of the Rwandan genocide. On 06 April 1994, the plane carrying the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi was shot down as it prepared to land in Rwanda. Within hours of that, roadblocks were set up around Kigali (the capital of Rwanda) and the killings started.
Although I am not normally inclined to quote the religious on this blog, today I think it appropriate to share what may be called a credo of sorts by Mother Teresa.
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is a beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realise it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is costly, care for it.
Life is wealth, keep it.
Life is love, enjoy it.
Life is mystery, know it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Live is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
To learn more about the Rwandan genocide, and more importantly, to see how you can help survivors of the genocide in their continued struggles for survival, please visit www.survivors-fund.org.uk, www.hmd.org.uk and www.hope-survivors.org.uk.
The image featured in this post is © Survivors Fund (SURF) / Andrew Sutton and is used with permission. The image shows the remains of victims of the genocide at the Ntarama Memorial.