In Rwanda, around twenty students who lost their families during the Tutsi genocide had to leave a hotel in Kigali to make way for asylum seekers who should arrive soon from the United Kingdom.
The Hope Hostel originally opened in 2014 with donations from the Rwandan diaspora to house needy genocide orphans. It is currently being renovated to prepare for the arrival of migrants. Our correspondent in Kigali, Laure Broulard met one of the hotel’s former occupants who is now worried about his future.
This young man wishes to testify anonymously. A few weeks ago, he had to leave the Hope Hostel, a place he considered his home. He says he received help of around 1,000 euros to start a new life.
” Some of us are still students. This hotel allowed us to have a roof during our studies. The money they gave us is not going to be enough to support us for more than a year, counting the food to buy and all the rest. “, he underlines.
Today, he is therefore very worried about his future: “ We have no home, we have no family. So, the only solution that would suit us is to build housing for us. Because there, we risk falling back into poverty. »
The authorities, for their part, consider that these students are old enough to start fending for themselves.
” We didn’t chase anyone. We told them, there you go, the program is changing. There are people who will come to live here. We offered them time to prepare, but we didn’t kick anyone out. “Explains Alain Mukuralinda, deputy government spokesperson.
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Since 2014, the Hope Hostel has welcomed nearly 200 orphans of the genocide but, recently, there were only about twenty left to live there. The Association of Students Surviving the Genocide, which manages the establishment, ensures today that the profits generated by the reception of migrants will benefit all members of the organization.
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