GoFundMe page launched to return genocide survivor to Rwanda

Jean Baptiste Kayigamba died on February 5 at the age of 59 and was a beloved member of the Rwandese community in Oxford.

He survived the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and since dedicated much of his life educating others about genocide denial.

Jean’s son, Patrick said: “We set up the GoFundMe to help raise money to take my dad back to Rwanda.

“It was his last wish to be buried back home with his family.

“He had an extremely turbulent past and going back to be buried with the rest of his relatives that passed in the genocide would mean so much to him.

“The immense tragedy he experienced did not take away his zest for life and he truly believed Rwanda was the most beautiful place in the world.”

An estimated 500,000 to 662,000 Tutsis were killed in the 1994 genocide that occurred during the Rwandan Civil War.

The genocide was the culmination of series of mass killings by the Hutus that began in the 1960s.

In 100 days in 1994 approximately one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered in the genocide against the Tutsi in #Rwanda.

The genocide took place following decades of tensions between Hutus and Tutsis, and a recent history of persecution against Tutsis.

— Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (@HMD_UK) February 3, 2023

Jean sought asylum in the UK in 2001 and his family joined him two years later in February 2003.

He studied a master’s degree at Oxford Brookes University and later worked with the Ashmolean Museum to set up an exhibit on the Rwandan genocide.

The fundraiser to take Jean back to Rwanda has so far raised £3,520 and his family have been overwhelmed by the generosity of donations.

Patrick said: “The response from GoFundMe has been amazing and we never expected it.

“At first we didn’t consider putting the actual amount that it would cost for us to take my father back to Rwanda.

“However, after the response from donators we have since changed the goal to reflect this.”

Jean will be survived by his wife Yvonne and children Patrick, Fabrice and Fabiolla (Image: Patrick Kayigamba)

Jean chose to share his story publicly to raise awareness of the atrocity he experienced.

In a piece for the Holocaust Memorial Trust he wrote: “20 years later, the horrors I lived through seem distant.

“But I continued to have flashbacks and at times I have nightmares about being hunted down by the killers.

“Some of us are still alive, but we are the living dead.

“But in the end I have got a life to live, and I have decided to live it to the maximum.

“I am not trying to forget the past, but what helps me move on is this principle: I will never allow myself to be a prisoner of the past!”

To donate, you can access the GoFundMe page here.