Genocide survivor to share his story in Chesterfield

A survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda will share his story at a Chesterfield event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
Dieudonne Gahizi.Dieudonne Gahizi.
Dieudonne Gahizi.

The genocide saw the mass slaughter of an estimated 500,000 to one million people during the Rwandan Civil War in a move directed by members of the Hutu majority Government.

Dieudonne Gahizi, the founder and director of Healing Plan Organisation, a charity which supports victims of rape and children born as a result of rape during the 1994 genocide, will be the keynote speaker at the free Holocaust Memorial Day event, organised by Chesterfield Equality and Diversity Forum.

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The event will take place in the lecture theatre at Chesterfield Library in New Beetwell Street between 7pm and 9pm on January 28. The accessible downstairs entrance, by the café, will be open for the event.

Tickets are available from the library or Katy Marshall or Allison Potter at Chesterfield Borough Council. They can be contacted by calling 01246 345247 or emailing [email protected] or [email protected]

Dieudonne said: "I will be sharing a message of hope and peace, and explaining the journey of the reconciliation in my country, Rwanda, over the past 25 years."

Councillor Sharon Blank, the council's cabinet member for governance, added: "It's great to have someone at the event that can help raise awareness about the horror of genocides and holocausts from a personal experience.

"The story that is being shared at the event will help people to understand how genocides affect the lives of many people."