Survivors who were raped during the Genocide against the Tutsi are appealing for financial help to cater for specialised medical care. However, there is concern that some of those are affected remain silent.

Mukankusi (not real name) is a rape survivor who was violated and infected with HIV during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She was only 20 years at the time and has only recently decided to speak out about her ordeal.

She is among numerous rape survivors who have been too scared to speak about their ordeals and the suffering they continue to endure due to lack of finances for their medical care.

Horror

“I didn’t even tell my husband about the unimaginable horrors I went through. But, I couldn’t hide my HIV status from him because I sort out medical care,” she said.

Ms Mukankusi’s story is one shared by numerous women who have to live with both physical and psychological scars, but are unable to talk about them.

According to genocide survivors’ representatives, various women are unable to access medical services as a result of not speaking about their ordeals for fear of being stigmatised by society.

Anastaze Rutebeza, the representative of Genocide survivors in Mukura sector of Rutsiro district, said silence remains a key impediment to rape survivors accessing medical services and the help they need.

Mukura sector currently has over 17 survivors that are in need of special medical care.

A recent joint outreach evaluation by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government, the umbrella organisation for genocide survivors Ibuka and the Fund for support to Genocide Survivors, identified over 18,600 genocide survivors who are living with physical and psychological traumas.

Reduction

The survivors are entitled to special care, but raise concern about a reduction in their monthly stipend.

This reduction has been reported in Rutsiro, Nyagatare and Huye districts among others, with beneficiaries getting around Rwf12,000 instead of Rwf22,500 every three months.

However, officials from the Fund for support to Genocide Survivors said that women survivors who were entitled to special care and funds were not coming forward.

“When they speak out, we cover all their medical care needs,” Theophile Ruberangeyo, the director-general of the Fund for support to Genocide Survivors told Rwanda Today.

Official figures from the organisation show that since 1998 up to now, over 2.4 million survivors have been treated locally, while around 400 survivors have been referred outside the country for advanced treatment.