“There is a cultural heritage of humanity protected by UNESCO, it is not only monuments, architecture, art or landscapes, it is also the existence of human societies that are so much resistance to the barbarity of civilization and the cruelty of the world”.

This quote from Edgar Morin invites us to highlight these women survivors of the genocide. They are our mothers, our sisters, our past and our future.

Their testimony and their journey of reconstruction are a model of resilience.

In their struggle to regain their dignity, these heroines give us a lesson of hope and life.

Each portrait deals with a theme: speaking out to free oneself, childhood theft, loss of identity, wounds of the heart, genocide as a legacy, reconstruction through therapy, exorcism of demons, difficult forgiveness, life afterwards, hope for the new generation? This plunge into the heart of the human womb also brings us back to our own humanity.

Both a duty to remember and a hymn to life, this book, presented in the form of 20 portraits embodied and illustrated by the photographs of Chris Schwagga, a native of Burundi, shows us the long road to resilience and forgiveness.

Hearing the voices of these women is also a formidable tool for transmitting memory for today’s generations. It helps to build a peaceful society and a world that is more respectful of women’s rights.

Episode 3: Reunion with the women of Sevota