Felin Gakwaya

Stephen, I remember there were some greedy inmates.

Because I remember Stephen used to tell them, well, I'm not trying to praise him because he's here.

He used to address other inmates saying, look, you're in jail because of the genocide, killing the Tutsi.

And on top of that, you want to starve your own people to death?

Instead of praying to God to get you out of here, you want to commit another genocide against your own people inside this state of yours?

Something good he did for you that you remember.

What is it?

I remember one day he called me.

There was a prison break.

And then the warden decided to stop giving us food.

So he called me and asked if everything was okay.

I told him I was dying of hunger.

So he offered to get me out of prison.

I didn't know what was on his mind.

Then he told me he could get me out and take me to a construction site where we used to work and get used to activities that were meant to facilitate our rehabilitation and socialization with survivors.

So we went out to the field and worked at the site, then came back to prison.

I mean, he did a lot for me.

But Gassangwa and I, we live in harmony, like you see how we are seated together.

When I heard the news, I was so excited.

That might be the deepest thing in these conversations.