1994 Rwandan genocide testimony by Vestine Musengayire

Vestine Musengayire, a girl from Cellule Nyarubumbiro, Rukina Sector of Commune Masango in Gitarama Prefecture, describes how her neighborhood was attacked one week after the death of President Habyarimana. After attending church service, her home was attacked and houses were demolished before she escaped to seek refuge at Byimana. The refugees were stoned on the way to Kabgayi and hid in millet farms, in bushes, or by the hillside. Vestine is reunited with some of her family at Kabgayi. She is taken to a children's orphanage, but the orphanage is attacked by militia using guns. The Catholic nuns smuggled the children to Mugina, then to Ruhango, and Rwabusoro where most of the children fell very ill due to infections. The illness was aggravated by thirst, hunger, sleeping in the cold, and being rained on. Near the end of the genocide, the children were taken to Nyamata.