Neighbor News
Post-Genocide Aid for Rwandans to Be Forum Topic
A Rwandan man who lost family members during the genocide will talk about the work of Jessie's Place, a nonprofit that that aids survivors.
A Rwandan man who lost family members during the 1994 genocide will talk about the work of Jessie's Place, a Southern California nonprofit that assists survivors of the bloodletting and others in severe poverty, when he appears at a Community Forum in Newbury Park on Friday, June 16.
Onesphore Harelimana was a student in the United States during the 100-day slaughter of up to 800,000 ethnic Tutsi by members of the Hutu majority that left many survivors maimed, traumatized and living with physical and mental challenges. He was unable to return home because of the ensuing upheaval. He will describe the outreach programs of the nonprofit, where he has served as president for the last year and a half, during the 7:30 p.m. forum at the Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 3327 Old Conejo Road.
Jessie's Place, based in Marina del Rey, works in collaboration with the Ubumwe Community Center in the Rwandan town of Gisenyi. The center's Home Visit Program helps families that face poor living conditions including unsafe water, shelters without rooftops, limited sources of food and children who are often malnourished, uneducated and in need of medical care. Other programs help women gain financial independence, provide food, housing and school supplies to boys who had been living on the streets, and assist the blind with shelter and living expenses.
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The Ubumwe Community Center was founded in 2005 by Californian Jessica McCall and two Rwandan men who were brutalized during the genocide and later turned their hate and anger to forgiveness and action. Jessie's Place works through the center to help Rwandans in severely impoverished rural communities.
Harelimana will share stories about the urgent needs in Rwanda and tell how Southern Californians can support the mission of Jessie's Place. The Community Forum is open to the public and free; donations are welcome to help with expenses. For information, visit cvuuf.org/community-forum or contact Dana Ryon through the church office at (805) 498-9548.
