Photo // Rafael Tortolero
HEALING AND SUPPORT. Many community members attended the SGA’s annual benefit dinner to support and learn about the events of the Rwandan Genocide.
By: Claire McKenna
Staff-Writer
The Student Government Association’s Philanthropy Committee hosted their annual benefit dinner on April 9. Through ticket sales, the committee was able to raise money for Global Survivors for Peace (GS4P), an organization created for survivors of the Rwandan genocide.
Attendees were served chickpea curry, chicken, rice and desserts.
Philanthropy Committee members, including Chair Riya Jingar, spoke. Dr. Catherine Borshuk, a psychology professor and board member of GS4P, spoke a little about her involvement. After hearing an interview on the CBC radio about the president of Rwanda’s plane being shot down, Borshuk started learning more.
“He said, the world needs to wake up. I immediately went to my world atlas, and I located Rwanda in Central Africa and began learning as a citizen of this planet all that I could about the situation and the people, and the groups involved,” Borshuk said. “Global Survivors for Peace raises funds to cover the costs of counseling and mental health education. That’s my part. That’s why I’m on the board.”
She then introduced GS4P Founder Immaculee Songa, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide. Songa gave her story about trying to escape from the Tutsi and recognized other survivors that came to the dinner.
“The genocide took lives. The genocide took our people. The genocide took our parents, our siblings. It took my husband, my two beautiful daughters,” Songa said. “So, our responsibility as survivors is to make sure that the one million that died during the 100 days is remembered, and the dignity is restored. And thank you for helping us to reach tonight.”
Her nephew, Kizito Kalima, a former IU South Bend basketball player, also spoke about his journey and thanked everyone for coming and showing support.
At the end of the night, the committee announced that they had passed their fundraising goal, having raised over $2,800. They encouraged people to continue donating to GS4P and learning about the Rwandan genocide.
The mission of Global Survivors for Peace is to build sustainable peace by supporting survivors both of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and of other genocides and atrocities as they heal and positively impact our society. You can learn more about their story on their website, globalsurvivorsforpeace.org.
Photos // Rafael Tortolero
