3 Feb 2012 - Peace campaigner Furtemba Sherpa, who has been cycling around the world since 2003, stopped off at the Kigali Memorial Centre last week on his way across Rwanda.
Born in Nepal, Furtemba Sherpa endured a challenging childhood – running away from home at age 10, he faced homelessness, substance abuse and exploitation, yet went on become a successful entrepreneur. However, he became increasingly concerned about the impact that civil war and environmental destruction was having in his homeland, and made the brave decision to leave home and embark on a mammoth cycle ride in order to advocate for world peace and environmental protection.
Nine years later, and now on his 79th country, Furtemba made a visit to the Kigali Memorial Centre in Rwanda.
“I wasn't sure what I was going to expect when I arrived in Rwanda, but a visit to the Kigali Memorial Centre made me realize the magnitude of the killings which occurred in 1994.
“As I walked around the centre, I was numbed with fear and confusion. I have no words to describe the horrific nightmare that took place.
“In the short time I've been here, it is the Rwandan people with their beautiful smiles and sense of hospitality that reminds me of people back at home. I hope to learn and share with the world the Rwandan people's courage, resilience, and willingness to forgive.
“My country too is scarred from decades of civil war and has now chosen Rwanda's path of healing and reconciliation that offers hope to future generations.
“The Kigali Memorial Centre ensures that the world will not forget the horrors that happened in 1994 and will remind the world to never let such a terrible event occur again.”
Honore Gatera, manager at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, wished Mr Sherpa well for the rest of his journey.
“We appreciate your initiative and commitment to being a world peace messenger. We believe that such commitment, if shared worldwide, will help the whole of humanity to achieve sustainable peace and build a better future”.
You can keep up to date with Furtemba Sherpa’s progress at his blog: http://furtemba.org/
