Rebuilding with Forgiveness

November 5, 2025

A story of forgiveness that took courage.

This is a true story of how sometimes it takes courage to forgive.

During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Immaculée Mukantaganira lost her entire family. Her village was destroyed. Years later, she returned to Rwanda to rebuild her life.

One day, while working with a reconciliation program, she met a man named Jean-Paul — a former neighbour who had participated in the killings. He had been in prison for years and now stood in front of her, asking for forgiveness.

Immaculée could barely breathe. This was the man who had helped murder her brothers.

But instead of turning away, she listened. Jean-Paul confessed everything. He wept. She didn’t excuse him — but after days of reflection, she said something most couldn’t: “I forgive you.”

What followed was unusual. Over the years, they began working together in reconciliation programs across Rwanda, speaking to others about forgiveness and accountability. Villagers who had once lived in silence began to talk again. Survivors and perpetrators sat together in community meetings.

Today, Immaculée and Jean-Paul are symbols of what Rwanda has tried to do — not forget, but face the truth and rebuild.

She says, “Forgiveness doesn’t mean weakness. It means refusing to let hate destroy what’s left of your life.”