KNOWS
KNOWS NO
KNOWS NO DISTANCE. A GIVING HEART KNOWS NO A GIVING HEART A GIVING HEART KNOWS NO A
GIVING HEART A GIVING HEART
KNOWS NO DISTANCE.
SEVEN YEARS AGO... A SIMPLE
CONVERSATION STARTED A SAN
ANTONIO WOMAN ON A JOURNEY TO
HELP CHANGE THE LIVES OF
GENOCIDE VICTIMS IN EAST
AFRICA.
SHE AND HER HUSBAND TOLD ME
THEY RE COMPELLED TO BE PART OF
WHAT THEY CONSIDER A MUCH BIGGER
MESSAGE.
NATS OF HILLARY SPEAKING
34:53- "HILLARY SURVIVED THE
GENOCIDE
SHE LITERALLY HAD TO THROW
HERSELF OUT OF THE WINDOW TO
SURVIVE. SHE HAS BURNS. ALL OVER
HER HANDS. "
THIS IS THE STORY OF HILLARY
"SHE S ONE OF... ALMOST ANY
PERSON YOU SIT DOWN WITH WOULD
HAVE A STORY. THERE S WOMEN WHO
LOST THEIR FAMILIES AND BEEN
SOLD INTO PROSTITUTION."
NATS PICS
AND MARIKA CAQUIAS
AND HER HUSBAND TOMAS ARE THE
NARRATORS
NATS
NARRATORS NATS THEY SHARE THESE IMAGES FROM THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD.. IN SAN
ANTONIO.
AS YOU CAN SEE HILLARY LIVES IN
RWANDA BUT SHE AND MANY OTHER
RWANDANS.. ARE A BIG PART OF THE
CAQUIAS HOME.
"WHEN RWANDA GENOCIDE TOOK PLACE
I WAS 7 YEARS OLD. I FAINTLY
REMEMBER IT ON TV, PRESIDENT
CLINTON BUT I DIDN T UNDERSTAND
WHAT TOOK PLACE IN THAT COUNTRY.
"
WHAT TOOK PLACE WAS THE 1994
GENOCIDE -- THE TORTURE AND
SLAUGHTER OF 1 MILLION PEOPLE IN
JUST 3 MONTHS.
WHEN YOU GO AND BEGIN TO WALK
AND YOU HEAR PEOPLE STORIES AND
YOU HEAR WHAT TRAGEDY AND HOW
THEY LOST FAMILY MEMBERS. JUST
REALLY AWFUL THINGS. "
MARIKAS FIRST VISIT TO KIGALI
WAS IN 2012 AS A VOLUNTEER WITH
AFRICA NEW LIFE MINISTRIES.
"WANTED THEM TO FEEL VALUABLE
AND HAVE DIGNITY SO WE RE
WASHING THEIR FEET, GIVING THEM
MANICURES"
FOR 7 YEARS NOW
"YOU SEE THINGS RESTORED, YOU
SEE THERE S STILL HOPE, THAT
THERE S STILL SOMETHING ON THE
OTHER SIDE THAT KEEPS THEM
GOING."
AND IT KEEPS MARIKA GOING
BACK.
"IN ADDITION TO LEARNING HOW TO
SEW "JUST SEEING HER WORTH
AND HER VALUE BECAUSE SHE WAS
BURNED. SHE GLOWS NOW. IT S
REALLY COOL TO SEE THAT
TRANSFORMATION PROCESS"
SHE S WATCHED MANY WOMEN LIKE
HILARY LEARN, GROW AND THRIVE
THEY CUSTOM MADE ME THESE 2
SKIRTS...
WHILE ATTENDING THIS AFRICA NEW
LIFE SEWING AND BEAUTY SCHOOL
PROGRAM FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE
SALON, THEY HAVE WASHING
STATIONS AND EVERYTHING YOU D
EXPECT TO SEE HERE. "
THE VOCATIONAL PROGRAM BECAME
SUCH A SUCCESS MARIKA SAYS
THEY VE EXPANDED WITH A DAYCARE
AND SCHOOL.
"SOME OF THE WOMEN SPECIFICALLY
THEY RE KIND OF PASSED THE AGE
WHERE MAY BE THEY HAVE KIDS TO
GO BACK. THEY MIGHT VE ONLY GONE
THROUGH PRIMARY 1 AND FIRST
GRADE. AND ALL THESE YEARS AND
NO EDUCATION. AND NOW THEY RE
ADULTS AND HAVE FAMILIES... AND
SO BY TEACHING THEM HOW TO SEW,
IT GIVES THEM THE MEANS TO HAVE
A TRADE SO THEY CAN HAVE AN
HONORABLE LIVING FOR THEIR
FAMILY. TO SURVIVE."
AND TO SURVIVE IN TODAY S
WORLD...
TOMAS
WORLD... TOMAS 1:03:23- "THEY SAY AFRICA CALLS
YOU."
DISTANCE IS NO LONGER A BARRIER
IF YOU ASK TOMAS.
HERE IN SAN ANTONIO... EVERY
YEAR HE AND MARIKA, ALONG WITH
FRIENDS... WEAR THESE
REMINDERS...
AND PUT ON THEIR SNEAKERS AT THE
5K RACE FOR RWANDA.
AS THE RACE CONTINUES TO GROW
SO DOES THE MONEY..
I AM RUNNING FOR THIS WOMAN, I
AM RUNNING FOR THIS CHILD AND
GETTING TO BE A PART OF THEIR
STORY."
TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE HILLARY.
IT S CHANGED THE WAY I LOOK AT
DOING LIFE HERE. IT S REALLY
MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL. YOU RE
BLESSING THEM. THEY RE BLESSING
YOU.
YOU. I
YOU. I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I M WALKING AWAY WITH A LOT MORE THAN I M ABLE TO GIVE.
ONCE THE RWANDAN WOMEN GRADUATE
FROM THE YEAR LONG PROGRAM,
THEY RE GIVEN SEWING MACHINES
AND FABRIC TO START THEIR OWN
BUSINESS TO SERVICE THEIR
COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS YOU CAN
HELP.
SPONSOR A CHILD, DONATE TOYS,
MONEY, OR EVEN TRAVEL TO RWANDA
AS A VOLUNTEER.
IF YOU D LIKE TO JOIN THE RACE,
THE 5K RACE FOR RWANDA IS THIS
SATURDAY JUNE FIRST AT TEJAS
RODEO IN BULVERDE.
REGISTRATION ENDS THIS FRIDAY.