>>>
>>> IT
>>> IT IS
>>> IT IS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY THIS MONTH OF AN INTERNATIONAL
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY. RWANDA'S GENOCIDE WENT UP TO
UNDERSTANDING 1 MILLION PEOPLE
DIED IN A HORRIFYING CIVIL WAR.
IT MAY SEEM LIKE A WORLD AWAY
TO MINNESOTANS, IT CONTINUES TO
HAVE RIPPLE EFFECTS RIGHT HERE
IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
KARE11'S KARLA HULT SHOWS US
HOW AFTER TRAVELING TO RWANDA
WITH THE MINNESOTA-BASED
AMERICAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE.
>> Reporter: THE ROLLING HILLS
A RWANDA REVEAL A FAMILIAR
TERRAIN.
TERRAIN.
TERRAIN. WITHIN THIS FABRIC OF EVERYDAY
LIFE, WE FIND A PATCHWORK OF
PRODUCTIVITY AND PURPOSE.
AND A LEADER WHO ONCE CALLED
MINNESOTA HOME.
MINNESOTA HOME. JACQUES ROMANTICA TODAY A MAN
COMMANDING THE ADORATION OF AN
AUDIENCE.
AUDIENCE.
AUDIENCE. NOT LONG AGO, A BOY BROKEN BY
VIOLENCE .
VIOLENCE . >> THE WAR BROKE IN 1990.
>> Reporter: HIS NATES
COUNTRIES KRILL IS CHAPTER .
>> THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE
RADIO AIRING AT THE TIME AND
RWANDA MOBILIZING THE HUTU
PEOPLE TO ATTACK THE TUTEES.
>> Reporter: A NATIONAL
MEMORIAL AND HISTORY DOCUMENT
THE HORROR.
THE HORROR. UP TO 1 MILLION PEOPLE KILLED
DURING THE GENOCIDE.
LARGELY AND NOW ADMITTEDLY
IGNORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY .
COMMUNITY . >> EVERYTHING OF THIS COUNTRY
IT HAPPEN.
IT HAPPEN. >> Reporter: AS A CHILD JACQUES
FOUND REFUGE WITH HIS
GRANDPARENTS IN THE DEMOCRATIC,
OF THE CONGO HIS FAMILY
SUFFERED A DIFFERENT FATE .
>> THE LESSON HAD THE PLEASURE
TO MEET WITH HIM AS A FAMILY
LIKELY AROUND MY SISTERS AND
STUCK.
STUCK.
STUCK. >>
STUCK. >> Reporter: EASTER VACATION
1994, JACQUES REMEMBERS HIS
MOTHER AND TWO YOUNGER SISTERS.
>> I REMEMBER WHEN MY MOM TOOK
ME BACK TO THE CONGO BECAUSE IT
WAS THE END OF THE HOLY DAYS.
THAT WAS A LIFETIME I SAW THEM.
>> Reporter: HE REMEMBERS WHEN
HE LEARNED THE REALITY.
HAS MOTHER AND SISTERS KILLED
WITHIN THE BELIZE SANCTUARY OF
THE SEMINARY WHERE HIS FATHER
TAUGHT .
TAUGHT .
TAUGHT . >> ONLY MY DAD SURVIVED THE
MASSACRE.
MASSACRE.
MASSACRE. >> Reporter: ONLY ONE PICTURE
REMAINS OF HIS JOCKS MOTHER AND
BABY SISTER.
BABY SISTER. NONE OF HIS OTHER RELATIVES WHO
ALSO PERISHED .
>> THE IMAGE I HAVE WITH MY
SISTERS, THAT'S ALL THE IMAGE I
HAVE.
HAVE.
HAVE. >>
HAVE. >> Reporter: ALL OF THEM
DISAPPEARING IN THE DARKNESS OF
GENOCIDE IF NOT FOR AN 11-YEAR-
OLD MEMORY .
>> I REMEMBER EVERYTHING FROM
CULTURAL RING THE COLORS IN THE
FABRIC.
FABRIC.
FABRIC. >> Reporter: THAT THE CHILD WHO
LOST SO MUCH SOON GAINED HIS OWN
RESOLVE RETURNING TO RWANDA .
>> I WAS RUNNING AWAY FROM IT
BUT I CAN'T DO IT ANY LONGER.
>> Reporter: TO HELP THOSE ALSO
FACING CONFLICT IN THE CONGO.
JACQUES IS DOING THAT WORK
ALONGSIDE ARC THE REFUGEE CAMP
HOLTE 14,500 PEOPLE WERE THAN
HALF OF WHOM ARE CHILDREN FROM
THE LIBERATED CONGO.
FOR JACQUES FULFILLING HIS
PURPOSE FIRST FOUND HIM WORKING
AT THE ARC HEADQUARTERS IN
MINNESOTA.
MINNESOTA. WHERE HE LEARNED THE SKILLS
WHILE PICKING UP THE TOOLS HE'D
SEEN USE IN HIS NATIVE LAND.
TODAY, HE IS LEADING OTHERS IN
A FAMILIAR LANDSCAPE OF HURT
AND HOPE.
AND HOPE.
AND HOPE. >> I FEEL AT HOME AND AMONG MY
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. I
PEOPLE. I FEEL AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO
FACE THINGS I GREW UP IN.
>> Reporter: AT HOME HE IS
HELPING THOSE FACING LOSS,
FLING DEVASTATION, LOOKING FOR
NEW LIFE.
NEW LIFE.
NEW LIFE. A MAN HONORING HIS FAMILY'S
LEGACY.
LEGACY.
LEGACY. AWARE OF HISTORY'S NIGHTMARES.
AWAKES TO TOMORROW'S DREAMS.
SPIN IT GIVES ME HOPE THAT
TOMORROW IS BETTER.
WITHOUT HOPE, EVERYTHING LOSES
MEANING.
MEANING.
MEANING. EITHER FOR THEM OR THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE RECEIVING AND FOR ME I
HOPE THAT BY DOING THIS I'M
CREATING A BETTER PERSON.
>>> I CAN TELL YOU PEOPLE DO
NOT SPEAK OFTEN OR LOUDLY ABOUT
THIS TRAGEDY.
THIS TRAGEDY. YOU CAN STILL FEEL THE PAIN OF
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE VIOLENCE
IN THE COUNTRYSIDE BY THE
GRAVES.
GRAVES.
GRAVES. IT IS PROFOUND AND SO REAL.
EVERY APRIL 12 ON THE
ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR
HEARTBREAK, JACQUES AND HIS
FAMILY RETURNED TO THE SITE
WITH HER FAMILY WAS KILLED.
TOMORROW NIGHT, WE WILL RETURN
TO RWANDA LOOKING AT THE WORK
OF THE MINNESOTA-BASED AMERICAN
REFUGEE