Today is a public holiday in Rwanda, marking Heroes Day, when Rwanda remembers and celebrates in particular those that have rebuilt the country in the aftermath of the genocide.

I would like to add to the roll-call of heroes, all those that are working to rebuild the lives of the survivors of the genocide in Rwanda. The list of names is too long to mention in full here – but includes all of our partner organisations (in particular, those in membership of IBUKA) which make such a valuable contribution in the country. We hope that Survivors Fund (SURF) can continue to raise the funding to enable them to extend that work further over the years ahead.

Many of the individuals and organisations that make SURF’s work possible do so behind the scenes. They include a number of UK-based survivors, such as Appolinaire Kageruka, Alphonsine Kabagabo, Jean Louis Mazimpaka and Jean Bosco Ngabonzima – all of which spoke publicly about their experiences over Holocaust Memorial Day this year, to raise awareness of the situation of survivors today.

Heroes Day is marked annually in Rwanda, but everyday at SURF I recognise that our work is made possible due to the work of so many unsung heroes. We salute them today, and everyday! Thank you.