Survivors Fund (SURF) works to support survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. It is marking its 15th Anniversary with a public event at Portcullis House on 5th December.

From July 1994, in the immediate aftermath of the genocide, SURF Founder Mary Kayitesi Blewitt OBE supported survivors in Rwanda to organise.

In 1995, AVEGA Agahozo, Association of Widows of the Genocide, was established. It was formed by fifty widows as a mutual support group with support from Mary. Today it delivers wraparound support to over 20,000 widows.

In 1997, SURF was formally constituted in the UK. Over fifteen years, we maintain our support to AVEGA, which now extends to include eight other survivor’s organisations.

Our projects range from healthcare to house building, education to entrepreneurship.

This is with support from an array of funders, including Comic Relief, Big Lottery Fund, Charities Advisory Trust and the UK Department for International Development. This is supplemented by thousands of individual donors too.

Support today for survivors is as critical today, as ever. Our focus continues to be on empowering survivors through survivor’s organisations to rebuild their lives.

This is achieved through development programmes, and also advocacy support – to enable survivors to campaign for restorative justice and the establishment of a reparation fund.

Our goal is to secure this reparation in 2014. Your support is critical.

Thank you.