Our History
From a small circle of survivors in Ottawa to a community organization recognized across Canada — two decades of memory, action, and resilience.
A Story That Began
in Survival
Humura Association was born not from an agenda, but from a need — the need of survivors to find each other, to speak their truth, and to ensure that what happened to their families and communities would never be forgotten or denied.
In 2001, a group of Rwandan survivors living in Ottawa came together informally to mark the anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. What began as a quiet gathering of grief and solidarity grew, year by year, into a structured organization with programs, partnerships, and a presence that extends far beyond our community.
Today, Humura is a registered non-profit serving the Ottawa-Gatineau region — built on the shoulders of those who refused to let memory die.
We did not start Humura because it was easy. We started it because it was necessary. Every survivor deserves to know they are not alone — that their story matters, and that their life is proof that hope endures.— Humura Association, Founding Members
Two Decades of Memory & Action
Key milestones that shaped who we are today.
Built by Those Who Survived
Humura was not built by institutions or grants. It was built by people — survivors who had lost family, community, and homeland, and who chose to rebuild not in isolation, but together. The early years were marked by small gatherings in community halls and living rooms, by conversations carried in both Kinyarwanda and French, and by an unwavering commitment to ensuring that what happened in Rwanda in 1994 would not be forgotten in Canada.
The word "Humura" was not chosen lightly. In Kinyarwanda, it is what you say to someone who is grieving — a gentle, firm instruction to find comfort, to let yourself be held. This spirit has guided everything we have built: programs that hold survivors with dignity, youth initiatives that pass memory forward with pride, and a public presence that insists the truth be told.
Today, Humura is one of the most active Rwandan community organizations in Canada. But it remains, at its core, what it has always been: a community of survivors and their descendants, neighbours and allies, committed to memory, justice, and life.
Those Who Started It All
Humura was not built by institutions. It was built by people — eleven survivors who gathered in Ottawa in 2001, chose to face their grief together, and refused to let memory fade. Their courage is the foundation on which everything we have built rests. We honour them always.
A Legacy of Dedicated Leadership
Since 2001, eleven individuals have had the honour and responsibility of leading Humura as President — guiding the association through growth, challenge, and renewal. Each administration left its mark on who we are today. We recognize them all with deep appreciation.
To every president, every committee member, and every volunteer executive who has given their time and heart to Humura over the years — this community is your legacy. You showed up when it mattered. You carried others when the weight was heavy. Humura would not exist without you. Mwarakoze cyane.
— The Humura CommunityMore Than Two Decades of
Unbroken Commitment
Every year, we show up — for survivors, for youth, for the memory of those we lost, and for the community we are still building.
Carry the Story
Forward
The history of Humura is still being written. Join us as a volunteer, donor, or partner and help us ensure memory lives for the next generation.