Vibrant Kigali

At the end of 2023, I traveled to Kigali to document a story that sparks hope. The initiative was intended to highlight a motto: Remember. Unite. Renew. This theme was the blue prints to build an exhibition dedicated to commemorate the Kwibuka 30, which marked three decades since the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda, which resulted in the death of almost a whole generation – in a matter of 100 days.

The exhibition served as a visual testament to dissipate unanswered questions and most importantly to emphasize the power of Rwanda’s post-genocide reconciliation. The images I captured during my time in Rwanda were used for the educational exhibition that was displayed at the Visitors’ Lobby at the UN Headquarters in New York during the month of April of 2024.

As part of my preparation for this field coverage, I rummaged through the UN Photo archives to review the work of a late UN Photographer who documented the immediate aftermath of the Genocide. This archival material was crucial to address my main assignments and, ultimately, for understanding the limitations of humanity. Those raw images matched the imagery I knew.

On the other hand, the times I went out into the capital streets, my attention naturally gravitated toward details I could visually recognize and understand. Universal codes took on a local flavor, providing me with consistent excuses to keep exploring and nurturing that curiosity all photographers and, ultimately, all travelers have. If someone were to ask me, I’d say Kigali’s breathable energy comes alive through its vibrant people, lively streetscape with its surrounding rollercoaster of hills.

These images are not the outtakes for the main assignment. Rather, they stick together and talk to each other making themselves a different body of work that explores the essence of how it feels to be in such a city—youthful, bustling, warm, and alive.

A city that constantly finds a way to not let the shadows of grief obscure its future. Instead, it has used those experiences to rise with dignity, proving that it is possible to move forward with valuable lessons learned from the past.