Strength In the Struggle

Key:

Black: Names

Red: Angel

Blue: Ines

Green: Both

Angel: Kera 

Ines: Kera cyane 

Habayeho wowe

Habaho njewe

Habaho twebge

Batubgira bati

Ines: Wowe GAHUTU 

Angel: Wowe Gatutsi 

Ines: Nawe Gatwa

Nuko, (clap) biratangira

Turatandukana

Ines : Turangana 

Angel : Tutangira gusenyana

Ines : Tusenya imitima 

Angel : Tusenya Ingo

Ines : Tusenya Imiryango 

Angel : Tusenya Ubushuti

Tusenya Igihugu

Angel: Bamwe muri twe turicana 

Ines: Bamwe muri twe turapfa 

Angel: Abandi barahunga 

Twese, tusigarana agahinda

With broken hearts

No homes, no families, or friends

With exiled women and men

In countries that didn’t belong to them

It almost felt like an end

We started to pretend

That we were people who we weren’t

Angel: We held passports of Ugandans, 

Ines: We held passports of Kenyans 

We spoke NOT our mother tongue,

Ines: And spoke Lingala, 

Angel: Kirundi, 

Ines: Swahili 

Angel: and Luganda 

Ines: We knew how to cook their foods, 

Angel: We knew how to dance their dances 

We knew their cultures and traditions

We did it so well,

You couldn’t tell

The difference, if you tried

But the tears of the past that we cried

Just couldn’t be denied.

Ines: And the people outside didn’t help us

Angel: You see, 

There were NO political, or Economic, “interests” in Rwanda

So no wonder,

They left us alone

We had to figure it out, on our own.

Angel: While they played pretend during the day

Ines: They lay awake during the night

Angel: Constantly thinking of a vision

Ines: They finally made a decision

Angel: It was time to make things right

Ironic how some times we have to fight…

For peace.

Angel: Hey but we were tired of TEARS

Ines: Sick of “sorry”

Angel: Weak from worry

Ines: And they made a choice,

Angel: To give back their people a voice

Ines: They strategized and analyzed on how to transform

Angel: Put on their boots and uniform

Ines: Marched towards their borders with persistence

Angel: And ready for the risk resistance.

Listen my people were tired of pretense

Ines: They knew the journey ahead was intense

Angel: but they disregarded their dreams

Ines: Joined forces and made teams

Angel: It was time to silence their people’s screams

They had NO heroes to call on,

Angel: Because batman was too busy

Ines: Superman was scared -

And NO ONE else cared

So we had to become, our OWN heroes.

Angel: And somehow make millions out of zeroes

Ines: Something out of nothings

Angel: Cities out of ash

Ines: Dust into grass.

But listen, we didn’t just pass, our task

We excelled and expelled

Ines: Division,

Angel: Segregation, 

Ines: Discrimination, 

Angel: And corruption

We built a nation

Ines: Far beyond our imaginations

Angel: Far beyond the world’s expectations.

Ines: It. Was. Sleepless. Nights. Of. Planning. And. Meetings

Angel: It was time, 

Ines: blood, 

Angel: sweat, 

Ines: work,

Angel: And tears

It was SACRIFICE

And it came at an expensive price.

SO WE, SALUTE - YOU!

Angel: You found strength in struggle

Ines: Bravery in your bones

Angel: Courage in your thoughts

You have hearts of KINGS

And for those who deny it

Tout le monde sait 

Que les faits 

Sont têtus 

Angel: You make us so proud to be Rwandese

Ines: We even carry our flags over seas

Angel: We might speak with accents

But don’t be mistaken please

We, are RWANDESE

Angel: Rwanda is the red to our lips,

Ines: The brown to our skin,

Angel: The white to our eyes,

Ines: The black to our hair.

RWANDA, is not just a place, it is who we are.

Angel: We are so proud to be Rwandese

That our bodies ache/itch for us to tattoo it, somewhere on our skin

In case you can’t feel it from within

We, are Rwandese

Because of you

We-are-one people

Angel: One nation 

Ines: One language

Angel: One culture

Who now carry, a Rwandan passport

With ONE identity

Yes we are proud, to be Rwandese

That we would fight on the forefronts like Ndabaga, and Fred Rwigema-

Yes, we would go that far

For the Ishema, 

Of Rwanda.

Angel: But we wouldn’t have been here without you

Ines: So for one more time

We, salute – you

Happy liberation day!!!!

Written by : Angel Uwamahoro and Ines Giramata

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3vFhwpmYpI