Survivor Recounts Father’s Death at Ndera Seminary

Why this is here: In 1963, Ephraim Nkundanyirazo survived an attempted assassination while in secondary school after a friend warned him of a planned attack.

Elvis Nkundanyirazo, a Rwandan Genocide survivor, spoke on May 16 at Ndera memorial site about his father’s final days. Ephraim Nkundanyirazo, a medical assistant, was among 8,004 people killed at Petit Séminaire St Vincent Ndera in Gasabo, Rwanda, after seeking refuge there in 1994. The family had fled earlier violence in 1959, with Ephraim surviving an assassination attempt in 1963.

During the genocide, the family initially sought shelter at Musave school before being separated. Elvis, age thirteen at the time, and his mother were hidden by a neighbor for two weeks.

His father remained at Ndera Seminary, believing it was safe. A soldier ultimately spared Elvis and his mother’s lives because Ephraim had once treated him.

Nkundanyirazo noted the profound sadness his father carried, believing his entire family had been killed. Despite Rwanda’s progress, challenges remain in preserving the memory of the genocide and countering divisive ideologies. He urges students to learn from history and build a unified future.