Little items tell their harrowing stories

02 September 2015 - 02:12 By Shaun Smillie

A doll, a rosary and a key are the treasured effects of two survivors, that will help tell the harrowing story of two of the 20th century's worst genocides. The three objects, from the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide, were handed over at the dedication ceremony of the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre.In a year's time the plan is to have them displayed when the centre is opened to the public.Yesterday dignitaries, academics, and a few survivors of the two genocides gathered to mark the event and remember.One of the guest speakers. Jonathan Jansen, vice-chancellor and rector of the University of the Free State, told the audience that these two horrific events "remind us daily of how quickly citizens can change from living with each other to killing each other."But, besides the messages of "never again", yesterday was also about stories of survival and the search for family, living and dead.Bonaventure Kageruka, a Rwandan genocide survivor, handed over the rosary and key that once opened the front door to his friend Xavier Ngabo's house.Three years ago Ngabo returned to Rwanda from South Africa to search for the remains of his mother and father."It took time, but eventually he was shown where they were buried in a mass grave," said Kageruka.Ngabo identified their skeletons from the remains of their clothes. On his mother's body he found the key and the rosary that once hung from her neck.Veronica Phillips broke down when she handed over the doll she had had for more than 70 years.Phillips' mother had handed the doll to her when they were reunited at the end of the war in Budapest, Hungary.Phillips' family was split up by the Germans in the Budapest ghetto. She and her father were separated from her mother and brothers.Her father later died in the war as she was forced west to work as a slave labourer in East Germany.After she was liberated by the allies she went to Budapest where she found her mother."It was a miracle, the doll was with my mother in the ghetto; she knew I loved that doll," she said."Now that doll is going to be famous."The centre will be a place where people learn about the Holocaust and Rwandan genocide...

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