Past Events
Heroes of Our Time to be shown at the House of Commons
12th-16th March 2007
Continuing a series of events to mark its tenth anniversary and to highlight the ongoing plight of survivors of the Rwandan genocide, Survivors Fund (SURF) welcomed the opening of its Heroes of Our Time exhibition at the Houses of Parliament. Hosted by Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, and a Patron of SURF, with the support of fellow Patron Lord Cotter, the exhibition will run for a week, from 12th March through 16th March 2007
The launch of the exhibition opened with a short presentation by Andrew Mitchell MP. He noted the key role the British government and the British public have played in providing assistance to survivors in their fight to rebuild their lives. He also highlighted the good work that SURF has done and continues to do, citing the Survival Against the Odds book of testimonies as a key example.
Mary Blewitt, Founder and Director of SURF, was upbeat about the exhibition showing in Parliament:
“The British Government has been very supportive of our efforts to support Rwandan survivors over the past few years. Through the DFID grant to fund HIV treatment for widows, to Lord Cotter's ongoing support of our work and now Mr Mitchell's hosting of our 'Heroes' exhibition in the Houses of Parliament, we are encouraged that the Government will continue to recognise and support the struggle that survivors of the genocide face.”
The focus of SURF's 10th Anniversary is the construction of the Humura Centre, a testimony and resource centre being built in Kigali, Rwanda. It was officially named by Cherie Booth QC last month. Humura will also provide a vital place of refuge and sanctuary to survivors that are still dealing with the trauma of the genocide, now nearly 13 years on.