Former Rwandan Footballer features on New Year's Honours List for services in UK schools
A former Rwandan international footballer, Eric Eugene Murangwa, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for raising awareness and education about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, in schools around the UK.
Murangwa is the founder and Executive Managing Officer of Football for Hope Peace and Unity (FHPU Enterprise) and Survivors Tribune.
In 1994, Murangwa and his immediate family survived the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Their survival is owed, in part, to the courage and humanity shown by his former teammates at Rayon Sports Football Club.
As a result of this, Murangwa developed a strong belief that sport, in particular football, as well as storytelling, have the power to influence society in a way that little else does.
He says his mission is to make sport and storytelling an integral part of the Rwandan reconciliation and reconstruction process, insisting that sport is not just for fun and leisure but can also be used as a tool for social change and life skills.
Commenting on the award, Murangwa said:
“I’m thrilled and honoured to be receiving this award but it would not have been possible without all those who have supported me along the way. I’ve had the privilege of working with an amazing network of colleagues, advisors and other supporters. This award is not just for me, it is also for all the survivors who continue to fight for justice, challenge denial and keep the memories of our loved ones alive.”
He went on to describe the examples of courage and humanity shown by former Rayon Sports teammates who sheltered and protected him during the 1994 Genocide, which came to be the inspiration behind his vision and drive for everything he does today.
In 2015, following FHPU’s success in using sport as a tool for social impact, and in educating young people through its off-field genocide awareness activities, Murangwa and colleagues decided to embark on a fresh challenge to establish a new and sustainable platform designed for storytelling.
They have since been able to assemble more than 20 dynamic speakers who each have incredible life stories to share, and in the last eighteen months alone, they visited 25 schools and reached over 5000 students.
Their flagship programme is called Survivors4Schools and it enables survivors of modern genocides and other global conflicts to share their experiences through public speaking events in schools, colleges, and universities.