More Than Just Surviving: Meet Abaho Gift Conrad
Abaho Gift Conrad is an advocate for the underprivileged, a published author and entrepreneur, a business consultant and CFE.
But it was a long and rocky road to where he is today.
He was born in 1992 in Gasabo, Rwanda, as the violence that would erupt into the Rwandan genocide was ramping up. At the age of one and a half, he survived the massacre of his family.
All he knows about it is what he was told by a fellow refugee who spirited him away to a camp in Uganda. As a child, he believed it was his mother, but it was actually his aunt. She told him eventually she had retrieved him out of the garden, where his mother had hidden him, after the rest of the family had been killed.
He grew up in the refugee camp in Uganda. Getting good marks in school, he garnered the attention of the village leaders, who paid for his further education.
- You can check out his memoir, A Refugee For Life: Memoirs of Rwanda Genocide Survivor, [HERE].
A guitarist, he joined Musical Ambassadors Of Peace to help other people who endure severe and underprivileged conditions.
Musical Ambassadors Of Peace is an organization dedicated to working with former child soldiers, and they've been recognized by the United Nations for their work. They are located in Uganda, but deal with children who were kidnapped from their homes in Congo and forced into the life of a rebel soldier.
Since they've regained their freedom, they live in refugee camps in Ugands. Musical Ambassadors Of Peace helps them reconnect with society by teaching them how to perform traditional music and dance.
Dancing together, they unlearn the harsh and brutal lessons that a child soldier's life taught them.
I connected with Abaho Gift Conrad via social media, and asked him a few questions.
Were you interested in music before you were approached by Musical Ambassadors Of Peace?
Yes, I was interested in their work of trauma healing through music and promoting peace through music. As a genocide survivor, Music has been fundamental in shaping my life. Music healed me from the childhood traumas, and I dedicate my life to using music as a war trauma healing medicine. Music is a universal language.
What made you choose the guitar?
I chose the guitar because it's my best instrument since early childhood church days. I have been using it. I am a traditional music trainer, though I love traditional instruments more, I also like piano and guitar.
When did you begin your role as an Ambassador? What are your first impressions of the work that you do?
I have been working with Musical ambassadors of peace since 2020 and what impresses and motivates me daily is putting a smile on two million refugees in Uganda. Having experienced these traumas early in life, I devoted my life to helping fellow refugees, genocide survivors and all the underprivileged to feel human once again. As I always say that if God blesses me enough to have an impact in someone’s life, then I would have truly lived. What a beautiful moment when you realize that you have given hope to the humans who had lost hope. This is my core value in life.
How do you think music can help the people in refugee camps?
Music has helped many refugees in healing traumas, promoted peace and harmony, also it's our cultural connection. That’s why we basically prefer to sing and dance in our cultural dance. Music has united a lot of refugees here. We have various groups that have come up to promote our culture through music.
How did you come to write a book about your experiences?
Since senior one I had wanted to write about the need for unity among humans. I wanted the world to know that as humans we are one regardless of our color, race, origin. I wanted everyone to feel like a brother to a brother or sister to a sister. We are a human race. If we looked at each other as brothers and sisters there would be no crime i.e war, genocide, robbery, murder, rape name it.
What are your hopes for the future of the people you work with in refugee camps?
I hope in the future every refugee, not only my team members but the entire world will feel at home and regain a sense of humanity. And responsibility to protect mother nature. It's our joint responsibility to heal the world.
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