The Houghton Coffeehouse is now featuring a photography exhibition entitled “Survivors.” This exhibition, which has received national recognition, is by freshman Sandra Uwiringiy’imana and her brother, Alex Ngabo.
“Survivors” is a collection of pictures taken at refugee camps in Burundi, depicting Congolese survivors of the Gatumba Massacre which took place August 2004 in Burundi. The collection was first shown at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York in 2011 as part of a series on genocides that they were featuring in that exhibition.
According to Uwiringiy’imana, this collection is intended to not only relay the story of what she had been through, but also to communicate to her audience that the “world is bigger than Rochester.” For Uwiringiy’imana, this exhibition tells the story that she “didn’t know how to express through words,” and by using photography as a means of expression, she was able to put “all her feelings into it” without “having to worry about finding the right words.” A subject as large as the Gatumba Massacre is a story that Uwiringiy’imana said is not just hers to tell. As she said, “this didn’t just happen to me, it happened to hundreds of people,” She hoped that this exhibition is her way of getting their stories out as well as her own.
The exhibition has had a history of national and international attention. In 2011, after the exhibition had been installed for a time in Rochester, a representative from Newsweek called the gallery, asking to speak with Uwiringiy’imana. Upon returning their call, Newsweek asked Uwiringiy’imana to allow her exhibit to be a part of the annual “Women in the World Summit” that is co-sponsored by Newsweek and The Daily Beast. After accepting the offer, Uwiringiy’imana was asked to also speak at the Summit about women and war with host Charlie Rose alongside other female activists, including Angelina Jolie and Tina Brown. For Uwiringiy’imana, this venue with an audience of over three thousand people was the first opportunity she had to share her story with a “non-church” audience. As a result, this opportunity “opened a lot of doors” for Uwiringiy’imana in the realm of activism, leading to involvement with women’s refugee programs, the United Nations for World Refugee Day, and the organization 10 x 10, a global ambassador for the education of girls.
Uwiringiy’imana received “support from back home,” as she continued to share her story through “Survivors” and also through her newfound activist platform. She said that her support back home was enthusiastic about her activism, as they “had never seen one of their own speak for them.” Uwiringiy’imana was also faced with negative reactions alongside the positive ones, and said that she would often hear people remark that a “teen couldn’t express opinions on this issue well enough to the national government.”
Uwiringiy’imana said that Dr. Ndunge Kiiti was instrumental in bringing this collection to Houghton, with the help from a donation made by Al and Lyn Barnett, as an addition to the Faith and Justice Symposium. Upon the collection’s arrival at Houghton, Uwiringiy’imana said that it left her feeling “really vulnerable,” but that she hopes it motivates people to act, while giving them a sense of hope at the same time, reminding people that “God’s got your back.”