A Special Kind of Rootless: Caritas Habimana, Part 1

Caritas Habimana - Carie - is not rooted to the earth.

Nope, her head is in the clouds. She lives each day in complete faith that things will turn out the way they should.

Carie, a Tutsi from the Congo and Rwanda, is a survivor of the Rwanda genocide. Her story, from start to finish, from how she escaped murder by about 15 minutes, and then over and over again, until she found her way to a refugee camp months after her saga began, is a story of serial miracles. Her survival is also a story of people helping people - at terrible risk to themselves.



She could be a bitter person for the things that happened during the genocide, and for things that have happened since.

But she is not. Carie spends all day, every day helping others. It gives her joy.

Don't know if you recall this, but the genocide was a result of Hutu Rwandans killing upwards of 800,00 Tutsi Rwandans (and those who stood in the killers' way, including other Hutus). 

Carie doesn't care if the people she helps are Tutsi or Hutu. 

Carie's embrace of Tutsi and Hutu together causes distress to people she loves.

But Carie perseveres. The refugees need her, and she needs them. 

Finding Refuge from charles ferguson on Vimeo.

"There's a big plan out there," Carie told me the other day. "Bigger than people know. .... And I dream big, too."

Continued here.