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Damas Gisimba (1961-2023)

Credentials

Humanitarian Cause

Emergency Response, Rescue in emergency situations, Shelter, Human Rights, Restoration of justice, Peacebuilding

Impact Location

Rwanda

Occupation

Social worker/ Director and Legal Representative, Gisimba Memorial Center

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About

Damas Mutezintare Gisimba, born in 1961 in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a renowned community service provider based in Kigali, Rwanda. Since 1986, he has served as the Director and Legal Representative of the Gisimba Memorial Center, originally founded in the early 1980’s by Peter and Dancilla Gisimba as a sanctuary for orphaned children and now offering a range of services to disadvantaged youth.

Widely regarded as a hero in Rwanda, Gisimba is celebrated for saving over 400 lives during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Following those tragic events, he served as the Head of a local Gacaca court, a community-based justice system that sought to promote justice and reconciliation in communities as a way to move forward. Gisimba has faced numerous threats for his role in holding perpetrators accountable.

 

Photo: © Justine Brabant

 

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