Celebrity Support

"Mashirika's courage and dedication is an inspiration to others"

"The Aegis Trust works with the most vulnerable individuals in Rwanda including those most affected by the genocide - the orphans and widows. Such work is crucial, inspirational and deserves recognition."

"Mashirika was founded out of the ashes of genocide and uses performance to challenge the dangers of racism and intolerance. Mashirika gives more than a performance. These young people tell an inspiring story of survival and hope for a future that bears no resemblance to their past."

"Rwanda is a country which has learned through tragedy just how vital it is to counter intolerance and promote reconciliation between people of different cultures, races and creeds. I know that the visit of Mashirika will entrance and inspire all those who have the opportunity to learn through their unique mix of music, dance and drama"

"We can only guess at how civil war can damage a country and its people; how deep the wound go and how long resentment can last. In this dance group from Rwanda, we have an example of how the most beautiful plant can grow out of the most difficult of soil. As Rwandans seek to re-discover peace and ways in which people with different histories can live together in harmony, Mashirika can only be a sign of hope as they tell us about their history through music and drama and, in warning of the dangers when brothers and sisters seek to harm each other, will help us look to a better and more loving future."

"Having visiting Rwanda and seen first hand the aftermath of the genocide I am delighted to be able to welcome "Africa's Hope" to Lincolnshire, to both educated young people about the terrible event and raise money for a such a worthwhile cause as funding an orphan village. Rwanda is now a country of hope and vision, with an innovative and dynamic population, and during my visit last year I was deeply impressed by the country's resourcefulness and optimism for the future, however they are still struggling against extreme poverty, and resources such as those raised by "Africa's Hope" are vital to sustain the country's development."

"Africa's Hope' is a testimony to the triumph of the human spirit in the conditions of the greatest adversity, of a mass slaughter that still shames us all. In every genocide there are always survivors, who have born witness to horrors beyond our imagination. Mashrika's stunning dance performance is a fabulously imaginative portrayal of their stories."

2008 Audience Reviews

Having seen Africa's Hope, or been a participant in Africa's Hope workshops, please send us your comments.

Audience Reviews

hiya every1 its natalie again from doing the performance at the old libray i hope u r all ok i ave missed u very much and i wanting to know will u be on tour this year as i am wanting to do a performance again with my project which is children in care council and we are very intersting in see u and i really enjoyed it that day see ya soon xxxxx

What a fantastic example of life affirming theatre Africa’s Hope is. As someone who programmes some 140 pieces of theatre a year and who has worked with young people for nearly 40 years, including some ten years as a youth theatre director, I have no hesitation in recommending this extraordinary piece of work to any professional programmer in any theatre, anywhere, regardless of size or stature.

It is a production of the very highest quality, which will move and delight audiences of all kinds. No one should be put off by its subject matter. Indeed, it’s the people who think they might be who would conversely enjoy this performance the most.

I believe every secondary school in the country should book this production. It would, at a single stroke, do more to counter racism in our society than any previous measure.

It was great to have you and Mashirka here; the school is still buzzing as the pupils loved the show and are very keen to get involved with ' doing something'. I have circulated all the Aegis info and would love to talk to you about how we can help both Mashirika and the work of Aegis. I have been doing drama with my classes on genocide.

My VI form Theatre Studies group would like to visit Beth Shalom? Could we also have a visit from the Aegis lady who came to the show?

In addition, lots of pupils asked about Mr Petrie's comment re China stopping Darfur. Please send my very best wishes to Hope and the cast, also to Baz who is a legend.

Thank you for bring us such a powerful piece of theatre and workshops to accompany.

At present, there’s a lot of arts education in the borough that looks at a specific approach to the current, quite volatile climate that’s a reality for many of the young people that attended the workshops and it was amazing to see such a simple yet though provoking and relevant approach applied and to witness the group on Tuesday morning so engaged.

Please pass my thanks and best wishes onto the company and please do keep us in the loop in terms of Mashirika and any other projects you are involved in.

I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU so much, once again for such a superb day!

I thoroughly enjoyed the performances, and I feel privileged to have seen it 3 times now!!
In fact, i feel as if it got better every time i saw it!!

It really is a fantastic piece of theatre, and I would be extremely grateful if you could pass on my thanks, regards and good wishes to all members of the cast, and of course to Hope, for such a powerful, moving, entertaining and enjoyable performance. I particularly enjoyed the drumming (I used to play the drums myself, so am i big fan of percussion!), as well as the singing - i thought Emmanuel's singing was amazing - it really moved me... Also, the acting, singing and dancing by the rest of the cast was also fantastic, they truly are a group of extremely talented individuals. Please pass on my thanks and gratitude to them, I really feel i made a connection with the group, through their performance, and I feel honoured to have been involved in organising the event.

It has been a great project for me to work on, and a particularly rewarding experience; one I have felt a great sense of achievement from.
The issues portrayed through Africa's Hope are of course extremely important, and Im glad to have played my part in helping to raise awareness about genocide and Rwanda's plight in the 1990's. It has been a highly valuable learning experience for me personally, and also, I hope, for all the people who came to see the performance in Leicestershire.

My colleagues who came to see the performance also thought it was fantastic, and I'm glad we managed to get as many people along to the event as we did.

We are really proud to have hosted the event in Leicestershire, and I hope the cast and yourself enjoyed the experience too.

Once again, Im so happy to have been involved, and I would like to wish you all the very best for the future.
It really has been an experience I won't forget.

Africa's hope was a very moving and powerful piece which i found to be very emotional and inspiring.
The cast were really great and must have worked really hard to achieve a piece as great as that as i could feel the energy from where i was sitting. It teaches us what we need to be aware of as things like that shouldn't be ignored and someone needs to do something about it, Again it was wonderful to watch and i thoroughly enjoyed it.

Africas Hope was very enlighting to me and a real joy to watch. As I am doing my silver arts award at the moment and my challenge is to perform 2 short emotional monologues, it helped increadibly to see the performance. I thought over all it was a brilliant preformance and all of the cast worked so hard. I think other people should definatly go and see it because it really tells people who dont know much about genoside, what is really happening to people all over the world. The feel of Africas Hope to me was fabulous and the points of the performance were put over quite clearly. The concentration of the whole cast was so great and the energy put in was increadible. The performance has really helped me with my silver arts award and has given me no end of tips and hints to make my performance better. Though the performance wasn't perfect, like any thing, I thought it was abousolutly fabulous.

Everyone loved 'Africa's Hope' and I know it will have a lasting impression on all who saw it.

A superb day of learning all about Rwanda - its problems and its hopes for the future. Mashirika were fabulous, students loved the workshops and wished they could have been longer! The performance was outstanding, staff and students were both moved and exhilarated, and I was very impressed with the attitude of my students towards this emotive topic and their powerful response to Africa's Hope. It will not be forgotten and has already made a huge impact within many subjects across the curriculum. Thank you.

The power that each and every member of Mashirika possesses is unfathomable. Our school has had the privilege and honour of working with and learning from them all in their tour of Africa’s Hope. They managed to engage our brains, touch our hearts, stir our consciences, and sooth our souls in their workshops and performances. We were taken on a journey to an awful nightmare of a reality, and gently guided out of it through the songs, dances and drumming of a hopeful and bright future. At the same time we were given the key to that dream. I certainly feel empowered to learn from the past and DO more in the present to stop Genocides now and in the future. It is up to us now.

Murakose and turongera!

Rob Tomalin

A truly inspirational and emotional performance.

They were really good, they're all really talented young people and are an inspiration to others =) *

This is such a good thing to do. It was very moving but also funny and very entertaining. Everyone at our school loved it and we all want you to come back very soon. I think it's brilliant that you are raising awareness for genocide in places like Darfur in such a creative way. Thankyou so much for coming to our school it was amazing.

Love Juhi xxx

I loved it. It was hilarious at times and very sad at other times.

Thanks x

Great opportunity to learn about Rwanda, not only about the genocide but also about its culture. Made me think about the situation in Darfur and what they can learn.

Superb and totally unique!

I really enjoyed the performance and it really opened my eyes to the suffering around the world. I hope they come back again!

It really meant a lot to us hearing about the genocide. It really opened our eyes and made us want to do something about it.

The performance was amazing! They are very entertaining. Love the drums.

The best show we ever had at our school. Very good, moving and enjoyable experience. Excellent!

AMAZING! Made me want to cry at some points, yet at others I wanted to get up and dance!
It was the best day at school-ever!
The message you got across was breathtaking!
Keep up the very good work.

I thought you were amaxing and i nearly cried when i saw the powerpoint show! Thank you for performing!!!

Just today Mashirika performed at our school, with their main show in the morning, which i felt really touched my fellow pupils, followed by music and dance workshops for those interested/invited. This really was an inspiration, and taught me many different ways of expressing your feelings through dancing, and other things. I thought altogether it was an absolutely amazing and inspirational day, and i would like to thank all the members of Mashirika and Aegis Trust for making this possible.

I was truly touched and inspired by the way the group performed their life story. There was one moment during the performance I couldn't hold back the tears of pure sadness, that I felt. On behalf of my college, I believe I can genuinely say it was a very special yet breathtaking performance, we all loved it x

It was a great performance and we hope that you can continue inspiring young people worldwide. :)

Inspirational, informative, emotional.

... to quote a modern word, the performance was awesome. The experience of having you with us for two days was again magical.

Mashirika again touched the hearts of the Hockerill community and made an impact which will be felt for years.

Come back to us whenever you're in the UK.

It was a really successful day, with a really strong, deep message. The genocide presentation by Aegis Students and the video presented a strong message and I feel priviledged to have been part of the day.

I thought the raw emotion shown through the dancing was so powerful and the energy. Noone will forget the message and your efforts.

I thought the message was conveyed so well during the production and made it also exciting and hopeful. A priviledge to watch and have you all here.

A really powerful day - I enjoyed the drama workshop, which surprised me as I'm not very good at drama. I would love to get more involved.

The most amazing thing we have ever seen! They're so talented! :)

A brilliant way of involving young people in genocide education. Moving, challenging and enriching. Keep up the good work!

It was moving and truly amazing. It has given me a proper idea of the human side of gencocide.

Thank you.

I teach Equality, Diversity and Rights, and have done so for 16 years.

Your amazing show gave out a message in the most powerful and creative way possible; I was moved to tears of joy and excitement.

The performance was amazing and very moving. It really got to me and made me realise what had happened and how it must have been for them.

The performance gripped me from the start. The movie at the beginning changed my view and informed me. I loved the dancing, it was so moving. Thank you.

Thank you for the workshops - I had an amazing time! I learnt a lot and will remember you always.

I tully loved the show. It was so poignant to hear the stories , see the video and then present the movements to express the sadness. it was wonderful to see how the show ended with Hope. I was tully bowled over considering me and my friend just chose to go to the shoe because we saw it in the Greenwich Theatre booklet. WWWe would have missed it, had we rushed through the booklet. As it was on our doorstep, we felt we should go. The talk at the end was very enlightening, putting alot moe of what had happened into perspective. TTThis event need to be shown everywhere. Will you be doing this show in Preston or Manchester

WELL DONE on a truly FANTASTIC show - moving, exciting, colourful, energetic. You got the balance absolutely right - between the horror, and the hope, pride and optimism that followed.

An excellent production. So powerful, evocative and thoughtfully done. It was clever starting with sadness and ending with hope and celebration without trivialisation.

I think it was so cool i love all of it i will all of them soon so i would like to say to anita and simon and angel and arthur and all of the outhers i love them and they are so cool xxx

i love the because i was in i love angel because i can talk to her and be cool and there are so good of dances and hope she is so cool me and my friends from e2e and my now friend from Africas hope and i what to say from e2e that we are so thank foler for them all come in to ower life's and we all love them and can u say to Africas hope that we love them so much that we will miss and we will of them all the time xxx

The performance at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, held alongside the exhibition by Anne Frank Scotland, was outstanding.

I have rarely seen an audience of young people so engaged or seen such a powerful message against prejudice delivered.

The young people of Mashirika are a great credit to themselves and to their country. We are inspired by them to continue this very
important work.

On behalf of those of us privileged enough to see them on the day, thank you.

The inspiration to get involved was incredible.

The cast were such a treat fo telling across such a powerful message. Angel Kabanguka Uwamahoro blew me away.

Congratulations for the most memorable of performances. I hope you can inspire so many more people as you did me.

Thank you to all the cast for your efforts!

An experience that hits one at many levels. The distress at what has happened in Rwanda told through personal stories is hard hitting. The skill and beauty of the performers is stunning, and the great feeling of hope for the future of their beautiful country is real.

Excellent concentration by year 11 and year 9 pupils on the production.

Facts about the genocide presented in an effective way - the 84% 15% divide and Belgian colonial influence on Rwanda, the 100 day massacre, and 1,000,000 people who died.

Very effective presentation of the human face of Rwanda. The innocence and the culture.

This production provides superb opportunities to discuss the concept of genocide with pupils in year 9, who have just studied the Holocaust. Well done.

The performance was fascinating and thought-provking. The pupils sat still for the whle thing - absolutely engrossed and spellbound. Their applause at the end was totally spontaneous.

We were entertained with a feast of different items that really stirred the emotions; wonderful singing, dancing and drumming. It really did put across that message of hope for the future.

An emotional rollercoaster in an energetic performance.

The message is painfully clear - how can this happen in our lifetime, but more importantly how can we ensure it does not happen again?

Thank you for a wonderful day and profound experience for our students. Everyone I have spoken to found the show riveting and the messages very powerful, to the point of tears in some cases.

We are now considering partnership with Kigali schools and I have emailed Aegis to see if they can run some workshops in June.

I am sure the experience will stay with the audience for a long time. Thanks again and I hope the rest of the tour goes well.

Allan

I loved it! It was amazing and made me feel proud of Rwanda and to be black. The day was amazing and I felt absolutely happy I couldn't stop smiling. I loved the culture, it made me feel at home. Even though I come from Madagascar I could relate to the hope you felt. God bless x

So beautiful and inspiring. It brought tears to my eyes more than once and ... I can't think of other words to describe it. The music, dancing and acting was superb and I hope to see this group again sone day. Thank you for sharing these emotions with us all.

Brilliamt! Individuak rhythms and sentiments. Exciting music and dance and really inspiring! Loved it. (Wanted to join in!)

It was a wonderful stunning performance. I always value such productions. Thank you so much.

Thoroughly enjoyed your wonderful performance. Very humbling. It's wonderful to see the hope that has come out of your experiences.

Wonderful and uplifting. Inspirational!

Excellent and hopeful message - very professional and with fantastic happy smiling faces. I would love to see you again.

Thank you for the most moving peformance I have ever seen. Although I was aware of the genocide in Rwanda I had no idea the scale of the killings or the incredible suffering of the people who survived. It truly made me feel very humble and put things into perspective when we complain about trivia and think our life is hard. It was stated in the presentation we were not born to hate. We just want to see the sun rise and sun set and live - IN PEACE. Let the world take note and try and show love to their fellow man. Thanks again.

Moving, made me feel ashamed A beautiful performance.

A truly inspirational performance! It was an honour and a priviledge to see you perform. Thank you so much for sharing your message with us; students and staff here at the college have been talking about not only your performance but also the horror of genocide - your message really did find a home today. Best wishes for the rest of the tour.

I have never seen such focus and passion put into a piece of drama before.

You are all so brave and very talented. What a beautiful performance! It was honestly breathtaking.

On behalf of everyone on BTec National Diploma in Performing Arts, I would like to express our sincere thanks for letting us watch your remarkable performance. It was truly spectacular.

I wish you all the best for the future.

Easily one of the most enjoyable experiences we have had working on a show all year.

A pleasure to light due to its stunning costumes and a storyline allowing for the use of rich, atmospheric colours throughout.

The superb choral work and mixture of instrumentation allowed us to create a great live sound experience.

All in all - a colourful, insightful and thought provoking performance.

The performance absolutely fantabulous! I liked the drums especially. Getting the chance to meet people who have been affected by Genocide was touching because I learnt that life will always throw rocks at you and it is up to you to use them as stepping stones and that is exactly what Mashirika are doing :)

Thank you once again. The whole year group is really buzzing with the excitement of the day. Staff and pupils thought the show and workshop were an inspiration.

Absolutely brilliant, a real eye-opener. It really makes you think. Would definitely recommend it.

Just got home after seeing your show..it was very moving and you definately got your message over..it sent shivers down my spine thinking about what happened!
You were all FANTASTIC, the singing, dancing and the drumming was all amazing. I felt like getting up on the stage and dancing with you all. So thank-you very much for a lovely evening and i wish you all the best for all your shows wherever you go. Sue xxx

I would just like to thank Hope and the whole crew of Mashirika for the wonderful experience you brought us on Tuesday afternoon and the incredible performance you showed us in the evening. I was both surprised and impressed by the will all the participants showed and I am very happy that I was part of this experience.

Can I personally say "Thank you" to Simon and Gloria as well since they were fantastic during the workshop.

Thank you once again. Have a good time during the 2008 Tour. I wish you good luck and a lot of success because what you guys do is just so impressive.

I saw this performance last night and it touched my heart and my mind.
It was beautiful, sad and uplifting all at once.
Thank you for raising awareness in this way.

it's an amazing show that tells you a lot about what they have been throgh and it takes a lot of curige to do it and i would defently whatch it agane and the cast are reall plesent
from jess

Better than Afrika Afrika!

A thoroughly breathtaking, powerful, emotional experience. Rwanda has a lot to celebrate despite the harrowing experience of genocide. Exhilarating throughout!

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