At age 8, Serge Gasore (’09), witnessed the deaths of his grandmother and brothers during the Rwandan Genocide. An experience that could have robbed him of hope instead instilled in him a calling to promote peace and justice. When Gasore was asked to share his story on one of the world’s largest stages, that calling gave him the courage to say yes.
Gasore addressed the United Nations General Assembly on April 7 as part of a ceremony marking the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. In a powerful account of survival, he urged the audience to remember the victims and pursue “unity, reconciliation and dignity.”
He said he hopes the UN will remain vigilant against ongoing hate and division, refusing to turn away. In doing so, he says, “we can all proclaim ‘never again’ in an authentic way,” not only in words but in action.
While revisiting his story can be painful, Gasore also finds it therapeutic to share. “For survivors, every time someone is willing to listen to you, it helps you make it to the next day,” he says. “It helps you feel like, ‘What I went through, someone wants to listen to.’”
In his day-to-day life, Gasore lives out the message of his speech. He and his wife, Esperance, founded Rwanda Children, a holistic ministry serving the physical and spiritual needs of children and their families, regardless of their background. The ministry now serves over 1,500 people per day.
Gasore envisions those children growing up to transform their communities. “We are all called to serve and bring peace and bring justice,” he says.
Each year, groups of ACU students partner with Gasore and Rwanda Children to serve these families. Engineering students surveyed the property for an erosion control project. Nursing students assist in the medical clinic. The ACU women’s basketball team will host a basketball clinic in August.
Gasore, who received ACU’s Young Alumnus of the Year award in 2018, is grateful for these partnerships and the relationships he built during his seven years at ACU.
“ACU not only gave me an education and prepared me to go to serve God, they also transformed my community,” he said.
Whether on the world stage, at home in Abilene or back in his home village, Gasore continues to share a message of restoration: “Even in the darkest moment, hope can survive.”
– Kayla Hewitt
May 4, 2026