Rwanda's genocide past lies heavy on its youth Young Rwandans, born during the 1994 genocide or soon after, speak of how this traumatic period has cast a shadow over their lives, despite the fact that they did not directly experience it. The two-thirds of the population born in the wake of the slaughter face a burden of their own, having grown up in the shadow of unspeakable atrocities, and carrying the weight of expectations of a brighter future.