In 1994, Carl Wilkens directed the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International in Rwanda. His family evacuated when the genocide began, but Wilkens chose to stay to deliver aid to children in need despite the on-going violence.
He came into contact with Damas Gisimba, who directed an orphanage and was secretly providing safe haven for 400 people threatened by the genocide.
When militias prepared to attack the orphanage, Wilkens managed to get assurances from Rwandan Prime Minister Jean Kambanda that the militias would be called off and the people at the orphanage would be evacuated to a safer location.
After the genocide, Wilkens and his family continued their aid projects in Rwanda. They later returned to the United States, where Wilkens became an Adventist pastor. He continues to speak about his experiences in 1994 and the need to respond to genocide today.
