Full Summary:
They ran to Kenya & then to the US during the Rwandan genocide of Tutsis. They left behind their home, friends, family & a daughter. Family members are Hutu. They are Tutsis. Will a forgotten promise come back to haunt them?
The Letter:
Dear Whom It May Concern,
She is our daughter but we can not take care of her. We have a way to leave the country but they say she has to stay behind. We don't want to leave her but we promise that she is a good girl. She has always grown up knowing right from wrong, though she only be four years old. We do hope that you take her into your home and make her a part of your family.
We can not tell you what her heritage is only that her father is Hutu and her mother is…well I guess you can guess that part. She doesn't cry much, she doesn't ask for much, she doesn't even know what we are about to do. If you don't want to take her in, we understand, but she cannot come with us. It is too risky for us to take her with us on the off chance that we are caught and killed.
They say there is a refugee camp in Kenya and we head there. We will try to get in touch with the Embassy once we have found a safe place to live. If you do not hear from us, please keep her as safe as humanly possible in a time such as this. Our daughter means the world to us, but because she is so young and looks so much like her mother, we cannot take the chance. Her mother looks Hutu but she does not. The rest of our children look Hutu, she is the only one that looks Tutsi.
Please, we would not ask this if we did not want to keep her safe. Hide her away so that no one can know what she really is. We beg of thee. Enclosed is enough money to take care of her for the next few months. We wish we did not have to do this and could take her with us but it is too much of a risk. Pray it be to God that he keeps an eye on her and that you take her in with loving hands.
We leave you this note so that you will know that we loved her, our little Teaka, and that you will love her just as much as we do. Teaka knows when she is to be quiet and will obey anything you tell her to do. We do not wish death upon our Teaka, only that she live through this horrible war. God bless thee who takes her in and thee family.
The Promise Keepers,
George and Sophie Kumbaro
P.S. Please let our little girl know that we love her with all of our hearts and that it is tearing us apart to have to leave her all alone in a War such as this one.