Oct 87 min read

Genocide survivor finds faith and belonging at Cairns Corps

Celestin (right) is prayed over as he is enrolled as a Salvation Army soldier of the Cairns Corps.

Celestin Gasake has a remarkable life story, a testament to sheer survival and relentless resilience. In a special interview with Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH, the newly enrolled Cairns Corps soldier discussed his journey of surviving against all odds and his passion for using neuroscience and prayer to transform lives.

It was one fateful day that was to change the trajectory of Celestin’s life forever.

On 18 April 1994, the 15-year-old African student lost 74 of his immediate and extended family members in the Rwandan Genocide when bombs and grenades rained down on their housing compound where everyone lived together.

Remarkably, Celestin survived the horrific event.

“It happened on one day, in one second, in one minute,” he says, reflecting on the incident.

“I lost my father, brother, two sisters and immediate families that had run to our place to seek protection. Our house was a bit more protected and everyone in the family/extended families trusted the place as it was well built and fenced with electric wires.”

Celestin Gasake pictured with his family. Having recently completed his PhD in neuroscience, Celestin has a burning passion for enhancing the quality of lives of people throughout the world impacted by severe trauma.

Meet Celestin today, and you will meet a man who speaks in a measured and calm tone, carefully contemplating his words before expressing them. He is also a man who stands tall and loves God, his family, and his church community at Cairns Corps in Far North Queensland, valuing the sanctity of life more than most.

This Army soldier is also a man on a mission.

Having recently completed his PhD in neuroscience, Celestin is passionate about enhancing the quality of life of people worldwide who have been impacted by severe trauma.

Surviving the horrific genocide not only changed his life immeasurably but also birthed a passion for helping others who have experienced civil war, persecution and natural disasters by studying the effects of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) on the brain.

The neuroscientist’s aim to enhance the lives of others is twofold. To assist both the pharmaceutical field to develop new medicine to help people cope with PTSD and to help educate individuals about how their brains respond to persecution, war and natural disaster events so they can understand their PTSD reactions and accompanying emotions are not tied to their personality or indicative of irrational thoughts.

Additionally, the universities of Rwanda and Queensland have expressed interest in his studies to further their knowledge and treatment of war and natural disaster survivors.

While Celestin prefers not to talk about the unspeakable atrocities that he and his beloved family and community suffered in the genocide, he openly discusses his mental and physical scars.

“I really don’t want anyone to know me because of the PTSD,” he says reflectively.

“It is stuck into me. But there are people like me who have experienced war and those who have even experienced natural disasters, and that’s the reason why I am doing neuroscience.

“My interest was really sparked after Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns in 2011. I was nursing and could see in the hospital how people were affected mentally by the cyclone, including farmers, where the event took everything from them. I compared myself and my experience of people wanting to kill me in the genocide. So, I saw the intensity of what these events can do to people and how the brain can be damaged.”

His brain studies revealed how the impact of highly traumatic events, such as suffering persecution, could lead to deformities on the brain, especially in those aged 15 to 30 years.

“I want people to know that PTSD does impact the brain, that they are not going crazy, and that if people are really struggling, it’s because of the impact on their brain,” he said.

“I also want to imbue hope in those affected by war, persecution and natural disasters that the neuroplasticity in the brain can heal itself and to a point where they can continue living their best life.”

Hope is of paramount importance to Celestin, who has held it close to his heart – from surviving the genocide through to becoming a neuroscientist and calling Cairns Corps home.

His faith in God and the power of prayer are also crucial. But he’s the first to say that living out the Christian walk has not been easy or smooth.

Journey of pain

Born and raised in a Christian home in Rwanda, his family was to become popular and well-known in society. His father was a local politician, and his brother was a doctor.

When the genocide started, Celestin’s family and brother were a target because people would read the news of what an amazing person his brother was in his medical role and how he undertook many activities to help the community.

The brother founded a disability organisation to support neglected individuals with disabilities. He dedicated 45 hours a week to helping them on the streets, bringing many to his home. He purchased houses for disadvantaged people, ensuring they received care and support from his family and used his own money to meet their needs, including food and medical assistance.

Tragically, the brother died in the genocide when bombs and grenades targeted his family’s compound, consisting of five homes, which housed over 70 members of his family and extended relatives.

With most of his family killed, Celestin escaped to 19 different places during the next three years.

He traversed an unimaginable journey of pain and suffering at the hands of those who wanted to kill him before returning to school in 1997 after peace was regained in the country. The Rwandan State Government ensured those who survived the genocide could live and helped support Celestin get back on his feet.

“So, from that time onwards, I hated to be called a Christian ... From that day, it stuck in my head that they were the ones who hunted and finished off my family.”

Remarkably, one house on his family’s residential compound remained standing, so Celestin settled back into the home and started to gather young children and teenagers who had no home, and he ended up caring for 16 children.

“I was the oldest man,” Celestin recalled.

“So, I had to work hard to make sure that they ate. We struggled together and went to a school supported by the State Government through the Genocide Survivor’s Fund, thanks to the current government, who stood with genocide survivors and revived their life. Among those 16 children, seven are now in the medical field, and others have completed university degrees in different fields and are now working, married with children. Most importantly, they are all true Christians who praise the name of the Lord, day and night.”

Faith dilemma

Celestin completed high school in 2002 and then undertook a medical degree as a legacy to his brother. He arrived in Cairns in 2010 after gaining refugee status with a humanitarian visa. He studied at James Cook University and earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing since his medical degree was invalid because he was a non-Australian citizen.

Christianity and having a close relationship with God were far from Celestin’s mind, having been betrayed during the genocide by a pastor they initially revered and supported. He had approached the pastor for support but was stunned to discover the pastor and several people associated with him had intended to kill him.

“So, from that time onwards, I hated to be called a Christian,” he said. “From that day, it stuck in my head that they were the ones who hunted and finished off my family.”

“Prayer will bring everything to you, whatever you want ... I can tell you; you will get an answer.”

Years later, a cousin encouraged him to start a new journey and return to church as a legacy to his Christian parents and happy times praising and worshipping God. He decided to attend church as his cousin was the only person left in his family, and he did not want to disappoint her.

“I said to her: ‘I will do it, just let’s go in the church’,” Celestin recalled.

“But honestly, from 2003 to 2015, I used to go in the church just to fill the gap. I got married in 2011 and raised my kids in the church. On the outside you could see me going to church with my tie and being happy. But inside, I was not.”

Emotional reunion

The eventual turning point came on 18 March 2015, when a major breakthrough occurred in his life. An auntie had informed him that his mother had survived the genocide and was alive, something he did not know as they became permanently separated when they ran for their lives during the bombing. The neuroscientist had tried looking for his mother in neighbouring Tanzania for years but to no avail.

So, he decided to pray for three days, determined to get an answer from God to find out where his mother lived for the long-awaited reunion.

“Prayer will bring everything to you, whatever you want,” Celestin said. “I can tell you; you will get an answer.”

And he did.

A call revealed that his mum had lived in Tanzania for 21 years. She had been so traumatised by losing her family and feeling hopeless that she never wanted to think about going back to Rwanda as she knew no one was left in her family.

It was an emotional reunion when they met.

“We shed a lot of tears,” he said. “Because of reuniting with my mum, I said Jesus is alive! That was the catalyst for me.”

Salvation Army soldier

From then on, Celestin embraced his walk with Christ and joined Cairns Corps in 2020. He recalls initially thinking pilots were part of The Salvation Army church because he didn’t recognise the Army’s uniform!

Celestin pictured with Major Ben Johnson, Cairns Corps Officer, who has deeply impacted the neuroscientist with his dignity, integrity and passion for helping others.

A further significant influence on his life was Major Ben Johnson, Cairns Corps Officer, who deeply impacted the neuroscientist with his dignity, integrity and passion for helping others.

“Ben is a man of integrity and a true Christian,” he explained.

“I have been able to relearn from him and he made me love being a Christian, to love The Salvation Army, and to keep my faith in God. You live in this world, and you can see these people that can take you somewhere and show you the way to go – and that’s what he did for me. He’s just totally sold out for Christ and a man who never stops helping special people like us who are in a new foreign land where we don’t have anywhere to go and don’t even know what to do.”

As a newly enrolled soldier, Celestin is proud to wear his Salvation Army uniform. His faith is also stronger than ever.

“It is believing the things we cannot even see,” he says.

“I now have somewhere to belong that’s wonderful. I lived with God in difficult times when we were being bombed, killed and persecuted. At the time, I could say God, God, God, but I did not know the intensity of God within me.

“But now, living in a country like Australia where there’s opportunity, my faith is growing, and it’s because I know Jesus is there for me. God is truly amazing to me.”