At 95, Zura Karuhimbi is frail and almost senile. However, she has a sharp memory of events that happened 19 years ago when the Interahamwe militia wreaked havoc in the country.

Ms Zura is a heroine and has been honoured by President Paul Kagame and the Italian government for her bravery during the genocide that saved more than 150 lives.

At the height of the 1994 genocide when the Interahamwe went berserk, Ms Zura fought back, not with guns or machetes but with what she terms “simple tricks.”

She recalls that before the genocide, her family had a reputation of knowing traditional medicine and many sick people would flock to their home for treatment.

But other people in the neighbourhood believed the family possessed “magical powers” that could cause death.

Indeed, Ms Zura was able to instil fear in the militias who wanted to kill victims who had sought refuge in her house. She warned the militias she would cast a spell on them should they attack the refugees in her house.

“I am not a witch, but if people believed that it was my magical powers that stopped the militias, then I don’t have any regrets,” says Ms Zura, adding: “These people (militias) deserve death.

“During the genocide, I saw the darkness of a man’s heart.

“I remember one Saturday, they came back again. I confronted them as usual, warning them that by killing the refugees in my house they were digging their own graves.”

They developed cold feet and went away.

At the end of the genocide, she had saved the lives of at least 150 Rwandans, three Europeans and some Burundians.

However, her husband, three children and several relatives did not survive.

“The genocide left wounds that will never heal and the current government must treat all Rwandans with dignity,” adds Ms Zura.

Ms Zura received a medal of honour from President Kagame for her heroic action.

She also received another medal from the Italians for her effort in defending human rights.

In 2009, a tree was planted on her behalf in the Garden of the Righteous, located in the Italian city of Milan, to honour Ms Zura for her heroism.

Heroine lives in abject poverty

Ms Zura lives in Musamo Village, Ruhango Sector in Ruhango District.

She was a farmer but age is now catching up with her and she depends on her niece, Zulphat, 28, to fend for her.

She spends most of her time indoors and sometimes goes without food. Ms Zura also complains that only a few people come visiting.

“Life can be unfair at times,” Ms Zura says, adding that the family sometimes survive on a single meal a day due to lack of money to buy food.

There are times when the niece gets ill and the old woman has no one to send for help or cook for her.

“This house will collapse on us soon,” says Ms Zura adding that when it rains, it becomes waterlogged, becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

She lives in the same house where she hid the victims. It’s a dilapidated mud house with a leaking roof.

Throughout the interview, Ms Zura cautions me never to distort her story.

“I am not asking for compensation from government but I need a decent house, which does not leak when it rains. We also need food,” adds Ms Zura, who says at her age, she does not have much time left.

As we conclude, Ms Zura says as long as she gets basics such as food and shelter, the rest will be fine.

“Make sure you come back and see me before I die,” she told the Rwanda Today team.