During the Rwandan genocide , Pierantonio Costa was the Italian Consul in Kigali . From 6 April to 21 July 1994 , Costa first saved Italians and Westerners , then he moved to his brother 's property in Burundi and from there he travelled a lot across Rwanda in an unfaltering effort to rescue Rwandan people . For this purpose he used his diplomatic role , his network of friendships and acquaintances and his own money ( more than 3 million dollars ) to get exit permits for those who asked him for help . By the end of the genocide he had rescued 2,000 people , including 375 children . He was awarded a gold medal for civil value by the Italian government and received a similar decoration from the Belgian authorities
Rwandan genocide
Rwandan genocide
Pierantonio Costa