( CNN ) It 's a sunny April afternoon at the University of Rwanda College of Education in Kigali . Some students huddle in groups conversing in hushed voices ; others hurry between buildings carrying books . Exams begin in a week . On a grassy knoll behind an office block , Jean Claude Nkusi is giving his 24 children a talking to . `` Study hard everyone , '' he says . `` If you work hard you can improve your life and make it better . '' This is n't your typical family . Nkusi is 23 . None of his `` children '' share his DNA . In fact , the only thing linking them is that they 're all genocide survivors -- ethnic Rwandan Tutsis who lost their families in the 1994 violence that killed 800,000 people . 'It 's because of history ' Creating `` artificial families '' to help young genocide survivors cope is the brainchild of an organization called the Association for Student Genocide Survivors ( AERG ) . Originally founded by 12 University of Rwanda students in 1996 , they 've expanded to 43,397 university and high school students from across the tiny east-central African country today . AERG initially creates families from members based on the secondary school or university they attend , after which the newly-formed family meet to democratically elect a willing father and mother from among their ranks . Though they do n't all live together , they do help each other out financially and attempt to pool their resources . In the University of Rwanda 's College of Education alone there are 21 such families , with hundreds more being set up across the country . `` ( We ) Rwandans , we used to have big families but during the genocide many people were killed , '' says Daniel Tuyizere , AERG 's second vice coordinator at the University of Rwanda . `` To fight against that , we have to build artificial families so that we can go back to the way we were , '' he adds . `` That 's why you can find a father with 25 children -- it 's because of that , it 's because of history . '' AERG National Coordinator Constantine Rukundo explains that the concept stems from a basic necessity . `` You need someone to care about you , '' she says , adding that the aim is that the families will stay together for life . `` When you get married your family will be there ; they 'll be the first to help you . '' Scarred by war . UNICEF estimates that 95,000 children were orphaned as a result of the genocide . Seventy per cent witnessed murders or injuries , while many were victims of violence and rape themselves . Their problems continued after 1994 . By 2001 , an estimated 264,000 Rwandan children had lost one or both parents to AIDS , a disease which was partly spread through the use of rape as a tool of war . Today many of these young people suffer disproportionately from poverty , homelessness , trauma and legal issues , including having had their deceased parents ' land taken away from them when they were too young to claim it . Bringing light back . Rwanda is currently in the middle of 100 days of mourning . The 20th anniversary commemorations have been upsetting for many of the young people who still carry both physical and mental scars from the past . Kelsey Finnegan , Project Officer at Survivors Fund , says that trauma permeates into many different aspects of their lives : `` Many for example have difficulties studying , maintaining relationships , or have issues with drugs and alcohol . '' Kevin Mugina , 21 , says that being in a family environment helps young people to deal with their emotions . `` Some people used to be very angry . '' He says that together they discuss their feelings and how to control them enough so that they can live peacefully with their neighbors . Yet , he adds , trauma among his peers is still a huge issue . `` We have kids who have been so shocked from genocide that they have a permanent shock -- that is one of our big problems . '' But overall , it seems that they are in good hands . Augustin Nsengiyumua , 27 , calls up his artificial mother for all sorts of small things . `` For example if I do n't have a pen , or I do n't have soap , '' he says . Younger than several of his artificial offspring , Nkusi says that fatherhood is a lot of responsibility but he relishes it . `` You have to know every situation that your children are in -- if they 're studying without any problem , if they 're eating , everyday life . If one of them is sick I have to be the first one to know it . '' He has named their family Urumuri . `` Urumuri , '' Nkusi says , `` means to light something up . It 's when something was dark , and now it is bright again . '' READ THIS : Intimate images capture the new Rwanda . READ THIS : Orphaned siblings create Rwanda 's Craigslist .
Young genocide survivors are coming together to form `` artificial families '' in Rwanda . They help each other financially and offer emotional support . 20 years after the genocide , many young people still carry scars from the past . The country is currently in the middle of 100 days of mourning .