Emile Turatsinze

I am Emile Turatsinze, son of Evariste Nshimiyimana and Venantie Mukarutabana. I was born in 1988 in Kigali, and I am the eldest in a family of three children.

My father completed secondary school. He worked as a teacher in a primary school. My mother had only completed the first three years of secondary school, so she worked as a housekeeper in a hospital.

Life has been difficult for me since I was young. My family was poor and there were a lot of misunderstanding between my parents. My father struggled to manage our finances; he was not able to support the family, but he did not really seem to care about doing so. My mother had a modest salary, and she took care of us financially and emotionally. My parents were divorced by the time I was nine years old. Being the oldest child in the family, I felt the need to protect my younger brother and sister but I was too young to do anything. I was ashamed because of my situation, especially knowing that my father was out there but did not contribute to our welfare.

At the age of 12, I performed well on the National Exam to enter a public secondary school. My father came home that day to congratulate me, and he also gave me some school materials. He died three months later from a disease.

Once I was eligible to attend secondary school, my biggest problem was figuring out how I would pay for it. My mother did not make enough money to cover even the basic necessities for all of us. Since I used to get high marks in school, she would use my transcripts to beg for money to pay for my school. One neighbor promised she would give me a little money every term. Later, I was accepted among disadvantaged students, and my district paid half of the school fees. My mother was responsible for providing the other half of the fees for school and school supplies.

While in school, I thought the only way to improve my life was to work hard, and I was determined to do so. I wanted to pursue a career that would be meaningful. When I took a Biology and Chemistry section, I realized I wanted to become a doctor. To do this, I had to work even harder, and I did my best not to disappoint myself or my mother who was striving to take care of the family. I completed secondary school with distinction.

Afterward, I was selected as an ORI Scholar. I was surprised but thankful. Now I am a student at the National University of Rwanda (NUR), studying General Medicine, and quite convinced that I will become someone important for the society in the near future.

I thank my mother for everything she has done for me and everyone else who has helped me along the way. I am especially grateful to ORI and its donors who are helping me to become a man I wished I could become. God bless you.