Germaine Uwabareze

I was born on November 25, 1987 in Kigali. My father was a primary school teacher, and my mother was a nurse. When I was three years old, I went to live with my aunt in Kanombe, who did not have children of her own at the time. I lived there for awhile. I used to get very upset, because I missed my parents. My aunt tried to comfort me but could not bring me back to them. I would cry even when my aunt tried to take a picture of me. My aunt would say, "Come on baby, let me take a picture of you so that you can remember what you looked like as a little girl", and I would reply, "I'm not a little girl, I'm a big girl!"

When I was six, the genocide broke out and our family went through considerable changes. Both of my parents passed away and so did my aunt who had taken me in, along with her husband and their only daughter. I grieved the loss of my family and was so lonely that I went several days without eating at times. After they died, I lived at Nkoto Camp in ex-Gitarama Province. It has left me with many memories.

I was not all alone because I had my older sister, and we lived together after the genocide. She was truly a good mom and she took care of us for seven years, paying our school fees. Sadly, in 2002 she became ill and passed away, leaving behind two boys and my young brother. When she died, I was soon sponsored by Forum for African Women Educationalists (F.A.W.E) which paid for my education through secondary school.

When I was in school, I always tried to be around others but in the beginning I shied away when they talked about their families. By the time I reached the S3 level, I wasn't so shy anymore. I focused on succeeding because it was the one thing that would help me in the future. I found an interest in dance which allowed me to feel freer in expressing myself; I especially liked "Igishakamba" style and other traditional dances. Also, I enjoyed playing basketball and peeling potatoes.

I always dreamt that I would become a physiotherapist, but I did not know how I would reach my goal. Then, I found the ORI scholarship. Now it's my turn to work hard and focus on my studies to make my dream come true.

From deep down, I thank Brother Dr Malisaba Straton who helped me to find FAWE, all the classmates I met who recognized my sorrow, and all the donors. This is very kind of you; I'm really grateful for all you did and are still doing.