Jean Bosco Bazakare

I was born on August 16, 1984 in Gikongoro, Rwanda. I was one of 6 children. My family was doing well before the genocide, but in 1994 everything changed. My parents, my two older brothers and my youngest sister were killed. At the age of 10, I found myself taking care my younger siblings.

Before the war, I had many friends in my village. We liked to go to fishing when the cows were grazing in the pasture. I had to look for charcoal to bring to the house so that my mother could cook for us. I also enjoyed playing the drum. I was attended the third year of primary school when the war started in 1994.

At the beginning of the war, I was 10 years old. My parents stayed in Gikongoro and my youngest sister stayed with our neighbors. My two older brothers ran away. I didn't know where they went. My friend and I ran away from Gikongoro to Gitarama by foot. It took us 2 days to get there. We had to pass through the bush and not on the road for fear of the militia.

When we reached Gitarama, we hid in a seminary. There were many people and we were all refugees. We stayed in Gitarama for two months, from April until June. During this time, I met one of my older brothers. The other one had been killed on the way. In June, the RPF army came to liberate us, and told us to go to Bugasera (in the Eastern Province) because there was still fighting going on in Gitarama. When I arrived in Bugasera, my older brother took me to an orphanage. He remained with other friends of his in a house for refugees. After a few months, my older brother went to join the RPF army. He was killed while fighting in 1998.

At the Bugasera orphanage, there were many NGO workers who helped us to look for our families and friends after the war. I went back to Gikongoro to look for my family but neighbors told me that my parents and youngest sister were killed. I could find no one. The only other survivor from my family was my sister, who was living in the same orphanage as me. So I went back to Bugasera, where my sister and I lived from 1994 until 1998. I continued to go to primary school in the orphanage.

In 1998, I moved to the Centre Memorial de Gisimba (GMC)in Kigali. There I finished primary school and received an exceptionally high score on the National Examination. Because I did very well, The Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG) supported me through secondary school. attended a good secondary school in Ruhengeri, in the North Province, where I studied for three years before taking the national examinations to choose an option for the final 3 years. Because I did well in my courses, I was able to start the option that I wanted: public works and construction. My favorite classes in secondary school were mathematics and engineering. Because I lived a long way from the school and had to travel by foot, the journey was very difficult, especially when it rained. However I stayed in secondary school because I had a scholarship and I wanted to make the most of the opportunity that I had. I thought it was very important to study and work hard to prepare for my future.

I thought about going to university didn't know how I could because I didn't have a scholarship. Getting the government sponsorship was very difficult and you needed extremely high marks. When I finished secondary school, GMC referred me to Orphans of Rwanda, which offered me a scholarship to attend university. I decided to study economics at ULK (Independent University of Kigali).

I recently completed my first year of university. When I finish, I will have skills in mathematics, project planning, and data analysis that will help me approach problems and draw conclusions. After university, I hope to pursue a PhD in Economics. I want to get the highest diploma that I can, in order to have job options at many companies. Ultimately, I dream of becoming a chief executive officer in the technology industry. I am confident that my university studies will help me get ahead in my life and achieve in the future.

In 10 to 15 years, Rwanda will be a much more developed country. I hope that in the future no Rwandan will iving in bad conditions. I hope there will only be peace.