Richard Cyubahiro

I was born on April 3rd, 1981 in Kigali. My parents were agriculturalists. My father finished primary school and my mother never went to school, so she did not know how to read or write. Before the war, I had 3 brothers and sisters. I was the oldest.

I lived with both my parents at Kacyiru. My mother died in 1992, and my father remarried when I began primary school. My father and his second wife had 10 children together, so I had 9 step-brothers and 1 step-sister. Of these 10, only 7 went to primary school. The rest were too young. I couldn't go to school before the war because I needed to take care of the cows.

In 1993, a friend of our family took me to the Gisimba orphanage, where I began primary school. I performed very well and was the first in my class for several years. During the war, I survived because I was one of the children who was hidden by Damas Gisimba at Gisimba Memorial Center.

After the war, I continued my studies. I started secondary school at the Groupe Scolaire Officielle in Butare. While there, half my support came from the government and half from Gisimba. After my first three years there, I scored well enough to pursue my favorite subjects - biology and chemistry - and spend the final 3 years at the Lycee de Kigali.

When I started school in Butare, it was the first time that I met other students from other regions and provinces in Rwanda. After classes, I spent a lot of time with my classmates discussing the subjects that we found difficult, and exchanging ideas and information. We helped each other by sharing materials that some people lacked. In my third year, I was the student leader for my class. I led discussions with other classmates about different things such as examination times, courses offered, etc. I also played on the school handball team.

During secondary school, I was often sick with ailments that included malaria. However, I stayed in school because I knew that studying is very important to succeed in life. In my 6th year of secondary school, I applied for and was offered an ORI scholarship to attend university.

I am currently a student at the Kigali Independent University (ULK), where I chose to study economics and management. I hope to complete this year with high distinction. After I finish my third year, I hope to find an internship or job to complement my studies.

When I graduate, I would like to start my own businesses, preferably a store, where people can buy things to improve their lives, such as computers. Some day, I would like to pursue a Ph.D. in Management because I think it will help me be a better businessman. If I am successful, I know I will be able to help orphans because I have experienced an orphan's life.

Here in Rwanda, there are many poor people. I wish that there were more food and it were easier for people to find resources. I hope that in the future, there won't be any conflicts between Rwandans. It is important to improve the educational system and address the problems that the Rwanda currently faces. I believe that Rwanda will someday become one of the richest countries in Africa, instead of a country with so much poverty.