In 1959, war happened in Rwanda due to discrimination and tribalism and that was when my grandparents ran away to look for refuge. They found themselves in our neigbouring country, Uganda, and they lived there a long time in the refugee camps. I was told life was very hard there. Both my parents were born in the refugee camps and raised there, and that’s why just two of us -- me and my sister -- we were the ones who were born in Rwanda and the rest were born in Uganda in the refugee camps.
Then later on, my father joined the FPR (Rwandan Patriotic Front), the army that fought for liberation in Rwanda, then led by our current president, Paul Kagame. It was then that he came up with the idea of taking his family back to their home land and their property. But it wasn’t very easy. It was in 1989 when my family crossed the border and they landed safely. As they were starting to restore and put together everything which was been destroyed, just three years after my birth, that’s when a devil spoiled the whole country with tragic moments of killing people (the genocide of 1994).
My family was among the people who were supposed to be killed and my father tried all the ways he could to hide us and to protect us, but sadly while we were running, we got separated. My father went with my older bother, and the rest went with my mother and continued the journey of surviving. It was not easy to get something to eat and by then it was the rainy season. Even those who would escape from the enemy would be killed by the life in the bush and forests and mountains, or tropical disease like malaria, or die of hunger.
By the grace of God, my mother continued to take care of those of us who went with her and we spent almost a month running in the bush. Later on, the FPR found us and they took us to a safe place to meet others in the refugee camps. When we got there, we came to know that my father was killed, along with my brother and other relatives. After the war had ended, about three months, no one could believe that the killing was over. Most of the people were traumatized. Many children were orphans and many women's husbands were killed during the genocide. Most of the properties were destroyed. In other words, the hope for life was dead and it was very hard to start a fresh life. But my mother, she survived, and she took us to our land and we started to build up our home again and putting everything together.
Three years after the genocide was over, that’s when my mom wanted me and my sister to go back to school. This wasn’t easy because money was required for school and we did not have any. My mother had no job that could provide some money, so some of us had drop out from school and wait until God opens for them. After some time -- we had almost forgotten about school -- my sister had a small job in the town and she heard about the organization that was Africa New Life Ministries. They were helping orphans and those who couldn’t afford to go back to school. My sister took me there and asked for help. They accepted me and they took my picture and information then later on, in a year's time, they called my sister telling her that now I have got a sponsor, that I can go back to school. Then I started my education.
I finished my primary level at New Life Junior Academy and I got the first grade in the nation exams. I was then admitted to a good school in the capital city, Kigali, called Kigali International Academy. In my second year of high school, God continued to help me and I was selected to join Hindurwa band. I was so excited; it was like a dream to me to go to U.S.A. and in 2008, my dream came true. I spent six months there doing helping Africa New Life Ministries raise sponsors through our music and testimonies. Many lives of Rwandan kids were transformed.
And I would finish by saying that my life will never be the same because God has showed Himself to me. I am now a blessed young man and I am very different from whom I was before. Through God I am who I am, now and forever.
And I want give thanks to my wonderful family in America, Matt and Kristen Schlottmann for everything, for being there for me. I love you all so much and I always will.
And special thanks to Pastor Charles Mugisha, the director of ANLM and the enrire ANLM staff.
With God everything is possible!
God bless.
AMEN.
