On Monday morning, I woke up early and began walking a long distance toward the city to find UCC. It was not easy, because I did not know the way or the exact location. I kept searching, and as I reached near the border, I saw a bus with the UCC logo on the back carrying people with disabilities.

I felt so happy and excited—I had finally found a sign of UCC! I followed the bus, but unfortunately, it was moving very fast. I kept my eyes fixed on it so I would not lose it, and I continued along the same road it had taken. Eventually, I saw it parked in the center.

When I arrived, I was surprised—the UCC campus was so big and beautifully built. I opened the gate, walked in, and entered a classroom. I greeted the students and the teacher. The teacher asked me who I was.

“I am deaf,” I replied.

She asked if I wanted to study there. I said yes. She then directed me to go to the office nearby for approval.

At the office, I saw the founder of UCC, Dr. Zachary, seated at his desk. I was surprised to see him—he was the same person I had first met when I was with Desire, the founder of the Deaf community, during visits with guests from the USA (as I wrote about in earlier parts of my story).

Dr. Zachary also recognized me.
He asked, “Eh, it’s you! How did you get here?”

I told him, “I followed the bus and also got a tip from someone. I want to study here.”

He asked, “What about Desire’s community? Are you quitting for good?”

I answered, “Yes.”

He was happy to welcome me and asked me to go register.

During registration, I was asked to write my parents’ names, as it was normally required. But I didn’t include them—because it was not my parents’ idea to find me a school; it was my own decision.

After completing registration, the secretary told me to go back to class and wait for my uniform, which would be brought to me later.

When I returned, the teacher asked, “So, you are finally approved?”

I said yes.

She asked me to sit beside a female student. In class, I saw many different Deaf students—faces I had never seen before. I only knew three of them.

One of the teachers was a Jehovah’s Witness woman, known for her excellent skills in sign language (since JWs are famous for that). That was why UCC had hired her. She called me to sit beside her and asked about my abilities.

“What language do you know?” she asked.

I explained, “I know only English, but just a little. I learned some in another community, but I am not professional.”

She then asked, “Can you speak?”

I said, “Yes, I can speak my mother language, Kinyarwanda. I can write only in English.”

She tested me: “Say mama, papa in Kinyarwanda.”

I spoke the words, and she smiled.
“Oh, you are good. Off you go to your seat.”

I felt very satisfied being at UCC. In the mornings, there were free biscuits, and at lunch, free meals were served. The place was beautiful, full of friendly people.

There, I also met Frederick again, someone I had already known from earlier years, along with Dr. Zachary.

It was the beginning of a new and hopeful chapter in my life.

In the evening, school ended around 4:00 PM. After class, I walked with some of my male classmates in the same direction toward home. On the way, one of them asked me to first stop and say hello to the Deaf Art Community.

At first, I was scared. I knew they already knew that I had quit working with them, and I was worried about how they would react. But I didn’t say no. Together, we went to the place where the Deaf community worked.

When they saw me, I greeted them. Some greeted me back politely, but others criticized and insulted me. They said things like:

“You quit here to pursue education. Do you think you will succeed?”
“Will UCC pay you money?”
“You already quit, so don’t come here again. You are not a member anymore.”

Their words were painful, but I tried to remain calm.

I went inside to greet Desire, the boss. He asked me, “Is it true that you quit here and joined UCC?”

I answered, “Yes.”

He didn’t ask me why, and he didn’t criticize me. He simply said, “Okay.”

My friends who were Jehovah’s Witnesses worked at the community arts. They advised me to leave immediately so I wouldn’t face more insults. We left and continued walking toward home.

We all walked together until the road separated near the lake, each going in a different direction to our homes, which were very far apart. For me, it took about one hour to reach home with one of my JW friends. Another friend lived even farther away, almost two hours’ walk, near the BRALIRWA factory, which produced beer, Coca-Cola, and other alcoholic drinks.

I continued meeting often with my closest JW friend. Together, we would walk into the city, preach, and pray. Meanwhile, I focused on my studies at UCC.

In the coming days, while I was in class at UCC, two female foreign guests, Janka Petrasova and Anita Folosova, visited and sat beside us. I wrote a simple note on paper to thank one of them for visiting. She smiled and responded, “Thank you.”

Here is the picture of me without uniform beside is Janka other are deaf in class UCC.

During break time, I saw them in another room chatting with a Black man who was guiding them. I approached them because I wanted to meet them properly. We started talking, although communication was challenging. I noticed that their eyes often looked at me and they touched my shoulder, as if they were including me in the conversation, which made me feel noticed and curious.

Later in the evening, Janka asked me to go out with her. I agreed, and we walked together before parting ways. I didn’t realize at that moment how much I would miss them. After separating, I kept checking to see if I could meet them again, but they were gone, so I walked straight back to school.

A few weeks later, they returned to UCC. I was overjoyed and hugged them. That evening, after class, we walked to Lake Kivu for swimming. I was not a good swimmer, but Janka and Anita were kind and patient. They guided me into the water and taught me how to swim. Afterward, we sat together by the lake and then walked to dinner.

Spending time with them felt lucky and inspiring. I hoped that one day they could help me travel to the USA or Canada so I could improve my English and experience a different culture. I believed that education abroad would give me greater opportunities, better skills, and a brighter future. I dreamed often, even while sleeping, walking, or eating, about living in the USA or Canada and becoming a famous rapper or actor. I prayed earnestly for this dream.

After dinner, they went their separate ways. I took a motorbike back to my home village, and they promised they would visit again. I continued attending school, hoping they would not forget me.

A few months later, probably in May, they finally returned. I was extremely excited. Together, we took a motorbike to the BRALIRWA factory, which had bars nearby. We then took a boat to an island, enjoyed dancing, took pictures, and returned by boat to town for dinner.

In December, we met again and walked around several craft exhibitions. I asked Janka if she could buy me shoes because I didn’t have any suitable for school. We walked to the market, and she bought me a beautiful pair. I was thrilled to wear them.

She then asked me to visit Anita in her hotel room. They were staying in a hotel near the Catholic Church around Lake Kivu. I went to Anita’s room, where she was cleaning. She opened the door and chatted with me by writing on paper. We prepared to tour nearby villages together. Those moments were fun, full of laughter and joy. We celebrated Christmas at the hotel at night, then went back to our homes separately. The next morning, Anita and I went to Lake Kivu again. As it grew dark, we sat and chatted while Janka and a Black man went to purchase some things.

It was then that I realized it would be their last visit. They returned with hidden gifts and asked me to guess what was inside. I had no idea. When they finally revealed the items a ball, a bag, a phone, and a letter it was a tearful, heartbreaking, yet joyful goodbye.

Despite the farewell, I continued to stay strong and face challenges. Studying basic education at UCC was the best decision of my life. The teachers trained deaf students to practice reading and speaking aloud, and I learned very quickly. It was natural for me, as I was born hearing and speaking before becoming deaf.

Learning to open my mouth and speak loudly helped me understand the alphabet, not only at school but also at home. A Jehovah’s Witness woman, who had encouraged me to leave the community, often invited me to her home in the evenings after class to practice more. I went to her home almost every day, and she trained me to read aloud while speaking. This practice improved my skills very quickly. Within about three months, I was able to understand reading in Kinyarwanda and speak using vocabulary I had learned. I even won first place in the exams for the first semester. The CAMPHILL sponsors of UCC in the USA were present and awarded each winner. I continued my progress and came in first place again in the second and third semesters. That marked the end of the year 2011.

In 2012, UCC was preparing to transition students to public schools to provide them with higher-quality education. I was placed in Primary 4 at UMUBANO 1, a school for students without disabilities that had recently become inclusive. A few students with disabilities, like me, joined from UCC. Originally, I was supposed to be placed in Primary 3, but UCC decided to put me in Primary 4 because they believed Primary 3 would be too easy for me and that I had the ability to excel.

Primary 4 was challenging because I had never formally learned mathematics from Primary 1 to 3. However, I consistently excelled in English, Kinyarwanda, and other subjects. I earned sixth place in the first semester and then first place in the second semester, and third semester I earned first place outperforming even the hearing students, despite being deaf. I maintained first place in the third semester with high scores. I also received a gift bag, which was the first good school bag I had ever owned, as previously I had to carry my books in an old, torn bag that made it difficult, especially in the rain. In 2013, I moved on to Primary 5, I also I earned first place in the first semester and then first place in the second semester, outperforming even the hearing students and third semester I earned second place. 

This picture was taking at UCC, where I often come for lunch and rest when school ends, I was a primary student at UMUBANO 1 as you can see, I wear short cut yellow pant uniform.

Life at home with my mother was very hard. Often, there was no food, no soap, and my skin developed painful diseases. Sometimes I missed school because of hunger or embarrassment.

His kindness motivated me to endure the challenges and keep studying.

It became very challenging for me living with my mother. Sometimes, there was no food for an entire day or night, and often no breakfast, because she did not have a job and had no work experience, having never received an education. I would walk to school in the morning cold, hungry, and dirty, without money to buy soap, brush my teeth, cut my hair, or buy shoes. I always wore torn shoes, which made it even harder to attend school. My house was far from school, so I would walk almost an hour in the dark mornings, often without breakfast. My mother would work outside in the fields, unable to cook meals because she had little or no money to prepare lunch or dinner.

Because of these conditions, I often lacked energy and was frequently absent from school sometimes two or three days, or even a whole week. The cold, hunger, and skin diseases I developed while living with my mother worsened, making it embarrassing to wear the short school uniform in public. I needed medicine to treat my skin, but no one in my family, like my uncles, could afford it, and I had no money myself.

When the founder of UCC, Dr. Zachary, learned that I was missing classes, he sent a sign language interpreter to my school. The interpreter came to my home while I was out and spoke with my mother. When I met him, he asked why I had been absent. I explained all the problems that were preventing me from continuing my studies. He asked me to return to school and promised to speak to Dr. Zachary at UCC, hoping he could help.

I prepared to return to class, and that afternoon, I went to UCC for lunch and met Dr. Zachary. I explained my situation fully, and he gave me his coat to wear in the cold and placed me on the list to receive essential items, such as soap, and later provided shoes. I was happy and motivated to continue my lessons.

In Primary 6 in 2014, I initially ranked lower, around tenth place in the first semester, but after attending regularly in the second semester, I achieved sixth place, and in the third semester, I came in second place, in 2014, when I moved to Primary 6. The challenges remained the same, but I endured them. I often felt anger toward my mother because she never spoke to me about my biological father and could not support my education or basic needs. Despite this, I continued to stay with her and persevere.

The founder of UCC not only supported me with my education but also helped me meet my basic needs. When I showed him my skin disease and asked if he could help me buy medicine, he instructed me to go to the pharmacy and find out the cost. I rushed there, then reported the price to him. He immediately gave me the money to buy the medicine and refused to take back any of it when I tried to offer the receipt. The medicine helped my skin slowly heal with regular use, but it ran out quickly. I needed more medicine, but I was afraid to ask him for additional money. As the disease began spreading across my body, I bravely approached Dr. Zachary again, explained the situation, and he gave me more money to purchase the medicine, allowing me to continue treatment.

When I and two other UCC Deaf female students (sisters from the same parents) reached Primary 6, it was our final year before moving to secondary school. We were stressed, wondering how we would get into a new secondary school the following year. We often debated and contradicted one another’s opinions, each of us imagining what might be the best option.

In January 2014, during the school lunch break, we went to UCC for lunch as usual. While there, we met Frederick, with whom we often chatted about funny things. One of the girls asked him about the best secondary school we could join. Frederick replied, “If you get high scores, you will go to school in the USA.”

Surprised, one of the girls asked, “Are you sure we will study in the USA?” Frederick confidently answered, “Yes, you will. But you must get at least 75%, or better around 80%, in the national examination to be accepted. Don’t worry—the USA sponsors will cover your fees. You’ll also have good accommodation, delicious meals, and access to the best education. But remember, you must behave well there.”

We believed him without realizing it was a lie. His words made us want to study harder. I even told the two sisters, “I know a lot about American culture from movies. People there are not like us in Africa. Here we live with Christianity, respect, humility, and fear of making mistakes. But in the USA, it’s different. If we go there, maybe we will forget ourselves and adapt to their culture. Maybe one of you will wear short clothes and behave against your ancestors. And maybe I’ll end up following rappers and forgetting our dignity—haha.”

They replied, “You’re right, but we must stay together and regularly discuss the Bible so we can uphold our dignity and not be affected.” I answered, “I don’t know. We will see.”

The excitement about going to the USA spread throughout the class and even outside. We also told our interpreter about Frederick’s promise. He just said, “Oh, okay. Work harder and we will see,” though he seemed doubtful and sensed it was a lie.

In March, when schools were registering names for the national examination, we came across the question about choosing our school area. We hesitated, saying, “Don’t choose yet remember what Frederick said about the USA?” A girl asked the interpreter, “Shall we write USA?” He laughed and told her, “No, just write a school place in Rwanda, Kigali, Western, Northern, Eastern, or Southern. Frederick knows what he’s doing, but you still have to fill in the form.”

We started to understand. Then we asked the interpreter for advice about the best schools with good meals, clean rooms, and a healthy environment. He recommended Kigali, saying, “Kigali schools are the best because even the President and First Lady often visit them.” Excited, we said, “That’s perfect we won’t get sick from bad food and poor conditions.” So we chose Kigali.

From then on, we studied very seriously, aiming for 75–80% to qualify for the “USA.” When exams were approaching, I met the founder, Zachary. He greeted us and asked, “How are your studies? I hope you are working hard and will pass.” We replied confidently, “Yes, we are working very hard.” Then I asked him, “We were promised to study in the USA if we pass. Is it true?”

He looked surprised and asked, “Who promised you that?” One of us answered, “It was Frederick.” Zachary shook his head and said, “No, I never made such promises. Supporting you to study in the USA would be too expensive. What we can afford is only schools in Rwanda.”

That was a painful and emotional moment. We felt deceived. We asked each other, “How could Frederick fool us like this? We worked so hard, never missed classes, and gave all our energy—why!?” But later we calmed down and decided, “Let’s stop worrying about the USA and focus on Kigali instead.”

When the national examinations began in July 2014, we worked very hard. Afterward, we waited anxiously for the results, which came in July. We had passed! We showed our results to UCC, but unfortunately, the plan to attend a Kigali school failed. Instead, in 2015, we were sent to G.S. HVP Gatagara in the Southern Province, where we studied together.

Over time, I began to understand why Frederick deceived us. He did it to motivate us, to push us to work harder and achieve good grades. Even though it was a lie, it became a source of motivation for us.

This is a picture of me with two sisters, my fellow Deaf classmates. We studied together with support from UCC, from primary school up to secondary school. In 2016, we parted ways because of different preferences in our studies. However, we had worked hard in our lessons, progressed through each level without failing, and continued our education.

In 2017, both sisters chose Culinary in Senior 4 at another school, while I chose Mathematics, Computer Science, and Economics (MCE) at Gisenyi Adventist Secondary School (GASS), where I successfully passed. Today, they are both working in the hospitality industry—one in a coffee shop and the elder sister in a hotel in Kigali.

As for me, I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Local Governance at the University of Kigali (UoK), from 2023 to 2025, and I expect to graduate in 2026. I also hope to continue to a Master’s degree if I can secure donors or sponsorship.

At present, I live in Kigali and serve as the Founder and CEO of my venture, Ubumwe Education Inclusion for Disabilities in Rwanda (UEIDR), which I founded in August 2024. In February 2025, my project won first place in a business idea competition organized by an entrepreneurship hub.