Fulgence Niyongana

Age: 14 years old

Time at FIDESCO: 1 year

“I would like to be a person who helps others, teaches others and is kind to children.”
-          Fulgence, June 2013

“I will be happiest when I am no longer part of the statistic that counts the number of street children in my country.”
-          Fulgence, June 2013

My story:

Fulgence was at the Transit Center for eight months. He asked to go home, and the staff and guards there told him that he had to wait for FidesCo to come and legally take him. He was brought to FidesCo, and discovered he would learn how to dance. When he first saw others dancing, he didn’t want to. Yet, he recognized that the others seemed happy. As he observed, he became inspired. He started working hard to reach the dance level of the other kids.

He originally went to live on the streets because life was too hard at home. He has bad memories from his time there.  When growing up, his family never had enough money to stay in one place. They were always on the move. His mother is dead. One day, his father took him to an old woman, hoping that she would adopt him. She took him in and then told him it was his job to beg for money on the street. She would then take the money and buy alcohol to drink. She would beat him and starve him, not giving him any food to eat.

Fulgence was sad because he didn’t receive care and love like the other kids in his neighborhood. The old woman kept him in the house behind a locked door. One day, Fulgence was crying and the neighbor came and broke through the window. The neighbors chose to adopt him. But after three years, he again left to go onto the streets. The new family was also too poor and the man was a drunk. On the streets, he asked to spend the night in various other places. When he remembers his past, he becomes angry and sad. He asks God, “why me?”

After living for eight months at FidesCo, Fulgence has changed.  Now, he has high hopes for his future and thinks that others will be proud of him. Everyday he thinks about how to change his life and his story.  He wants to re-write his story and become a great person. In the future, he wants to help his family and try to guide them.

He wants to finish his studies.

Félix Ndayisenga

Age: 15 years old

Felix is originally from Kigali. He has five brothers and two sisters, and only one parent, his mother. He left home in order to find food. His other siblings find jobs on the streets during the day and then come back home at night, but Felix stayed on the street.

One day, Felix stole a pushcart, and the police found him and took him to the Transit Center. He was there for three weeks where he would often find himself dreaming about his life.

While there, he regretted stealing the pushcart. Then one day, he saw a man from FidesCo come to the Transit Center. He put his hand up to indicate that he wanted to go to FidesCo. Felix remembers that it was a Friday when the man came back for him in a car.

On the first day, Felix didn’t like being at FidesCo, and he kept reminiscing about street life. He wanted his freedom. He used to tell the other kids to escape with him. But one day, Isidor, a staff worker at FidesCo, talked to them about the good things in life. Felix meditated about what he had said. He decided the streets were not good. He confessed to Isidor the thoughts he had been having: escaping, street life, and finding a better place where he could be free and express himself.

Over time, Felix adapted to life and FidesCo and now he feels good and likes living there. The teachers keep encouraging the boys to love each other and to support one another. They tell them that there are “no good things on the streets.”

Felix’s mindset has completely changed by now.  His dream is to become a leader because, “it’s a good career.” He wants to protect poor people because he believes he was born to help others. He is on the side of those who struggle in life. For them, he will be an advocate.

At home, Felix remembers that he was lonely. During the day, most of the kids were on the streets just trying to survive. His mom did not have a steady job, but she did odd jobs like washing people’s clothing and helping farmers. But, Felix had to leave that home life because there was no food and no chance to go to school.

When he lived on the streets, he would go to restaurants and pretend that he had enough money to order. He would eat, and then, making sure to avoid the server, he would leave. Other days he would go to rich apartments and steal shoes, clothes, and batteries, and later sell them. He lived on the street for one year. Street life was strange for Felix.  His favorite thing was stealing cell phones from other people, and yet he also liked sitting and listening to people talk about life.

Now, Felix is happy that he can live at FidesCo, but he is worried what will happen when he has to leave the center.  He always thinks about his life and his future.

Alphonse Nzayisenya

Age: 13 years old
Time spent at FidesCo: 13 months (as of June 2013)

Both of Alphonse’s parents are alive, but when he lived at home, his father did nothing for the family. Every time Alphonse asked his father to pay for his school fees, he beat him. Alphonse tried to live with his grandmother, but she could not pay for his school fees. His grandmother wanted his father to be more responsible for his kids. She could pay for either his school materials or his school fee, but not both.

Alphonse left to the streets because his father refused to pay his school fees. His father said he should find his own money for school. Alphonse was on the street for three months, until he was taken to the Transit Center.

When Alphonse arrived at FidesCo, he originally didn’t want to dance. It was so hard for him that he would stay outside of the classroom, making himself believe that dance was unimportant. Once when Rebecca was there, she told him to come inside, but he refused.

On one occasion, he tried to participate, but he didn’t like it so he left. Then he thought, “No, it’s better to continue trying in order to see what it’s like.” He started taking the dance class regularly. Then, when he went back to FidesCo afterwards, he would practice the steps over and over. The teachers started to tell him that he was improving, and that was the moment when he truly became interested.

Now Alphonse feels really good when he dances. He is confident because he can do all the stretches in class.

Alphonse used to copy the other students in IT class because he didn’t know how to use the computer. He finally learned where to click and how a computer works. When Innocent, one of his teachers, told him he succeeded on his computer test, he was so happy. Alphonse remembers that he loved getting his first email. He thought he was dreaming and said, “how amazing it is that people can communicate like this!”

If Alphonse could ask for one thing in the world, he would ask to go to school and to study.

Mouhdi Gatete

Mouhdi was the first beneficiary ever of the RDDC school program.  Consequently, this young 22 year old is now in his first year of university where he studies computer science.

Mouhdi was orphaned during the 1994 Tutsi genocide and was the oldest boy of three children who survived.  For most of his childhood he lived on the streets until he found shelter in a group home operated by a local NGO in Rwanda.  Rebecca Davis first met Mouhdi while he was receiving support from this NGO.  Mouhdi only spoke a few words of English but he asked Rebecca for her phone number and email address before she left Rwanda.  This proved to be very fortuitous.

About one year after Mouhdi had met Rebecca, the local NGO closed down and Mouhdi was forced back onto the street along with 30 other boys, including Christian Ntaganda, Claude Gakimanyi and Passy Gakimanyi.  At this time, Mouhdi took the initiative of contacting Rebecca in the United States.  Through a series of arduous communications, Rebecca realized that Mouhdi’s situation was desperate.  Working with friends of RDDC, Rebecca found a way to support Mouhdi.

In late 2009, Mouhdi went to boarding school.  In 2012, Mouhdi became the first student to graduate high school through RDDC’s school-support program.

Mouhdi is also a gifted dancer.  Although he was originally only interested in hip hop, he became interested in contemporary and classical ballet through his exposure to Rebecca Davis and the other teachers at RDDC.  In fact, in 2012, Mouhdi was selected as one of three Rwandans to perform alongside RDDC’s cast of professional American dancers at the East African Nights of Tolerance Festival in Kigali.

Mouhdi is now working as a part-time instructor in RDDC’s IT program at FidesCo in order to raise money to send his little brother to school.  When not busy at university or at FidesCo, Mouhdi continues to develop his hip hop and contemporary dance abilities.

Claude Gakimanyi

Claude, the older brother of Passy, is an intelligent young boy who lives in Nyamirambo , a section of Kigali.  Claude has three other siblings that each struggle to survive in an unstable home environment.  Claude’s mother tries each day to do small jobs to support her children, but there is not always enough food to feed them.

Claude moved to a shelter supported by another NGO along with Passy several years ago.  There, life temporarily improved and Claude went to primary school.  However, after some time, the NGO went through financial difficulties and closed the shelter.  Claude went back to live with his mother, but there was no money available to pay his school fees or provide for his basic needs.

In late 2010, RDDC found enough support to send Claude to a boarding school.  He started in secondary school and began putting his life together.  Claude is a hip dancer with Kids of Unity and aspires to become a doctor one day.

RDDC is currently looking for underwriters to support his 2014 school fees.

Passy Gakimane

Passy’s formal name is Pacifique, but he is known all over Kigali as “Passy” because he is one of the best local hip hop dancers.  Now, he is 14 years old, but he has been dancing at special events throughout Rwanda since the age of 8.  He is a completely self-taught hip hop dancer and only started learning contemporary dance with RDDC four years ago.

Unfortunately, Passy’s talent has not been enough to stabilize a safe, secure lifestyle.  He is one of four brothers that lived with a struggling mother before being forced onto the street to search for food.  He briefly lived in the shelter of another NGO in Kigali, but one night in 2009, the entire organization was shut down due to mismanagement and he found himself back on the street.

RDDC was able to sponsor Passy to go back to school in late 2010.  He now ranks as the eighth highest student in his entire class, excelling in all subjects and especially in Social Studies.

Passy will go to high school next year and we are currently looking for a group of people to sponsor his secondary education.  His tuition fees are approximately $1,600/year, or $4.38/day.

Please help us continue to give this gifted boy a chance to become educated so he can use his artistic talent wisely.

Sonrise Boarding School

Patrick received sponsorship in January 2013 to go to school.  He moved from the rehabilitation center in Kigali to Sonrise Boarding School, where he is enrolled in primary school (Grade 3).  The Sonrise teachers are already saying that Patrick is the most intelligent student yet to come from the street to their school.

When Patrick Bihoyiki arrived at the school on January 7^th, he said: “Can you please explain what is happening now to me? This is a miracle.” 

Read RDDC Country Director Eugene Dushime’s blog about Patrick going to school for the first time: http://rebeccadavisdance.com/2013/02/four-former-street-children-go-to-school/

Read Patrick’s story.

Emmy Turikumwe

In Emmy’s words…

“I am the second oldest child in my family.  I am now 22 years old, but I still have not finished high school.  I live in Rugerero, Gisenyi in Rwanda.

Boarding school would help me study much better because I wouldn’t have to worry about all the other problems of my family.  When I grow up, I will support my family.  Thank you so much.”

The Story of Emmy…

Emmy is a student from RDDC’s program in Rugerero, Gisenyi, which is in the northern province of Rwanda.  He lives in a poor family which works the fields daily in order to find a means to survive.  Although the annual Rugerero program has over 120 participating children, Emmy stood out as a leader.  Rebecca Davis describes him in this way:

“I have taught hundreds of children around the world, but rarely can I remember noticing a young male who is a silent leader.  I use the word silent because he rarely speaks – either with his peers, the younger students or even the teaching team – but his actions command the respect of the entire group.  The children naturally see Emmy as a role model, father and leader.  As a teacher, I see him as my peer.”

In 2012, Emmy’s family no longer had enough money to pay for the minimal school fees that are required in public secondary school in Rwanda – approximately $50 USD per year.  Emmy approached RDDC and asked if there was any way we could find a sponsor for him to continue to go to school.  RDDC underwrote his fees of $50 in 2012.

In 2013, Emmy’s situation worsened: he could only continue his education if he attended a boarding school in Rugerero – meaning paying fees of $450 per year.  Emmy has only three years left to complete his high school education, but the only schooling option available to him is a boarding school at this higher cost.  RDDC is hoping to find a group of people who would be willing to share their passion for education and love of life in order to give Emmy the chance to go to school for three more years and earn a high school diploma.  He would be the first person in his family to ever do so.

Christian Ntaganda

Christian Ntaganda is 19 years old, but due to the genocide and the poverty of his surviving family members, Christian has not finished high school.  Rebecca Davis met Christian on her first trip to Rwanda, back in 2008.  Since then, RDDC has seen this young man struggle to find a way to use his talent for hip hop dancing to fund the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, clothing and education.

Christian is the fourth of seven siblings, all of whom are boys except one.  He has suffered from malaria and malnutrition for most of his life – although you would never guess that when you watch him dance.

This young man is exactly the type of student that RDDC hopes will have a chance to advance his own life if he becomes educated.  By putting a child in school, he has a safe place to live and is getting food each day.  Giving him an education is the best long-term solution of getting him out of the Rwandan slums.

Rebecca asked Christian if he wanted to go to boarding school in 2009:  “Of course, but it’s impossible to afford the school fees,” was his immediate response.  Rebecca and a Dutch volunteer, Celesta Duivenvoorde, agreed to uses their own resources to help raise the money to put Christian in school and give him a place where he could start to stabilize his health and his life.  Christian officially started school in February 2010.

Now, Christian is within reach of finishing high school and has become an assistant dance teacher for the younger boys studying dance at FidesCo in Kigali.

Video Clips:

Christian & Kids of Unity performing hip hop:

December 30, 2009 – Kigali, Rwanda

Read more about Christian at Broad Street Review.

Manishimwe

I was born in the Musanze district of the Northern Province in Rwanda. I am 14 years old and I went onto the streets when I was 10 years old. I have never seen or known my father. My mother was chased out by her family when she had me as a child because my father was not present. Her family thought the boy was a bastard. My mother tried to go to the family of my father, but they also chased her away. Nonetheless, I was left there with my father’s family.
Some years ago, my mother got married to another man. During the same time, I lived with my daddy’s family. They treated me so badly; they didn’t feed me like a regular child. That is why I decided to go to the streets. On the street, I used to take drugs, but now I stopped thanks to FidesCo.

I dream about science every day. I hope that I will become a scientist and discover a sophisticated laptop that can be able to predict the future. I was so interested in what Rebecca and Eugene taught us about satellites, planets, galaxies, the sun and the stars. I wish I could get a chance to keep learning about that stuff. I can’t spend a moment without designing or drawing stars on the ground or on pieces of paper trying to think what Rebecca told us. I still have so many more questions about the Universe and the Solar System. How will I find the answers to these questions if I am living on the street?”