Jean Damascene

I was born in 1992.  My mother is Syphose Mukarugumwa, but I don’t know my father.

When my mother died, I was taken to the south of the country to live with my grandmother.  There, I started to study, but life in the rural area was hard.  I decided to become a street kid, which was also difficult because I didn’t have any place to sleep.

After a long period of time, FIDESCO came and took me from the street along with some other children.  They gave us the opportunity to return to school.  Now, I am in the fifth level/grade of high school, Senior Five.  I am studying math, economics and geography.

Even now, life is very hard.  I left FIDESCO and I am trying to find a job in order to pay for food and a place to sleep until I go back to school.

This is the short story of my life.