Patrick Mazimpaka

I was born in 1990 into a family with three children.  My father died in the genocide, and I lived with my mother thereafter.

My mother re-married in 1997, but my step-father would not accept me as their child and he would beat me.  I tried to do lots of small jobs to help the family, but still my step-father said that I did nothing.  It was hard for my mother to see this happen to me, and had high-blood pressure and went to the hospital.
The doctors could not help her and they sent her back home even though she was still sick.  I did not like to watch my mother suffer, and I started to live on the streets.  Then, I was told that my mother died.  It was late in the night and I waited until the morning when I could return home.  When I got there, I was told my mother was already buried.  I told myself to be strong.  I was 13 years old and I had to be a man.

Then, I went to go live with my aunt along with my sister and my younger brother.  That life was quite difficult and I could not always study.  They made us do lots of work and tell us “this is not your home.”  I found myself at peace with everyone outside, but our life at home was filled with tension because lots of children lived there together.

Then, I was connected to FIDESCO and they paid my school fees.  I finished primary school and went to high school.  When I finished my third year of secondary school, I went to vocational school and now I am studying construction.

I used to have a girlfriend.  After work, I was walking with my girlfriend one night and a policeman stopped us.  He said that I wanted to rape the girl and he took me to prison.  I stayed there a long time.  Then, I went to court and won the case because the policeman had lied.  They took the girl to the hospital and found out she was a virgin.

I want to continue to increase my knowledge of everything.  I want to go to university.  I would like to become a role model for others.  I would like to become committed to everything I pursue because that is important in life and to me.  I hope people around the world will visit this site and read about our lives in Rwanda today.