Meet the Students: Christine

“I want them to learn that if they believe they can achieve.”

—Christine Umurangamirwa, Hospitality Management, Class of 2015

In life, there is nothing quite as good as being the first-born and to be given a good name. It makes you feel proud of yourself. I was born in Burundi while my family was in exile. Fortunately my parents survived and are still alive.

We were many, so when I was six years old, my mother took me to my aunt, who could help pay my school fees. My aunt raised me from age six and really took good care of me. She has remained my role model. She showed me love and taught me how to be successful. She paid all my school fees even though she had four other kids. It was really hard by the time I got to secondary school, and I almost stopped my studies. But she really loved me and I used to tell her everything about myself and always wanted to prove to her that she was not educating me for nothing. She ensured that I studied all the way to secondary school.

Akilah students should always respect themselves, for they are the future women of our country.

I joined Akilah in 2012 and my dreams started coming true. I realized that believing is achieving. I used to be shy but after arriving at Akilah I started to gain self-confidence. I have gained skills that will help me reach my full potential. For example, I have built time management skills and the ability to trust myself and prioritize my work. I have come to value responsibility and to accept that we learn by mistake. I now take risks without fear of failure, for when you fail it does not mean that it is the end of the world. Akilah is a bridge to tomorrow’s success. It is not just a school. At Akilah we are one, even though we came from different areas and have different pasts.

In ten years I want to start an institute like Akilah that empowers young ladies who have many dreams for themselves but have similar pasts to mine. I want them to learn that if they believe they can achieve. It would be a way to expand the seeds of love through sharing, helping others, and having empathy.

I now take risks without fear of failure, for when you fail it does not mean that it is the end of the world.

My advice to young Akilah students is to have a vision for what they want to become and work hard at it. They should always respect themselves, for they are the future women of our country. Akilah is teaching the whole country because to teach a woman is to teach a nation.

If you wish to support an Akilah student like Christine, please visit our donate page.