Seven months after her transfer from Akilah’s Burundi campus to Kigali, Bernadette Niyoyitungira feels at home in Rwanda. Her life and studies were interrupted by conflict in her home country, but Bernadette holds high ambitions for her future.

When continuous political instability forced Akilah to shut down our Burundi campus in April 2015, 44 students were transferred to continue their studies in Kigali. Among them was Bernadette Niyoyitungira. For Bernadette, this was the second time a conflict interrupted her life. The first time was in 1993, when she as a child was hit by a gunshot causing a wound so bad that she lost her leg. This time, conflict made her leave her home and come to Rwanda to finish the education she started at Akilah in Burundi. Conflict or no conflict, Bernadette is determined to build a career for herself and dreams of starting her own business.

New in town

When Bernadette moved to Kigali in September 2015, it was her first time to be in Rwanda. While feeling much safer in Kigali than she had for a long time in Bujumbura, it took time to find her way in a new country where she didn’t know anyone. Today, seven months later, Bernadette has settled into her new life in Kigali, where she lives with Akilah alumnae and staff member Nadine [link to Nadine’s profile], who has taken her in as if she was family.

“It was strange to get here at first. It was my first time in Kigali, and the only person I knew was Nadine. Rwandans are different from what I was used to. Here, people don’t greet each other on the street if they don’t know each other. It was strange to me, and I missed Burundi,” Bernadette explains from one of the classrooms at Akilah’s campus in Kigali.

The friendships and sense of sisterhood among Akilah students helped her to get accustomed to her new life in Kigali.

“I have friends here now, I am comfortable in class. I learn from others and they learn from me. It’s really amazing how comfortable we all are around each other.”

Big dreams

Academically things are going well for Bernadette, who is studying Hospitality Management in her first diploma year at Akilah. Although her accounting class is making her sweat, Bernadette enjoys her major, studying all things customer care and service. This is where she wants to excel and build a career for herself.

“I’m learning how to talk to people in a diplomatic way and create strong relationships. Talking to different people when you work in a hotel demands high communication skills, and I really enjoy it,” says Bernadette, who has big plans for her career after graduating Akilah.

“I want to create my own event planning company. I’ve been doing events like dance performances and parties since I was 13, but more informally I guess. I want to show myself and others that I can do this. You create relationships with your customers, that’s how you build a name and grow your business. They will keep coming back if I do a good job,” says Bernadette who is not yet sure if she will start her business in Burundi or Rwanda.

The many transitions and worries about family members and friends in Burundi have not lowered Bernadette’s ambitions. On the contrary, it is making her even more determined to succeed.

“I want to become a woman who others can look up to. I was born in a poor family, my dad wasn’t able to pay for my school, and I had to ask neighbors and friends to pay for my studies. I have a disability, and people saw me as if I couldn’t do anything for myself. I want to stand up and show people that I can do something for society, just like everyone else. I want to be an example for others with a dream of growing. They can see me and see the change.”