I’m really more than excited by the idea of sharing Aristide’s story with you.

Previously, I wrote an article on SBS blog telling you how I fought to study the field I was passionate about. Two years after my graduation from University, I’m actually founder of SBS, a Burundian communication agency. I founded it one year ago, but speaking quite frankly, my company doesn’t generate many income activities, yet.

Aristide Muco is a camera operator, editor, film maker, photographer but also a Burundian CEO of Wide Communications, one of those bold people who inspire me beyond words. Through his story, I can believe that one day, I shall prosper meaningfully in my business communication just like he did. For success is a journey, not a destination.

 

I remember I was in the room , among the assembly, on the day of his thesis. Just like me, he did Communication Sciences, Audiovisual Department at Bujumbura Light University. I was there because I’ve always been told he was so brilliant in Audiovisual domain.

“Whoever wants to make a perfect documentary film on his thesis should work with Aristide Muco”, used to say some of my classmates.

” Intore, between a dance and art of war” was the title of the documentary film he produced for his thesis. The film was in French. Intore is a Burundian traditional dance which was used by Burundian warriors to celebrate some victories in Burundi. For instance, the warriors of the ancient king of Burundi, Ntare Rugamba, used to practice this dance when they won a war over their enemies.

Ntare Rugamba was the king of Burundi from 1796 to 1850. He achieved the great expansion in the history of Burundi, doubling the territory.

To make this documentary film credible, Aristide spent 18 months working on it, at the up country, in a region called Bwambarangwe where this dance took its origins. He made there, deep researches, and interviewed old dancers about the origins of this dance. We could see some pictures from 1908 in this documentary.

From this film, I learnt a lot about our culture and our tradition that day. Later on, I learnt that this film was nominated “Best Film of the year 2013” by the International Festival of documentaries film in Burundi.

 

I will give everything to work with him in all the series of videos I plan to make at SBS. For the only one reason: His passion and performance in what he’s doing and the perfect quality of the services he offers to his customers. By the way, while talking about videos, the first video of SBS Talk is coming soon and Aristide is surely the one I have to work with as a film maker and camera operator.

However, he has a special coworker also very brilliant in terms of film director of documentaries film : Her wife Francine Munyana.

So, we made an appointment to talk about this project. After having debated intensively about the project and after having submitted to them my scenario of the film, I have just kidded them: “I hope one day I will be able to gain enough money from my passion so that I can also buy a beautiful Allion car like yours. Why not?”

Aristide took a deep breath and told me:

Listen my dear, if I have fought to live from my passion and if I have succeeded on it, I think everyone can make it if he’s willing to. Here’s my story….I wish it encourages you on your projects…

“I was born in 1985 in this eastern region of Burundi called Karuzi. In my early childhood, I was this little boy who was manipulating all the technical stuff, around him. Don’t get me wrong, it was not about being boisterous because I was able to fix some damaged materials on my way. It was definitely a passion for me.

Never blow off or under estimate the flame of your passion. Probably, those were the first signs that showed I was going to become “the man behind camera.”….

This has even pushed me to choose a technical school after my first part of secondary school. By the way, at this time, I had been given a gift of a little camera and during my free time, I was just enjoying my passion, spending time taking good pictures for my own pleasure.

For instance, I used to go to some friend’s birthday and took pictures or recording videos of the party. Not for money. But for passion. I think it is at this moment I’ve realized the reason for which I’ve been created: ” Definitely, to be this man behind camera”.

When people saw what I was doing , they began to tell me: “Can you cover for us our familial party?”

I was like: “It is not a business.” They insisted on that, asking me if I could take pictures or produce some videos for their dowry, wedding or birthday parties. And I was already running a business by then. A business I’ve never planed or calculated to do before.

Coming back to my studies, I got disappointed. I was expecting to learn more about all the technical skills needed even those we need to be a perfect camera operator. So, I remained hunger about my passion and I had to find a school where I could learn that.

Some of my friends just told me that at Bujumbura Light University, was a field of Audiovisual Department where I could get knowledge of what I was seeking for. When I got there, I just realized that this was the perfect place for me. I was satisfied either by theoretical and practical courses I was learning at University.

Because of the business I was running, I had built a good reputation around me but I wasn’t aware of that. That’s why I’m telling you: “Do what you love. Do it perfectly and money will follow”. When I was still at University, came in Burundi a foreigner who wanted to start a business in Audiovisual domain. He came to see me and told me: ” I’ve been told that if I want to produce good videos, I have to work with you.” I was really impressed and surprised but I had to make some researches and work hard to be able to use his materials. In fact, I’ve never used them before. It was the first time I was seeing those cameras.

I was student but I was making more money at time, little by little.

Meanwhile, without being pretentious, I was grateful as graduated student in Audiovisual Department because the film I presented on my thesis really got a kind of success I didn’t expect at all. It has been nominated “Best film of the year 2013” by the International Festival of documentaries film in Burundi. After that, the film was also nominated to compete at the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou. It was such an honor.

“Intore, between the dance of art and war”, is a film I made because I wanted to investigate about this dance. I love Burundian culture and tradition. So, I wanted to promote our culture through my documentary film. We have to keep on our tradition and culture. The French writer Milan Kundera said it well: “The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory, destroy its books, its culture, its history.”

After all these good adventures, I had to deal with a very hard situation in my life. After my graduation at University, I was recommended by the University to pass hiring exams at some NGOs. I succeeded on all of them. My family was happy for me: “May God be praised for such prestigious jobs”. They told me. I was confronted to a very painful situation: ” Disappointing my family or disappointing myself “, I had to choose among the two.

After spending weeks thinking about it, I decided to go on with my career. In fact, I’ve never imagined myself spending a whole day working in an office, wearing beautiful suits, giving reports to my superiors, etc… This was not the kind of life I was dreaming about and I was not fiting in these jobs because it wasn’t totally about audiovisual domain.

So, I had to work hard and succeed with my career because I had to get enough money by the way, to cover all my needs for my everyday life. That’s why it was even nonsense to reject those jobs on my family eyes.

By the same time, the Menya Menya Studio, a communication agency, requested me to be the responsible of their video studio. I accepted the offer and It was the most beautiful journey because from there, I fell in love with a brilliant and awesome lady who became my spouse later on. It is a such a great thing to work together, to have same passion and vision. In fact, we knew each other since University.

Later on, we founded our own communication agency, Wide Communications, we were 3 partners, my wife included but it was before we got married. In the first time, we focused about how to market our abilities, our services and actually we have signed contracts with many companies, and the NGO’s I’ve talked about among others. From my passion, I really live. It’s possible to get enough money from your passion. I testify. All you need is to know your passion first, write down your vision about your passion and the strategies you need to reach your vision. And of course, working hard to make your vision happen.

Beside that, we’re dreaming big about our communication agency for the sky ain’t the limit for us.”

Wow!!! After such an amazing speech, I hadn’t really nothing to add. I was simply touched. Encouraged! From my passion of Communication, I was determined to run my extra miles so as to reach this star called “SUCCESS” one day. But I couldn’t leave the place of course without asking them this question:

“If it happens your children have some passions you are not expecting them to have, what will you do”?

Her wife, Francine, kindly answered: ” You know , actually in our country, things have really changed. Parents tend to understand that who finds his passion really finds gold. It’s like fuel and energy to our life. I think that someone who came so far like my husband, can’t refuse his children to follow their passion. Our duty as parents, will be to provide for them some tools and advices they will need, to discover their passion and show them how they can work for it.”

 

What I learnt from Aristides’s story is we can really live from our passion. Hardwork always pays. But also, I learnt that love is not only about looking each other in the eyes.

It’s more than that. It’s also looking in the same direction, it is having same vision, sharing dreams and supporting each other on your daily work. You don’t need to have necessarily the same job like Francine and Aristide, but everyone needs a partner who will support her/ him on her or his journey. That’s crucial.

 

Darlène KEZA.