Started from the bottom, now we’re here, said Drake.

I know many bold men and women out there who could probably relate to this song and Dr. Edwin Sabuhoro is one of them.
Today, I’m truly humbled to share his story with you on my blog.
I usually use social media and one evening, I was on Facebook watching, reading, enjoying and most importantly learning from different posts when I suddenly saw one post which caught all my attention:

“I’m proud of you my dear friend, colleague, and mentor. This is a remarkable story of how a Rwandan village boy beats the odds to rise and soar like an eagle. Your story will be an inspiration to many.
Hard work, focus, and determination can open doors. Congratulations Dr. SABUHORO.”

The post was from Carmen Nibigira, a Burundian lady who inspires me to always aiming high as a woman. So, I had to read.

And guess what I learned from the famous story…

The family of Dr. Edwin Sabuhoro has known the hardships of living in a Refugee Camp. From Rwanda, his family run away from the 1959 atrocities and took refuge in Uganda’s Nakivale Refugee Camp. Facing many odds, his father relocated to DRC to fend for his family, and later on back to Uganda following an attack that almost claimed his life in the DRC.

During the 1970s, there were killings caused by Idi Amin Dada famously known as The Last King of Scotland, and his family had to run away again. This time to the unknown. Just like everyone else running away from the killers, they had to run. Sabuhoro was barely 2 years old. Still breastfeeding, his mother struggled to run, hide with a baby crying all the way. After a long walk seeking refugee, Sabuhoro was malnourished and the family decided it was better to throw him in a river than to see him die in their hands.

His cousin and his grandma decided to wait for the next river. They couldn’t fathom the idea of throwing their own in a river. Filled with tears, they simply waited for the second river. Barely a few steps ahead, was a UNHCR truck which saved the little boy from getting thrown into the river.

These are only a few words I could use to describe how “hard” was the life of Edwin and his family during this time. Yes… Just a few words compared to all the hardships he went through.

Edwin’s mother who didn’t get the chance of studying ( She found herself being held a hostage of being born a girl to an illiterate father and as such, she had to drop out of school ) , believed wholeheartedly in education and tried all she could to make sure her children get some education. No matter how poor they were, she fought. She simply refused to give up. She truly did her best.

One evening, Edwin was frustrated with their conditions of having to drop out of school due to lack of school fees, and not going to the best schools even when they had the best grades…When his mother saw that, she told him:

“Son, we are materially and financially poor but emotionally and spiritually rich. I want you to go to school as a poor woman’s son and make me proud. I may not be there tomorrow, but I know you will study, get a degree, a master’s degree like your Dad and even a Ph.D.”

Edwin laughed at her, that night. He couldn’t believe he would even get a high school degree because her mother was selling everything they had to get her children’s school fees (By the same time, Edwin’s father had decided to go in Zaire ( DRC) and try life.

In form two of secondary school, Edwin was chased out of school and was sent home for school fees. His mother had no money, and she wasn’t able to keep all her 3 boys in school anymore….she decided to break the bad news to Edwin ;

“Son, I hate to tell you this, but you and your brother have to drop out of school.”

Edwin who was brilliant and who was among the best students with good grades in his class refused to quit school and stay home.

He decided to walk back to school with no school fees. He requested the school administration to give him a month and promised them that his mother would come and pay; knowing well she wouldn’t. He had a deep hunger for education and he was ready to do everything to get it.
After a month, he was chased out of school. After a week of despair, he decided to go back to school again. He entered school illegally and stayed without access to meals.

But this time, he had a crazy and ambitious idea: To run for the position of an assistant Head Prefect.
If he became one, then no one would chase him out of school. He negotiated with the school administration to allow him to stand.

The headmaster called him into his office one day, and simply looked at him in dismay and this is what he had to say:

“Gentleman, do you know that you are in school illegally and you don’t have any right to stand for any student leadership position? So, get out of my office and get out of my school.”

He left his office but didn’t leave his school. He felt that it was his school too and he was not going to leave. That’s all he had and he knew that was the only way he could beat the odds.
After two days, he requested him for an appointment and after many attempts, he finally got the appointment.

It’s amazing how Edwin was persistent!! Resilience means everything…

He told him all his story and asked him a chance to campaign for the position of the assistant head Prefect.

His argument was that even poor students who can’t raise school fees deserve an opportunity to study.
“If you chase us, where do you want us to go? We have nowhere to go” School is our solace and it’s all we have. His tears were flowing!

That caught the headmaster’s attention and he allowed him to stay and campaign freely. He campaigned against four other students who were more fortunate and who had put a lot of money into the campaigns, but he won the elections. As a student leader, he didn’t have to worry about paying school fees on time or being chased out of school again.

Because of his outstanding determination, Edwin made his mother’s wish come true: He got his law degree, his master’s degree, and his Ph.D. as well. Today, he is Dr. Edwin Sabuhoro, in the Parks, Recreations and Tourism Management and his research is centered around Integrated Mountain Gorilla Conservation and Community Development.

After having read his story, I have reached out and Dr Sabuhoro has not only allowed me to share his story on my blog, but he also accepted to answer some of my questions:

I.

Darlene: Dr Edwin, what are your beliefs and convictions about Girl’s Education and Women Empowerment, as a man born from a mother who had the hunger to further her education and as a man living in Rwanda, a country which is ranked the highest country in the world with most women in Parliament as of January 2017 ( from Africa News).

Edwin: Educating a girl is educating a family, a community, and a nation. Once educated, they will get anything done. As Margaret Thatcher once said, if you want anything done, ask a woman. Now, if that woman is educated, she will get a lot more done. I always wonder if my mother was educated, she would have done a lot more in our little village. Regarding women empowerment, as men, we simply can not do anything without women by our ide. As Muhamad Ali once said, no struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men.

II.

Darlene: As we can see it on your LinkedIn and Twitter Accounts, you’ve got many recognitions and you’ve made many achievements until today such as Minister’s Award of excellence in 2004, International Ecotourism Club – Eco – Club Project of the year 2007, The Royal Belum Inaugural Award Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia in 2007, Meeting President Obama in 2010, 2015 CNN Hero,….among others.

Besides the dream you had of getting a Ph.D., do you still have a dream, an accomplishment/ achievement you haven’t realized yet, that you would like to realize one day? If yes, what’s this dream?

Edwin: I have a dream of building a free library and a mentorship center in Kinigi, Musanze for young people (youths) who are less fortunate, where they can get books to read, a computer to use and a place where they can meet to socialize, exchange ideas, network, and most importantly play. I believe in mentoring young people. I want to show young people that you can be who you want to be. Everything is possible, and nothing is impossible. Experience has taught me that, and I like to share that with those who have less hope in themselves.

III.

Darlene: Any message to African youth?

Edwin: Well, it was hard. It was tough. There were times I doubted whether I would make it. There were times when I wanted to quit. But I refused to give up. I focused on my dreams and kept my eyes on my destination for I was hungry for the best and for who I wanted to be. I refused to let any situation define and stop me. I hoped, believed and remained ready to receive the blessings.

With that being said, may the African youth know that Journey to SUCCESS is most of the time full of fears and hopes, ups and downs, discouragements and setbacks, laughter and tears.

It was not easy for “ME” and it has never been easy for many others, by the way.

But, guess what, at the end of it all, IT IS ALWAYS WORTH THE FIGHT.

 

Darlene KEZA.