uMwizerwa wa Ngoboka

"I am afraid to tell you who I am, because, if I tell you who I am you may not like it; and it's all I have." John Powell  My answer to this would be that I was never taught to own up and tell people who I really am. To understand this, you will need to understand my culture and where I come from. Rwanda is one of the few countries with a single culture and language. We consider Rwanda as one extended big family. You wouldn't pass by someone without saying hello, even if that person is a total stranger. And of course they will respond with a smile. Parents look after everyone's child, and in general everyone is friendly. Nevertheless, beyond that aura of friendliness lies something else. I like to call Rwandans " hypocrites ", and this is not in a negative way. Rwandans are a reserved people and like their business to be kept secret. At a very young age principles of decorum are drilled in us. When someone says " bite ?" Hi how are you? Yo...

I come from my mother's love and father's sacrifices From my sister's confidence and brother's guidance And from the family diners that brought us closer together I come from the chubby cheeks I had when I was five From the skinned knee when I fell running toward my nanny in kindergarten And from the multiple drawings we colored with my classmates I come from telling strangers the meal we just had From the excitement to learn the lyrics of one West Life song And from the many hide and seek games I played in the neighbourhood I come from going off to boarding school at age thirteen From the fear I had to mingle with my age mates And from the many breakfasts I skipped that same year I come from the Gashora girls sisterhood that bonded us together From the meals I brought to my bunk bed mate when she was struck with Malaria And from the the sleepless nights spent mastering integration by parts I come from grabbing opportunities at any chances From the extr...

I identify as an introvert. This is defined by some as the state of being predominantly interested in one's mental life. The introverted person is totally drained in social situations and in order to refill their energy need to find solitude. On multiple occasions, I found it difficult to bond socially with people. When I was young, I considered it as a curse. I hated myself for this, and at times considered myself as friendless. To cherry tip the cake, I grew up physically faster than kids my age. In grade four, I was slightly taller and way fatter than my classmates. This made me feel bad all day, luckily, I was a day schooler. I could leave all these worries to school and come home to be filled up with family love. To fill up the void of lack of constant human interaction with my classmates, I concentrated on the academics. I excelled. I graduated top of my class in primary, and moved on to secondary school. As I started a new part of my life and education, things got harder....