Education is not only about what you learn in classrooms; sometimes it is about the environments that hold you, the people who support you, and the moments that quietly transform your direction when you least expect it.
A JOURNEY THAT STARTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KIGALI
When I came to the University of Kigali in 2024, I honestly didn’t know how much my life was going to change.
I didn’t even feel like I made the decision myself. In many ways, I never really had full control over the choices in my life, so coming here felt like something that was decided for me. But looking back now, I can honestly say that whoever made that decision for me made a good one, because this university ended up changing everything about me how I think, how I see things, and how I understand the world.
I came in 2024 to pursue a law degree. And I do love what I study. I genuinely like law, and I like the direction it gives my mind. But at the same time, life outside academics was not always easy for me.
There were moments when family expectations and pressure became too heavy. Things that had nothing to do with school would sometimes take over my thoughts completely. It reached a point where it started affecting my mental health and even my studies. Slowly, I began losing the passion I had for learning. I went f rom being motivated to study law, to feeling like I didn’t even want to open a book.
There was a time I honestly just wanted peace. I wanted quiet. I wanted to feel free again in my own mind.
But even in that state, I still had to continue. I still had to show up. I still had to come to university every day, sit in class, and act like everything was fine.
And that was one of the hardest parts because on the outside, I was okay. I could laugh with my friends, talk normally, and even smile. But inside, I was not okay. I was carrying a lot that nobody could see. There were days I felt completely overwhelmed, even to the point where I had thoughts I never imagined I would have. Yet I still kept going, because I didn’t feel like I had a choice to stop.
Even simple things became difficult. When my friends would invite me out after class, I would often say no. I would always have an excuse something like I had to go home early or I had responsibilities waiting for me. I didn’t really have the freedom to move around or spend time outside like other students. Most of the time after class, I would just go back home and stay there.
It felt like my world was very small at that time.
But somewhere in all of that, I found something that helped me breathe again writing.
Writing became the only place where I could fully express myself. It became my private space, my escape, my way of dealing with everything I couldn’t say out loud. I would write down my thoughts, my feelings, and everything I was carrying inside. It was like building a small world where I could exist freely, without pressure, without judgment, without anyone controlling how I should feel or think.
That is why when I heard about the reading and writing competition in 2025, something inside me felt drawn to it. It felt like an opportunity to step into something I already loved.
So I joined the Reading and Writing Club at the university. I didn’t overthink it. I just knew I wanted to be part of it.
We prepared for the competition, and on April 4th, we took the exam.
When the results came out, I found out that I was among the winners. I placed 10th out of 20 winners, which already felt like a big achievement for me. I was also the only international student among the winners, and the top performer f rom my university.
I was awarded books, a certificate, and some financial support, and I remember feeling deeply grateful in that moment.
It was one of the first times in a long while that I felt like maybe I was still capable of something good.
And that was just the beginning.
Even after that moment of achievement, life outside academics was still not easy.
There were things happening in my personal life that slowly began to take a heavier toll on me. At first, I tried to manage everything quietly and focus on my studies, but over time it became harder to balance both. The pressure I was carrying outside university started to affect how I showed up in my daily life.
There were moments when I would sit in class physically present, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. I was trying to hold everything together while still keeping up with my studies, but it wasn’t easy.
As time went on, the situation in my personal life became more serious. There were expectations being placed on me that I did not agree with, and I found myself in a position where I had to fight to keep my education and my future f rom being disrupted.
It was not something I could talk about easily at the time. I kept a lot of it to myself, and I tried to act like I was fine even when I wasn’t. But deep down, I knew I was reaching a point where I couldn’t handle it alone anymore.
In July 2025, things reached a turning point.
I remember that day clearly. I was on campus, and I had a conversation with a close friend. I didn’t plan to say everything, but somehow it all came out. For the first time, I spoke honestly about what I was going through instead of trying to carry it alone.
That conversation changed everything.
My friend didn’t ignore it or brush it off. Instead, she encouraged me to seek help within the university. At first, I was unsure, because I didn’t know what would happen or how people would respond. But I was also at a point where staying silent was no longer an option.
So I made the decision to speak to someone in the university.
When I did, I was surprised by how I was received. I was listened to properly. Not rushed. Not dismissed. Just listened to.
That moment gave me something I hadn’t felt in a long time hope that maybe things could actually change.
From there, things started moving quickly. The university stepped in to understand my situation and support me in a more structured way. It was not immediate or easy, but I could see that I was not being left alone anymore.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had people around me who were willing to stand with me, not just academically, but personally as well.
And that became the beginning of a completely different chapter in my life.
After I spoke up and things were understood, I began to see real support f rom the university in a way I hadn’t experienced before.
People f rom the university took time to step in and respond to my situation seriously. It wasn’t rushed or ignored. It was handled with care, and that alone meant a lot to me during a time when I felt like everything in my life was unstable.
With their support, I was able to move into a safer and more stable environment. I was also given guidance and opportunities that helped me continue my education without completely losing my direction. One of those opportunities was an internship within the university, which helped me stay active and focused while also supporting myself in daily life.
Slowly, things started to settle.
I was still studying law, still attending classes, still building my future but this time, I wasn’t doing it in isolation anymore. I had support around me. I had people I could reach out to. I had a structure that helped me keep going even when things felt heavy.
Over time, the University of Kigali became more than just a place of study for me.
It became a place of stability.
A place where I could continue growing, even after everything I had been through. A place where I didn’t just feel like a student, but like someone who was being supported to rebuild her life.
Today, I am still here still studying, still working, still learning how to move forward one step at a time. My life is not perfect, but it is stable in ways I didn’t have before.
And when I look back at everything, I realize something important:
The University of Kigali didn’t only give me education. It gave me space to continue, even when life outside of it was difficult.
It became a turning point in my life not because everything suddenly became easy, but because I was not left to face everything alone anymore.
I came here for an education, but I found something more a place that gave me the strength to continue, the support to stand again, and the space to become who I am still growing into.
What I have experienced here also made me realize something important there are many students who go through challenges quietly, just like I did. Sometimes all it takes is one conversation, one person who listens, or one step to ask for help.
The University of Kigali is not just a place for academics. It is a place where students can find support, guidance, and opportunities to keep going even when things feel difficult. Whether it is through academic staff, student communities, or opportunities like clubs and internships, there is space for students to be heard and supported.
In the end, it was not just about getting an education it was about finding a place that allowed me to keep going when everything else felt uncertain.
