Innocent

21 Years Old
Lives in Boneza, Rwanda
Student at Kivu Hills Academy

Innocent is a 20 year old student at Kivu Hills Academy and is the last born of 3 siblings. Losing his mother at just five years old, Innocent was raised primarily by his father. Innocent explains that his single father struggled to take care of the family as work was scarce and often desperate. Often times selling firewood was the only way to make ends meet. However, Innocent’s older brother has provided some support with school fees.

Innocent says that he sometimes stays away from his home due to a lack of peace. He explains that life felt okay until his father brought home their stepmother, who is against their education and expects their father to refuse all school fees. These conflicting loyalties in the family lead to fights between the father and stepmother. This unstable environment often hinders Innocent’s educational progress.

When Innocent joined Kivu Hills Academy, he could hardly speak a sentence in English. He can now comfortably speak the language and even guides tours of the campus to visitors from English speaking countries. This is a skill that not only helped Innocent build his confidence, but has also helped him win jobs to manage his school expenses. Innocent aspires to be a Civil Engineer, completing his work with honesty and discipline as he was taught at school.