Jeanine

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

Jeanine is 24 years old and studies Construction at Kivu Hills Academy. Jeanine says she is very grateful to God for the opportunity to study at Kivu Hills Academy. Her father is a carpenter and her mother is a porter at construction sites in addition to subsistence farming. With her parents’ meager earnings she had never thought about attending a school like Kivu Hills Academy. Jeanine is very proud that she will soon graduate with plenty of skills and values that will help her thrive in the world.

Jeanine excitedly states that Kivu Hills Academy has shaped her in a way she had never thought possible. She has gained construction skills that she believes many peers would also love to acquire, and she feel fortunate. When she goes back home during the holidays she is able to find jobs at construction sites while most of her peers loiter around the community with no skills to earn them money. In addition to her construction skills, Jeanine has been equipped with many personal values that she believes will enhance the rest of her life.

Jeanine confesses that Kivu Hills Academy has played a big role in demonstrating that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and that there is nothing possible without God. She says that her entire life and all her education “can only amount to something good after letting God take the wheel”.

While at Kivu Hills Academy, Jeanine has been exposed to many opportunities that she feels have led to defining moments in her life. The female motivational speakers that have visited the school helped her realize her worth and strength as a woman. She admits that she suffered with low self-esteem for a long time but now she knows her value and has gained confidence. Jeanine also received an opportunity to visit Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, for the first time ever. While there, she visited the Gisozi Genocide Memorial site, the fallen former Rwanda President’s home, the historical King’s Palace, and many other places that brought Rwandan history and culture to life. Before visiting these sites, Jeanine had only heard stories of her country’s history. She now has a deepened pride for the place she calls home.