My journey from Rwanda to UVic and the UN

I was born in Rwanda, and at the age of seven I experienced the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Without the care and guidance of an adult, I escaped death by walking day and night with my two younger brothers. For over half of my life I lived in a refugee camp in Uganda characterized by food shortages, lack of drinking water and violence. I was unable to envision a future where these basic needs were not the central focus of my life.

At the age of 17, with the help of a Canadian family from the UN Refugee Agency, I was one of three students in Uganda who received a scholarship for the United World Colleges. I came to Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific in Victoria. Upon graduation, at the age of 20, I wrote a letter to myself that I would read in 10 years stating my intention to be working for the United Nations. I shared this dream with Nigel Fisher, who was the UNICEF Canada President and CEO at the time.

From Pearson College I transferred to UVic's School of Child and Youth Care and began to volunteer at UNICEF. Today, as a fourth-year student, I am beginning to merge my life experiences with an academic understanding of conflict and international development. Working for UNICEF—first as a volunteer and now officially appointed as Canada's youth representative—my role is to support UNICEF in its efforts to bring resources to vulnerable children.

From August 4–6, I participated by invitation in the seventh annual Youth Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York. Over 600 youth leadership delegates (15–24 years old) from 25 countries attended this inspirational event, "Tomorrow's Leaders Today." It provided background and practical skills on the global campaigns related to the UN Millennium Development Goals aimed at universal primary education, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and reducing child mortality.

Attending the youth assembly at the UN was a pivotal moment for me, considering my past life experience and the content of the letter that I wrote to myself. This life-changing event offered me real hope for the future. Having heard talks by senior UN staff, representatives of non-governmental organizations and diplomats from the UN missions, I feel responsibility as a young leader to help achieve these goals by 2015.

With the support of UVic, the School of Child and Youth Care, UNICEF Canada and many caring individuals, I have been introduced to new perspectives and opportunities that will continue to determine my role in helping to solve problems that are affecting children in my community and around the world. My future educational goal is to obtain a master's degree in law and diplomacy. My ultimate dream is to become a UNICEF field officer, so that I can help the most vulnerable children in Africa and particularly in my country of Rwanda. I have six more years to realize the dream that I wrote in the letter to myself.

More information: www.faf.org/unyouthassembly/ya_home.htm and www.unicef.ca