Claudette Duhirwe Gashore's story:

Claudette, who is 23, is currently living with her brother and his family in Kigali. One day, she hopes to be reunited with her mother, who lives in the Northern Province. Now, she is pursuing a diploma in Hospitality Management at The Akilah Institute for Women in Kigali, Rwanda. She will soon complete the first year of Akilah’s 2-year program.

Only a child during the genocide, Claudette lost her father. Her mother was severely traumatized by the events of 1994. Growing up, Claudette was unable to grasp what her mother was going through. “I didn’t even know the value of my mom. She was not able to care for me. It was a big problem,” Claudette says of growing up. “I lived dependent on my sister. She paid my school fees.”

After secondary school, Claudette sought out any job she could get. She finally landed one, teaching mathematics and physics in her village. Although she working, she was not thinking of life after tomorrow. “I wasn’t looking to the future,” she said.

Claudette then heard of Akilah. Up until this point, she attended only single gender schools, so Akilah seemed perfect. Claudette says that her time here has forever changed her life. “Akilah changed my attitude. Before Akilah, I didn’t care about anyone. I lived alone, I had to do everything alone. I didn’t care about anyone,” she says of life before Akilah. But now, Claudette is changing her outlook on life. “I am improving on that attitude. Because of hospitality, I learned how to have a better attitude and care for others.” Claudette compares who she was last year to who she is now, stating that today, she has learned to respect others and have a more positive outlook on life. “Before, I didn’t feel loved. I did everything alone. Even if Akilah can’t give me material things, it gives me advice.” And Claudette seems to take this advice seriously. She lives everyday guided by three rules: to be strong, to live your life, and to focus on the future.

Claudette is now able to understand issues she could not fully comprehend while growing up. Today, she understands the trauma that weighs down her mother, and she understands the burdens that come with it. “I know the value of my mom, even if she has these problems. She is a human being,” Claudette now says of her mother, looking at the situation with a new perspective. “Before, I thought she was foolish- she didn’t care about us. Now I understand that even though she has these problems, I plan to care for her, to show her that she has a daughter who cares. My other siblings are not doing that.”

Claudette has achieved a great deal at Akilah. Her success in her internship at Heaven restaurant led to job there. “It’s changed me a lot,” she says of her time at Akilah. “It helped me get a job, so I can pay for school fees and come to study, which is very important.”

One day, Claudette hopes to own her own clothing business. But before that, she wishes to find a job in the hotel industry. “I want to practice what I’ve learned,” she says. With this, she aims to save enough in order to help her family.

“Akilah helps me know who I am and what I want in life,” she stated. “It gives me meaning. Through Akilah, I got to know how to have a vision.” And a vision is exactly what Claudette has. “I want to live with my mom,” she says, discussing her future ambitions and dreams of reuniting with her family. “My mom has many problems because of genocide. I want to give her care, to show her it’s not the end of life. I want to show them love… to show them that we must enjoy life”

Claudette believes that Akilah has helped her enormously. Her favorite class at school is Conflict Resolution, where she has learned valuable lessons. “Through Conflict Resolution, I saw how a simple argument can cause conflict. This helps in daily life and communication.”  Claudette credits her communication skills to Akilah, saying, “Akilah taught me how to be open, to understand the world and how to communicate in difficult situations.”

Today, Claudette’s approach to life has completely changed. Rather than lacking hope, Claudette is full of hope. “Before, I didn’t care about living. But now, I want to life for my future. I know what I’m going to do in order to get a good life.”