Leadership Story
As it is quoted in the African proverbs, do not look where you fell, but where you slipped. To the world, their names mean nothing but to me they are extraordinary parents, who helped shape my life. From elementary school to the university, they struggled alike through hard and dangerous times. Always giving, working, loving, supporting, encouraging and most of all, believing in those they loved, suffering among them a physical affliction, poverty, loneliness, and heartache, they did more than their duties, they did what they expected of themselves a standard far above what others would have set. Defeated many times but never destroyed, they saved their tears and doubts of private moments, in adversity, they gave dignity to life, beauty to love, value, value to compassion, and worthiness to ambition. Though they are at home, always follow their words of instructions.
It was in January 2005 when I started primary school. This time I was 9 years old guess what, I did not have a chance to study pre-school because they were not available to my community. Whenever I wanted to start school my parents could tell me that I will go to school when I am mature enough. When I started school I was the oldest person in the class. Even being in a kid's class encouraged me to work hard and get promoted to the next class. And the people with whom I grew up were all ahead of my class. I worked very hard and every term my first position was the top three and the spirit persisted. I didn't repeat class in the first place.
Moving forward, I was taken to a boarding school. Here was my parents' advice. My son, you are going to school where you will have no parents, relatives and people you grew up with, now hear what we expect from you is to go and study hard and always aim higher. Father said.? I went to school and worked hard and my spirit continued to come in the top five performers. I was so friendly to almost all my teachers and students as well. When I finished my three years of ordinary level I passed national exams excellently and my guardian? awarded me to go to one of the best schools in Rwanda called King David Academy. Reaching the school spirit of working hard in class continued. However, I was challenged by the English language because my former school was francophone and now I'm joining an Anglophone school. And among the punishments imposed on vernacular speakers was charging them 1000 RWF every single time they are caught speaking the prohibited language. Also, giving them sucks, vernacular t-shirts and disks to hold whenever you speak vernacular in the dormitory.?
The school had students from Burundi and DRC where French was their official language but the school was not concerned with school background of any, instead they could make irregular follow up to the vernacular speakers so that they can promote English speaking in school. Headmaster said. One day? I was found in a group of people who were speaking vernacular and immediately we were reported to the disciplinary committee and everyone was asked to explain why they were using the local language. Unfortunately, I failed to defend myself in English. I mixed English with French and they considered me to have been a person speaking in vernacular. I was charged money and served a punishment? to be forgiven. This was the problem shared in common to every student whose background was francophone school.
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After I saw that I was suffering all the consequences and raising pain to my Guardian for paying unexpected money for vernacular, I decided to be away from the people who know the local language and requested international students who knew English to give me support in English and have a constant conversation with them. It was one way I used and saved me from serving punishment every day and lifted my academic performance as well. I addressed my strategy to some of the students who were passing in hardships as mine and eventually they came to learn from my methods and helped them to move forward. Besides that, the school realized that charging money for vernacular speakers was not the perfect way to improve English speaking culture, instead they are punishing the parents.
They implemented different clubs and training for English that were so helpful to the majority including myself and in the short run, the school started witnessing changes and improvement as well. Also, the school administration introduced punishments to vernacular speakers that were immediately to punish them when they were caught using prohibited language. Moreover, the punishment implemented was there to pain vernacular speakers themselves and do their best to improve. I believe, supporting each other is what school needs to prosper and develop, no progress without teamwork with love and commitment to help one another.??
Lessons learned from the Story