My Life Story By: Sam Byukusenge

I met Sam in November 2014, when he came to Boys Excelling (BE Camp) as a junior facilitator from a fellow PCVs school in the southern province (shoutout to Max!). Sam is now in his last year at university at Livingstone International University of Uganda and has accomplished so much since, including starting his own organization/charity called 'Let Every Child Dream.' He was asked to write and share his life story so the organization he is working for this summer can use it to inspire children in Rwanda. After telling me his story and asking me to help him revise it on paper, I asked him if it would be okay if I shared it on my blog. I'm so proud of all you've accomplished Sam!

My Life Story By: Sam Byukusenge

My two older sisters died with my dad in The Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. In 1995, my mum and I came from Congo. We found and that everything in our home was gone and destroyed so we went and stayed with my cousin. In 1996 my mum got another husband who hated me for no reason. He told my mum that he did not want me in his house, and I never knew the reason why.

Because I was child, my mum sent me to live with my cousin. The problem started when I was beginning school in 2002. However, I never attended nursery school before I started primary school. This is because the husband of my mum bought a goat and I was given the task of taking them to the forest in the morning and afternoon everyday. Everyday he  would beat me so badly that sometimes I even bled because of his strike.

By chance, I joined school in 2002 with one book, half of a pencil, and no shoes-not even bodaboda (plastic shoes). I started to study but I was so hopeless because I was the only student who came without shoes. Sometimes when I went to school there was  no food available or they refused to give me something to eat. My first semester was the worst because I was ranked  56 out of 60 students. It was difficult for me because I started school when I was 10 years old. However to get through this difficult time in my life I prayed and always believed that God was with me every day through my struggles.

In primary three I changed schools because I wasn’t able to pay my school fees at my first school, G.S. Nyanza.This was a huge struggle for me, and I even had to repeat primary two because I lacked the school fees. I transferred to G.S. Kigarama, which was 20 km from where we were stayed. Life was difficult there because it was hard to get something to eat during lunch time. We used to eat monkey’s food in the soldiers (military) camp. I was so disciplined that every day after class at 4pm I had to go and take care of the goat of my home and the cow of our neighbour. My neighbour used to give me a food because sometimes my mum’s husband refused to give me food. I studied at G.S. Kigarama for one year and then dropped out because of my difficult situation. My mum used to tell me I was stupid and I would never finish to school, however every day before I went to bed I prayed to God so that I would finish my studies.

I started a new journey of being a cow and goat boy after I dropped out of school. I used to sleep in the forest and I cried because I was so interested in studying but it was very difficult for me to continue to attend school. However I continued to believe that one day God will create way for me to study again.

One day I woke up and prayed. I said my God let this day be different than the last day. Then that morning while it was raining and I was taking a goat to the forest in a place called Rebero, a car approached me and it stopped. Pastor Emma and Pastor Charles were in that car and asked me for directions. Later, they came back and found me there again and they asked why I was not at school. I told them I was not a student and that I was a cow and goat boy. Pastor Charles asked me to come to Africa New Life so that they could help me go back to school and pay for my school fees.

 The following day I visited Africa New Life, and the next semester I started primary three. Africa New Life payed for my last two years of school, gave me a uniform, and books. I was so happy to start school again. I got a sponsor, Kelly Doreen, when I was in primary four. My performance was good because in primary three I got a 78%. After I got a sponsor  my mum’s husband chased me out of his house and said I am useless because I wasn’t taking his goat into the forest any more. I had to look for another family so that I could continue to study. I went to beg to stay with another family but that family was having a problem of land between the children. I passed primary six but in that family they refused to allow me to go to boarding school, so I had to study in Gikondo. After class I had to come and do a lot of work for the family, including bringing food for their pig.

I passed senior three and I went to Nyaruguru to study in senior four. By the mercy of God I finished high school and joined Livingstone International University, a Christian University in Uganda. After realising what God has done for me throughout my life I said to myself:  let me try to help others. I sat with a few people, including my mentor and I told them about my passion and what was in my heart. We came up with a project to help street kids and children who have special cases. This is what we conclude before we start this project:

As a student at Livingstone International University, I started the project called "Let Every Child Dream." This project came to my mind after experiencing and understanding the critical conditions African children go through. Many of these children are orphans or street kids. Some are single parented while others have both parents. Some are in a state of hopelessness, some have given up on life, and some are patient but still experiencing difficult situations.

It is on this background that I realized that some of these kids don’t have school materials like books, pens, soap, and other basics needs to sustain themselves in school.

The support I received from Africa New Life and my sponsor changed my life, and taught me what can be done to help others. There was a conviction in my heart led by Jesus Christ to start up the project, Let Every Child Dream.

1.Mission: Transform Africa through building humanity in children and giving them a future through helping them and teaching them the world of God.

2. Vision: Partnership heals generations of children living in poverty.

3. Goals:

-Help poor children survive in the future by putting our power together as students at Livingstone.

-Inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

-Achieve what is best for children who had no hope.

James 1:27: Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep one self-unstained from the world.

The purpose of the Let Every Child Dream project is:

§  To visit different places and to share the life and world of God to children who are living in poverty and are fighting to survive.

§  To build the humanity in those children so they can be inspired to build the nation of Rwanda and continent of Africa.

§  As community of Livingstone we can put our power in providing both emotional and materialistic support for those kids. We hope this can bring out the best of their ability just as we can manage, yield to our vision., and mission of the Livingstone University students. 

I was inspired by the book of Jeremiah 51:20, 21 where bible says “you are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms; With you I break in pieces the horse and his rider; with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer.”

I knew my life was hard but God was with me. If it was not for God, I would not be where I am today. The power of God has helped me through my struggles.

My Life Story By: Sam Byukusenge