Everything Under The Sun: Living His Impossible Dream

Friday, January 9, 2015

Living His Impossible Dream

Justin Uwayesu in front of the statue of John Harvard on campus.

From the beginning, life for Justus Uwayesu wasn't easy. By age two, Justus really had no one; his father had been murdered during the Genocide in Rwanda and his mother just disappeared, with the probability that she had met the same fate as her husband.

By the time he was eight years old, Justus was living in a garbage dump, relying on the scraps that the garbage trucks brought in, when he could get them before the pigs did, and living in an abandoned car, with pieces of cardboard for blankets.

Then one day an American woman, Clare Effiong, spotted a group of children from the windows of a taxi in which she was a passenger and stopped. Speaking through an interpretor, Clare asked the children what they wanted. Most said some form of food, clothing, money, except for Justus; he wanted to go to school. So, she decided to take this young boy with a dream and helped to fulfill his wish; he would go to school and she would pay for his needs.

Boy, did Justus take advantage of this opportunity! This was a way up and out of his life of poverty. By the time he graduated from high school, he spoke five languages. He was also outstanding in math and chemistry, to the point that he was one of the students chosen for the BRIDGE2RWANDA SCHOLARS PROGRAM, where he would get preparation to apply for international scholarships. Of course he applied to several colleges and universities in the US.

Then, after all of his hard work, came Justus' acceptance letter - he would be going to Harvard. Immediately, he thought to call the woman whose timely contact helped to propel his journey into education, Clare Effiong, whom he addresses as "Mom". If not for that timely and lucky encounter, who knows what Justus' life would have been? He's a young man with a mission now and a wonderful opportunity. He feels deeply that what has been granted to him was not earned. He took it and made his wonderful chance from it and he plans to complete the circle by giving back to others who find themselves in similar circumstances.