My name is Nishimwe Kenthia, and I am 15 years old. While my father is Burundian, I have lived a life defined by instability, frequent travel, and the relentless hope for belonging.
From a young age, I always wondered: Where are we truly from? One day, unable to contain the curiosity any longer, I asked my mother, Bernadette Niyonzima. She paused, took my hand, and explained:
“My daughter, I had you in Burundi at Bujumbura Buyenzi quarter. That is where you took your first steps and started school.”

But that joy was shattered in 2015. I was just five years old. My mother spoke of the growing unrest, which became a physical force that tore us away from everything we knew. We fled to DRC, where we spent five years before entering Lusenda Refugee Camp in Fizi territory, Uvira district. My mother had stalls to sell groceries to make money. I watched her negotiate prices, endure long hours under the sun, and somehow she managed to smile when she came home exhausted.

In 2020, when I turned ten, my mother decided to pursue a fragile dream: stability. She declared we were strong enough, brave enough, to return home. We went back to Burundi, full of hope, our hearts pounding with anticipation, ready to resettle and reclaim our roots.
But the economic reality was a cruel shock. My mother is an entrepreneur, but the Burundian market was unforgiving. She couldn’t find her footing, and the small reserves we had were quickly depleted.
We met our relatives, but we couldn’t stay. We had to make the devastating decision to leave again, returning to the familiar uncertainty of the Congo, directly in the refugee camp.

The bridge of humanitarian aid
Today, my wish is fulfilled: we are officially back in Burundi. This would not have been possible without the external support we received from AIRD and partners. I am incredibly fortunate to be taken care of and supported by humanitarian assistance. This aid has acted as the essential bridge, allowing us to put down roots without the immediate fear of economic collapse. More significantly, it has provided the most critical tool for my future: access to education.

I am determined to pick up my studies from the 6th grade. I am resolved to study and work diligently. In the future, I want to be a doctor and heal the people of this country that has embraced me again. I want to be the professional who helps build Burundi’s future, just as others helped build mine and make my mother proud. I will help her grow her business and her financial capital, ensuring her sacrifices are not in vain.

As told to Steve Kwizera