Manishimwe Pacifique

For starters, I was born in a family with a food shortage and other basic needs, financially
disadvantaged. The only way I could study after class was to join other students and study at one
of their houses (which had lighting). I managed this technique until I passed the Primary Level
National Examinations. My family was not able to afford my secondary school tuition. So, my
studies would have been cut if I didn't have my formal English teacher. Considering my
academic performance, he offered me a sponsorship that paid my school fees until the end of the
ordinary level.
Because I knew it was not guaranteed for everyone, I worked hard to guarantee my future. I
created a group where we would study before sunset because nighttime preparation was
impossible. After passing the Ordinary Level National Examination, I was awarded a
sponsorship from the AEM, which helps outstanding students from poor families. With this
support, I attended a boarding school where I was supposed to choose a major that I could do. At
first, nothing came to mind, but then it clicked: electricity. As I learned about domestic
electricity in high school, I initiated a project called "SunLight," which was to use solar panels to
light homes. With "SunLight," fifty households in my community accessed power at a modest
cost. Soon, in grades 11 and 12, I learned about industrial electricity and power plant installation.
With these skills, I found out through a survey that Rwandan rural communities lack electricity,
which makes me aim to achieve hydro-power plants in remote communities. I am interested to
discover the accessible means of helping Rwandan citizens to access electricity.