Umutoni is 16 years old and was just three years old when her parents separated and her mum moved out leaving the girl in the care of her father. Initially it was OK for her living with her dad, but when he remarried, and step-siblings came along, Umutoni’s step-mother wanted nothing further to do with Umutoni and threw her out of the family home. In danger of being homeless, Umutoni went to her mother who by now had also remarried. She lived there for a while, but the step-father started abusing and violating her, and eventually Umutoni had no choice but to leave and went to the streets.
Throughout all of this time, Umutoni had tried to keep her education going, but it was very hard, especially as parents are expected to pay some contrbutions towards school fees and educational materials. Once Umutoni was living on the streets, she could not manage to find enough money to do this, and so she had to leave school. She tried to get temporary bits of work as a housemaid, or washing clothes etc, but that barely made enough money for her to buy food and it was all a big struggle.
Umutoni feels that her fortunes turned when she met Angelique and Jeremiah from the GNPDR street kids programme. She says that on meeting them she found two people who showed care and concern, and who wanted to listen to her and help her. They encouraged her to go back to school, and so she plucked up the courage and went back to her father and asked him if he would help with the fees. Sadly he said that he couldn’t afford to give her anything for school, although she could stay with him and stepmother if she wanted.
At that point, Umutoni was so disappointed that she couldn’t bear the thought of staying, and she went back to the streets again. That is where Jeremiah and Angelique found her, and continued to engage with her, slowly by slowly helping her to believe in herself and humanity again, and to have hope for the future. When GNPDR were able to offer her some help with the school fees and educational materials, Umutoni grabbed the offer with both hands, and not only returned to school, but also returned to her father and stepmother for accommodation, and a base that is more stable than being on the streets.
Umutoni says that through GNPDR she has learnt to care for others, and to hope again. She is currently in Senior 2 (goes up to senior 6), and ultimately she would like to become a doctor.