Mahoro Chantal Uwiringiyimana grew up in a poor community in Rwanda, but even as a young girl, she saw the value in obtaining an education. “When I first went to school,” Chantal said, “I had one and only purpose: to know how to read and write in Kinyarwanda, my local language.” This dream to educate herself was reinforced in Chantal everyday. Living with an illiterate mother and aunts who had no say in family affairs, she came to believe that in order to be valued in her family and community, she would need to be educated.
Chantal’s parents agreed to send her to school, under the condition that she would fetch water for the house everyday before class. She happily obliged. Though she was the only girl in a class of thirty students, Chantal worked hard to learn to read and write and did well in primary school – so well, in fact, that she became somewhat of a local celebrity in her community.
“Every woman wanted me to write or read for them,” Chantal recalled. Seeing her neighbors’ need, Chantal saw an opportunity to share her education with others, and started a club to teach girls how to read and write. “At first, most parents never wanted to send their daughters,” she said, “but those who did were amazed by the outcome.” The girls did so well in the literacy club that by the time Chantal was finishing primary school, she was no longer the only female student.
Witnessing the tangible impact of education on the peers she had helped became a driving force in Chantal’s life. She became confident that she could accomplish anything with hard work, regardless of her background. She attended high school on a full scholarship from the Imbuto Foundation, an organization founded by Her Excellency Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda. While in high school, Chantal continued her literacy club during the holidays, until heading to South Africa to continue her education at the African Leadership Academy.
Attending the African Leadership Academy was a transformative experience for Chantal. “ALA made me grow as a person and a leader, and most importantly, it instilled in me a passion for Africa and the spirit of giving back,” she says. During her time at ALA, Chantal was honored with yet another award when she received the MasterCard scholarship to support her studies. She credits the school with exposing her to different opportunities, including allowing her to come to the United States to continue her studies in college.
Chantal graduating from the African Leadership Academy in June 2014.
Currently, Chantal is a rising sophomore at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, where she is majoring in Bioengineering. She intends to use her degree “to inspire my fellow young African girls” and “to solve the problem of poverty” in African communities much like the one she grew up in. She is also a co-founder of NAYI (New American Youth Initiative) at ASU, which provides mentorship and youth seminars to students in order to foster a sense of social responsibility, belonging, and community integration.
This past May, as a guest speaker at the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s annual fundraising gala, Diamonds in the Sky Las Vegas, Chantal shared her inspiring story of resilience with the captivated crowd. “This is all because of education,” she said. “Without education, I wouldn’t be here with you tonight.”
Chantal speaking to guests about the importance of education at Diamonds in the Sky Las Vegas 2015.