When our grand parents or parents tell us of how they walked miles during their ‘days’ to go to school or visit family and friends, we feel like they came from a different planet.
‘How on earth does one move for 3 miles a day just to get an education?’ we ask. Thank you Heavens that we were born in an era when transport is affordable and convenient we add.
Little do we know though that not all of us are fortunate enough to afford those means. What we see as a necessity was a luxury to some like Dusenge Johnson.
After finishing his high school from COLLEGE INYERAMIHIGO in 2018, Johnson was worried that the road to his education has come to an end because of the financial difficulties he was facing.
Fortunately; one of his aunties came through and offered to pay for his university at Mount Kenya University Rwanda (MKUR) where he started in the Academic year 2019/2020, September-in- take: pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Mass Communication.
Like many when embarking on a new journey, Dusenge too was scared as he knew nothing in media. “I copy-pasted my first assignment at school from Google, the lecturer however didn’t scold me but instead told me to repeat it even though the deadline was due” he remarks.
This was a relief to his scared soul and it encouraged him to work hard so as to never disappoint the kind lecturer again.
Believe it when they say that ‘success doesn’t come easy’; even for Dusenge, graduating with a first class degree in December 2022 from MKUR came with obstacles.
The 25- year -old walked eighteen kilometers a day (9kms in the morning and 9kms in the evening) to attend his lectures. “I live in Gikondo-Rujugiro houses, so I could wake up very early in the morning and walk to school even though my classes were in the evening“, he notes.
This was coupled with the breakout of a pandemic that nearly had him drop out of school as it found him deep in the village with no internet access and yet lectures were conducted on-line since movement was prohibited.
Unlike some of his course mates who decided to take academic leaves, Johnson was determined to study even then. “I could go to the sector to get WIFI but I did this while hiding in the bushes as it was illegal to walk in the evening because of curfew“, he said.
Currently working as an editor and a cameraman at Prime TV, the tall-dark skinned gentleman who also happens to be the President of MKUR Gender Club doesn’t regret his time at university as he was able to make good friends, meet good lecturers and be what he is today.
“He was one of the most disciplined and active students in the Journalism department, he helped us in coverage of school events either as a photographer or videographer which is why the department recommended him at Prime TV during his internship and because of his honesty, they retained him as a volunteer“, said Mr. Festus Irungu the Head of Department for Media and Mass Communication at MKUR.
Johnson Dusenge (Left) and the HOD Media and Mass Communication- Festus Irungu (Right)
