Francois & Sellisha - From Rwanda to Senegal

I moved to Rwanda in March of 2006. I took notice of the scores of street kids selling various items on the streets, like peanuts, Kleenex, lighters, cigarettes, pens, and so on. From day one, Francois stood out because of his captivating smile and positive attitude. I thought, “for a kid living on the street, he sure has a good attitude about life”.

This photo is from 2006. Francois is on the right side. (See that smile!) His cousin Ferdinand is on the left. 

 

I began learning about his world and teaching him ways to improve his business. We became friends. Over time, I began to support him with school fees, then homeschooling, work, etc. Within 6 months or so, we were becoming family. Within a year, I tracked down his mother and she signed documents for me to become his legal guardian.

 

We lived together in Rwanda for 5 years and then moved to Kenya for another 5 years. When I left Africa about 7 years ago, he wanted to go back to Rwanda to "be a man" in his home country. Since then, he has gained a wonderful daughter, whom he names after his sister, Saoirse, whom he loves so much. (Though, he used a more Rwandan spelling, making it Sellisha.)

 

He is a single father, caring for his 4-year-old daughter. The mother left him with the baby right after Sellisha was born. Work opportunities in Rwanda are non-existent right now. COVID-19 restrictions are further marginalizing the poor and lower-income communities and public services are severely limited. It's been very, very difficult for Francois and Saorise to even survive there.

 

I was 28 years old when I left Nashville, TN to move to Rwanda. I met Francois at that same time. Now he's 28 and ready to "change his stars" and start a new life for him and his little daughter. A good friend has offered a wonderful opportunity for him to move to Senegal to work on an organic farm.

 

It's not easy for Rwandans to leave their own country. He has to buy round trip tickets for him and Saorise and is not permitted to buy one way, suffice it to say. He also has to pay $120 for COVID-19 testing, there are Visa fees, etc. But this is the biggest opportunity he's ever had to start a new chapter in his life.

 

With this money, he will be able to:

 

When he arrives, he will be staying in a temporary situation, but will immediately start building a small home at the farm for him and Saorise to live in, RENT FREE! His cost of living in Senegal will be less than a quarter of what it is in Rwanda. 

 

He will work on an organic farm, tending to the crops, making products from those crops, helping to get them to market, etc. In Rwanda, before lockdown, he used to make amazing bread. Now he'll be doing it again in Senegal! He will live there with a family that has been working that farm for generations and they are excited to welcome him into their community. 

 

This is a huge opportunity and blessing for him. He's been through so much, and now he's becoming a man. He is ready to exit the chaos of Kigali and move to the farm in Senegal to create a new life for him and Sellisha. I'm so excited for him!

 

This sets him up for long-term sustainability and a lot more harmony in his life. He's also excited to be able to create organic, healthy food for the surrounding community in Senegal. It will be a wonderful environment for Sellisha to grow up, with a beautiful community.

For so long, he's wanted to be able to live free and provide a good home life for Sellisha. And it's just been a constant uphill battle in Rwanda. My heart hurts for both of them. And I'm so grateful to have this opportunity to help them "change their stars". He's shifting his family legacy. I'm proud of him. 

 

To make this happen, it's a lot for me financially, as I also have three children to support in southern California. So I'm reaching out for some support. It's a small amount of money that will make a very big difference for two wonderful humans.

 

Thank you for anything you can do to help support this next chapter in my son's life. Murakoze cyane (thank you very much, in Kinyarwanda)!

 

Jared

 

_____________________________

Murava Francois Tuyizere Murengerantwari Angaza

AGE | 28
BIRTHDAY | Dec. 2nd, 1993
SIBLINGS | 1 Brother, 1 Stepbrother, 2 Stepsisters (though he hasn't seen them since he was about 6 yrs. old)
PARENTS | Mother is alive but does not want any association with him. Father passed when Francois was 2 years old.
FAMILY | Sellisha, daughter, born May 19th, 2016 (5 years old)

Murengerantwari means "protector of heroes". I always liked that. 
______________________________

Budget Breakdown

- Round Trip Tickets from Rwanda to Senegal. = $2,050 (for two tickets)
- COVID-19 testing, $60 each = $120
- Remaining September Rent + Utilities + Food = $300
- Senegal October Food + Transport = $200
- Visa Fee for Senegal = estimated $300 (still getting details)
- Basic household supplies in Senegal (bed, blankets, towels, toiletries, kitchen supplies, etc.) = $800
- Basic building supplies (dirt, sand, concrete mix, wood framing, paint, etc.) for home = $500

TOTAL = $4,250

* They are currently only allowing the purchase of round trip tickets, no one-way. 
* Some of these are estimates just based on what we know so far. We're finding out more details daily. 

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A Little Look Into Our World

Francois was my first child. He was with me for 6 years before my first biological child, Saoirse was born and for 3 years before I was married. 

When I met Francois, he was about 10 years old. I was 28. I was still finding my way. I have been an activist my whole life, and at that point, I was full of angst and "raging against the machine". I was also still struggling with alcoholism and depression. 

At first, he was just a kid I was showing love to. But it quickly became clear that I was also learning how to feel love for another human in a very new way. His presence in my life moved me and stretched me and led me into a whole new experience of love.

And he was watching me live. There was a young, impressionable human that was very likely to emulate the way I respond to the world around me. That revelation rocked me. 

I still remember when it happened. At the time, there were also 49 women and 74 children that were fully dependant on the project I founded and was operating. It was too much to risk because of my selfish behavior. I couldn't do it anymore. 

I was a single 29-year-old activist that could barely pay my rent and was usually in trouble with the government for my political actions. I didn't have much to offer, but I could show them all love and compassion and we could journey together. We were all in it, finding our way. 

I stopped drinking that day. I've been sober 14 years this October.  Francois taught me how to love, and how to be a father and the kind of human I want to be. He changed my world forever. We are forever intertwined. 

We lived together in East Africa for a decade (5 years in Rwanda, 5 in Kenya). And we truly lived. We survived multiple terrorist attacks in Mombasa and Nairobi and had some of the most wonder-filled, deeply human experiences. We sucked the marrow out of life. We did it all. 

Saoirse asleep on Francois' back while we go for some produce in Nairobi. 


And when Saorise was born, he became the most spectacular big brother to her. They were inseparable when we lived together. He would put her on his back in a sling for her daily nap while we worked in the gardens. 

I think maybe we became men together. And I'm so grateful for that. And now he has a four-year-old daughter that he loves so much. And I'm a grandfather! Wow. 

I speak to him on WhatsApp, usually on video, at least twice a week, still. We've been doing that for the last 7 years since I left. And Saoirse still spends lots of time with him on video calls, just talking about life with her brother. 

Someday we hope to be together geographically again. Until then, our journey continues. We're grateful for the love we have and for all the wild adventures we get to live together. We are blessed. 

Thank you for caring about our story. We're grateful for all the love. Blessings to you! 

We loved walking the beach together.  (Mombasa) 

In our backyard in Nairobi.

Best friends. Always.

Saoirse and Francois, bonding.

Apparently, it was Funny Hat Day.