I was in trouble. I had no more money to pay for school fees in Rwanda and I was going to have to leave to return to my hometown in the Democratic Republic of Congo in fifteen days.

Before my journey, I went to the university to use the WI-FI. When I was in the library, a boy came and asked me for the WI-FI password. I gave it to him and then he sat close to me. Within few minutes, my father called. I lowered my voice because I was in the library and we talked in Swahili. After the call, the boy to whom I gave the password said “Jambo kaka,” a greeting in Swahili.

He and I were both immigrants. Our friendship started from there. 

“I heard you speaking Swahili on the phone. I’m from Burundi,” he said. We went out of the library and had a long dialogue. I was so excited to find someone who could speak Swahili properly because I could express myself freely in my mother tongue. He and I were both immigrants. Our friendship started from there. From that day forward, we visited each other’s apartment regularly. Later on, he told me that he works as a French teacher at a primary school. When I heard that, I was very interested since I learned French in secondary school and that qualified me to be a primary school teacher. I never knew that French was taught at the primary level in Rwanda, because in 2009 Rwanda changed its language from French to English and it became an Anglophone country. I knew only that French was taught as a subject at secondary level. My new friend gave me the details about the job.

I went from feeling excited to feeling doubtful. “Yes, I’m a teacher, but I have never taught apart from the one-month of internship I did when I was getting my diploma in secondary school. I don’t have any experience as a teacher. But I must try. It’s ok if I fail,” I said in my heart. When I reached my ghetto, I spent the whole night preparing my CV to apply to different schools in the area. The following day, I went to those schools and applied for a job as a teacher of French. I was afraid after applying for the jobs because in Africa, before you apply for any job anywhere, you must have one of these three people: a family member or friend who works at the place where you apply or a person who has a good relationship with the boss.

It’s ok if I fail,” I said in my heart. 

But, all of that did not discourage me. I prayed to God. Five days later, I got the job!

I was extremely happy. Imagine as an immigrant applying only once for a job and getting it with no experience or without knowing someone. This is not something normal. It is a miracle. My pains changed to pleasure in a second. I started a new life of independence. I started planning for my days to come. I able to pay rent, food, and other expenses and help my parents and family, too.  I hang out with my fellow immigrant friend on the weekends. I am very happy teaching French. Teaching helps to increase my French skills because I practice it every day.  As is said in French, “La pratique est l’art des sciences.”[1]

Click to read more about Salum's journey through constantly changing life. 

[1] “Practice is the art of science.”