Solange's story
Do you know any 12 year old children? Would they be able to walk for five hours carrying 36 kilos of water - approximately their entire body weight?
Solange Tuyishime didn’t think she could do it. She spent her early childhood in Rwanda, enjoying the same things most kids do - playing with friends, going to school, and spending time with family. But in 1994, at age 12, Solange and her family were forced to flee their home due to the civil war and genocide. Along with thousands of others, Solange, her parents and two younger brothers travelled for days seeking safety in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
They eventually settled in a cluster of tents outside one of the refugee camps. It was there that Solange was forced to grow up faster than most children her age. As the eldest child, one of her responsibilities was to ensure the family had enough clean water. Every two days, she and other children travelled for four or five hours at a time in search of the water needed for drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing.
A tough load
On each trip, Solange carried a 20 litre water container on her back and a 10 litre container in each hand, weighing more than 36 kilos. The trips were often dangerous, so children walked in groups of four or five. “I remember one time we got lost in a forest,” recounts Solange. “It was getting dark and we were scared we wouldn’t be able to find our way home.”
Solange and her family came to know UNICEF when it began providing tents, water, containers, food and groundsheets for Rwandan refugees.
Eventually, Solange and her family immigrated to Canada. Now 26 years old, she has graduated with a master's degree in public administration. Along the way, she has dedicated countless volunteer hours to local community and human rights organizations, won numerous scholarships, athletic and academic awards and was crowned Miss Canada International 2006.
“I wish to thank UNICEF for saving so many lives,” says Solange. “UNICEF holds a special place in my heart.”
