“The warm meals, the welcoming environment, the one-on-one guidance, the patience of the trainers — those small things made a huge difference.”

 

 

Click here to learn more about the Great Lakes Hospitality Institute amd the curriculum of the students

 

 

My name is Jean Claude, and I come from a small village called Nyabiranga in the Murambi Sector, Karongi District, and Western Province of Rwanda. I am the eighth child in a family of nine. Growing up in a humble home, life was never easy, but I always had one big dream — to become a teacher. I believed education was the key not only to my future but to helping others like me. I completed my primary education at GS Muhororo and proudly graduated from high school in 2021.

After high school, I was eager to continue my studies at university. But reality hit hard — my family couldn’t afford it. It broke my heart. I remember the days I would lie awake at night wondering why life seemed so unfair. Still, I held onto hope and prayed that one day, somehow, my dream would find its way back to me.

In 2022, determined not to give up, I made the difficult decision to leave my village and move to Kigali. I was looking for any job that would help me save money for university. I joined Garda World, a security company, where I trained for three months and then started working as a guard. The job was challenging, but I pushed through.

Then everything changed.

A robbery happened at my workplace, and although I was innocent, I was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned for two weeks. Those two weeks felt like an eternity. Even after I was found innocent and released, I was never the same. Depression weighed me down, and I returned to my village with a broken spirit, unsure of what to do next.

Just when I thought my story was ending, a friend of mine studying hospitality at Great Lakes Hospitality Institute (GLHI) called me. He told me GLHI was offering scholarships for students interested in hospitality. I had never thought about hospitality before — I had studied humanities in high school. Still, with no other path in sight, I took a leap of faith and applied.

To my surprise, I was accepted.

In September 2024, I began my journey at GLHI, but it wasn’t easy. I had never used a laptop before. Everything was digital — projectors, online resources — and all the lessons were in English. I struggled to understand, to speak, and to keep up. There were moments I wanted to quit. But something was different here. My trainers didn’t give up on me. My classmates supported me. Slowly, I began to improve.

The seven-week Bridge Program changed everything. It helped me improve my grammar and pronunciation, but more than that — it gave me the confidence to speak, to share, and to believe in myself again. I also learned how to live and work with people from different backgrounds, something I had never experienced before.

I never told anyone, but every day I walked three hours to and from school because I couldn’t afford transport. It was exhausting, but I never missed class. GLHI had given me something precious — a second chance. I could not let it go to waste.

What touched me most was how much GLHI did for me behind the scenes. The warm meals, the welcoming environment, the one-on-one guidance, the patience of the trainers — those small things made a huge difference. Even when I felt I had nothing, they made me feel like I mattered. I didn’t just receive an education — I received hope, healing, and a sense of purpose.

Now, as I approach the end of my program, I look back with so much gratitude. I have grown in ways I never imagined. I’ve gained professional skills, confidence, and a new vision for my future. I still dream of becoming a teacher one day, and I believe that with the foundation GLHI has given me, I will get there. Hospitality has opened my eyes to new opportunities — it’s not just about hotels and restaurants, it’s about serving people, thinking critically, and bringing excellence into everything I do.

To the sponsors who made my scholarship possible — thank you. You didn’t just support my education; you helped rebuild a life that was on the verge of giving up. Your support means more than I can express. Because of you, I believe in my future again.

Thank you for giving me a second chance.