Breaking Barriers: Niyonzima Jean de Dieu Shines in National Examinations Despite Sight Disability

Niyonzima Jean de Dieu, a student at the Education Institute for the Blind Children in Nyaruguru District, has made waves by ranking among the top 5 achievers in the 2023/2024 Ordinary Level National Examinations.

In an exclusive interview with a local media outlet, Niyonzima expressed his joy and gratitude for his achievement despite facing challenges due to his disability.

“I am very, very happy to be one of the winners in the country because for us, those who are with different disabilities, it is very difficult to think that someone with that problem can achieve this. My disability is blindness,” Niyonzima said.

The ambitious student revealed his plans to study languages in order to pursue a career in journalism, a field he has been passionate about since childhood.

“I will study languages because I would like to study journalism in university because I like journalism very much. From my childhood, I liked to listen to the radio and I heard different voices of journalists and I liked that. So, it grew in me and now I am feeling that it is necessary for me to study journalism as a person and to achieve this, I would like to study languages,” Niyonzima shared.

He also had a powerful message for others with disabilities, encouraging them to believe in themselves and their abilities.

“The message that I can give to those who have disabilities is that let them not feel that nothing is possible. They must feel that everything is possible even though they have a disability. Disability is not inability. Because even me, I have achieved the thing that I didn’t ever imagine that I can achieve. So, they should be confident that they can achieve what they want, their goals they would like to achieve,” Niyonzima said.

Niyonzima’s story serves as an inspiration to many, proving that with determination and hard work, anything is possible regardless of any obstacles in one’s path.