To a stranger, her name is as ordinary as other common names. But behind the name Seraphine Mukantambara is a unique story.  

The Rwanda Revenue Authority and Rwanda international, is  a Genocide survivor, who has been a key figure in volleyball for both club and the country.

In 2014, the Rwanda international right attacker was named Most Valuable player (MVP) in Africa, which was an unprecedented achievement in the history of Rwandan volleyball.

In December last year, Mukantambara also well known as ‘Baby’ by her peers, joined Turkish second division league side Elazig IL Ozel for a three-month trial, but failed to earn a permanent contract, and decided to return home.

The 22-year-old Mukantambara has a heart touching story about her childhood.  Born on the very day that the 1994 Genocide against Tutis started, she never had a chance to see her father as he was killed during the massacre together with several of her family members.

Fortunately she survived together with her mother, and four siblings. To many, her name may pass like any other, but there is a unique story behind her Surname; Mukantambara.

Her grandfather was killed in the Genocide, but before his death, as the war raged on, he asked Mukantambara’s expectant mother that if she happened to survive, she should name the child Ntambara if it’s a boy or Mukantambara if she’s a girl, literally to mean "Born in times of war.”

"When I was in primary 5, I asked my mother why she named me Mukantambara because at times I felt uncomfortable with it, and when she told me the meaning behind it, I started loving it. I have maintained it as my name from that day,” she told Saturday Sport in an exclusive interview.

While narrating her childhood, she disclosed that before she picked interest in volleyball, she had a passion for football, and her favourite position was in goal.

She began playing volleyball in primary five, just for fun and was spotted by the then St. Aloys Rwamagana volleyball team coach, and was further encouraged by the school director, Gilbert Nzayisenga , who offered her a bursary to study at the school.

"By then I never knew I would play volleyball as a professional sport, however they (St. Aloys) nurtured me and the coach and director kept encouraging me to be confident, and as time passed by, I started to fall in love with the sport,” she recalls.

Playing career

In 2010 while in senior one at St. Aloys, national team head coach Paul Bitok visited the school and conducted a training session with the school’s volleyball team, which Mukantambara was part of.

The Kenyan tactician, who has nurtured several current volleyball stars, selected her as part of the team for a training camp that was to be held in Ruhango district in preparation for the regional FEASSA games that were to be held in Kenya.

"By then I had started feeling that I could actually make it if I put my mind on it, fortunately coach Bitok was always on hand to give us guidance and motivation, which really played a big part in my improving.”

She never managed to break into the team that went to Kenya for FEASSA games, and it was after these games that Bitok handed her, a maiden call up to the U-20 national team that competed at the African U-20 Championships in Tunisia.

The following year, the Rwanda Volleyball Federation (FRVB) selected three raising talents from St. Aloys Rwamagana—these included; Delphine Uwicyeza, Olive Mutamba and Mukantambara.

The trio was brought to Kigali where the former two joined APR while Mukantambara was recruited by Rwanda Revenue Authority – the trio continued their studies at APACE.

Mukantambara says: "When I joined RRA, I found Dorcus Ndasaba, a Kenyan right attacker at the club and because she was an experienced player, I learned a lot from her and when she left the club to join APR in 2012,  I became a regular player until today.”

In his five year spell at RRA, Mukantambara has won numerous titles with the league defending champions.

On a personal level, she has won six MVP in different competitions, including; Genocide memorial tournaments (2012, 2013), 2014 MVP and 2015 best attacker at KAVC tournament in Uganda, MVP Africa Youth Olympic Games (2014) and best attacker in the 2016 Genocide memorial tourney

National duty

Mukantambara captained the girls’ youth team to finish third in the 2014 Africa Youth Olympic Games in Botswana, where she claimed the tournament’s MVP award.

She was part of the national women’s youth team that finished 4th in African Championships in Cairo, Egypt in 2011 and also finished 4th with the junior team in Tunisia, the same year.

Again in 2014, she was part of the national youth team that finished top in qualifiers of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Ghana, but failed to impress at the eventual Games in Nanjing, China where Rwanda finished in a disappointing 25th place.

In April this year, she was part of the women beach volleyball team that lost to Egypt 2-1 at the final of the CAVB Continental Cup in Nigeria, to miss out on a spot to Rio Olympic Games.

The pair of Mukantambara and Judith Hakizimana was chasing for the African slot in the final competition but lost. Egypt won the first set 21-14, 21-17, Rwanda came back into the game winning the second 21-09, 21-18 before losing the third and decisive set; 21-19.

Best and worst moment

Mukantambara says, "So far my best moment was in 2014 when I was crowned MVP in Botswana, I couldn’t imagine it. My worst moment was recently when we failed to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games after losing to Egypt at the final.”

Future plans

"I want to play as a professional at some stage in my career, good enough I still have time to reach my peak, my target is to join one of the best clubs in Europe,” he explained.

Appreciation

"My appreciation goes to my former coach at St. Aloys Rwamagana because he is the one who discovered me and taught me the basics of volleyball, I think I wouldn’t have realized my talent if it was not for him.”

She added, "Also, the national team coach Bitok and my coach at RRA (Christopher Mudahinyuka) they have taught me a lot, encouraged me and even shaped me to be a player I am today.”

What others say about her

Bitok says of her; "I think she is a great player, I believed she would make it from the first day I saw her at ST. Aloys, she already has some offers to play in Europe and I think next year she maybe a professional .”

RRA coach Mudahinyuka says that; "She is a highly committed and hardworking girl, and I am sure if she maintains that, she will reach far.”

Profile

Born on April 7, 1994 in Murambi Sector, Gatsibo district, Eastern Province, to Celestin Karemera (RIP) and Julienne Mukankusi, Mukantambara is the last born in the family of five – one boy and four girls, and she happens to be the only athlete in the entire family.

She attended Gatsibo-based Nyamiyaga primary school for her primary education before joining St. Aloys Rwamagana for secondary education, but after one year she headed to GS Mont Kigali Apace in Nyarugenge district, Kigali city where he completed her Advanced level studies.

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