In 2014 when The New Times’ photographer visited Sharita Island, Antoine Mukeshimana was still recovering from an amputated leg from a nasty encounter with a hippo that attacked him together and his neighbour in a papyrus marshland.

Mukeshimana, 39, was born and raised on Sharita Island located in Lake Rweru, Bugesera District.

One eventful morning, he woke up to go harvest papyrus for commercial use.