Family and friends are still mourning Frank Rubaduka, the founder of Miss Career Africa, who died on Sunday, December 27, after drowning in Lake Cyohoha in Bugesera District where he was spending his festive holidays.

Rubaduka’s passing was confirmed by Sandrine Munezero, the Executive Director of Miss Career Africa.

Alexander Ndamukunda, who witnessed Rubaduka’s drowning, has been working with Rubaduka on a number of his projects, including Miss Career Africa and All Trust Consult.

He told The New Times that he lost his ‘closest friend' a day after he joined him for festive holidays.

"When he was going for his holiday, he asked me to go with him so we could celebrate Christmas together. But I had already planned to join my family for the holiday season so I declined his invitation,” Ndamukunda recalled.

But he did not give up.

Later, while celebrating Christmas on the shores of Cyohoha Lake, Rubaduka once again asked Ndamukunda to join him -- this time successfully -- so he could take a look at a piece of lakeside land the former had bought for his future agricultural projects. Rubaduka was planning on venturing into farming and irrigation schemes next year, Ndamukunda said.

As they were walking on the lakeside after touring the land, Rubaduka felt like he wanted to swim and jumped into the waters. That’s the last time Ndamukunda saw him alive.

"He drowned in the lake after a wave in the lake overpowered him. Even the young boy who tried to rescue him from drowning almost died but I did my best to rescue him,” he recalls.

"I cannot forget the breakfast I had with him a day before he died because it was our last after he prayed for it,” he added.

Rubaduka, 28, is known for being behind the annual ‘Miss Career Africa’ contest, a program that empowers young women professionals, entrepreneurs and aspiring students through the provision of university scholarships, career guidance, entrepreneurship incubation development, leadership training, and networking.

His death, however, came as a huge blow for his dream in empowering girls by supporting them in their income-generating projects through the competition.

However, Munezero, assured that she and her team will do their best to achieve his dream although filling his void is far from easy.

"He has really left a huge gap among us and the community in general but Miss Career Africa project is not over. We are not ready to let it go but do it for him, for his vision because it was a dream that he wanted to achieve. We will carry on with the project and continue where he stopped,” she vowed.

Many say they knew Rubaduka as a person who did not hesitate to take risks to chase his dreams -- that did not necessarily benefit him personally, but the community in general.

One of the risks that he took, according to a local entrepreneur, Gaelle Igisubizo, was dropping out of university in his last year at Kigali Independent University (ULK) to take on new career experiences.

His decision, she said, shocked many of his classmates as they considered it as the biggest mistake he committed in life.

That ‘mistake’ is believed to be one of the ‘100 Mistakes that I Don't Regret’, the title of the book that Rubaduka was preparing to release.

The book would have been his second after ‘The 4 Genius Windows’ that he released earlier this month [December] together with his co-author Eric Niyitanga.

Igisubizo considers Rubaduka’s death a big loss to not only Rwanda but to Africa as well.

"He was a brother I am blessed that we crossed paths, an example to most of our age mates, a mentor to many despite his [young] age. If we had 100 young people like Frank in this country, we would achieve a lot as young people,” she said.

Born in Gatsibo, Eastern Province, Rubaduka was also a professional Master in Kung-Fu where he used to train students in schools. He had plans of resuming training young Kung-Fu talents.

The vigil is being kept at the deceased's brother's home in Kanombe, Kicukiro District. His body is now at Rwanda Military Hospital as the family waits for Rubaduka’s brother who is expected to fly from Italy to proceed with his funeral.