Until a lion grips you in its teeth and spits you out alive in terra incognita, you will never know how to cherish the value of a loving woman. That's how Anastase Mvuyekure, a barber in Nyamirambo better known to his clients as Eric, describes the eye-opening realization he had after narrowly escaping a harrowing ordeal a few years ago.

Eric began his career as a barber in 2013, starting out in his hometown in Gisagara District, Southern Province. After honing his skills, he moved to Kigali in search of greener pastures. It was there that he met a woman, and they decided to live together without tying the knot.

"I always hesitated when she brought up the idea of getting legally married," says Eric, reflecting thoughtfully. "My stance only grew stronger when we welcomed our son in December 2019. Providing for my son became more important than spending the little money I was making on a wedding.”

Exodus

Eric began considering the idea of going abroad where his skills could earn him enough money to support his family. That's when he met a Ugandan driver who assured him that the earnings he could make in Mombasa, Kenya, would far surpass the 'meager' income he was making at the time. The Ugandan informed him that he would be working for a Somali man who owned a barbershop in Mombasa.

"So, I began preparing for the journey. I discussed it with my wife, and she was supportive of the idea. At that time, my son was just two months old.”

As he was gathering his travel documents, news began spreading worldwide about a mysterious airborne disease claiming lives in China. Like many, he reassured himself that it would never make its way across the Indian Ocean. But the situation spiraled out of control faster than he expected. Just as Eric was boarding a bus bound for Nairobi, he received news that the first case of COVID-19 had been diagnosed in Kenya.

"I brushed it off and decided to push forward—little did I know that my life was about to plunge into hell.”

Hitting one roadblock after another

The journey from Kigali to Mombasa took three days. Eric was scheduled to meet his prospective boss the evening he arrived but the meeting never materialized.

In the morning, he was shown the barbershop where he would be working. However, he waited a full month without meeting the boss, whom he later learned was out of the country.

While he was waiting, things took a turn for the worse—Kenya shut its borders. This meant there was no way for the Somali boss to re-enter the country.

The only option Eric had was to work at the barbershop on a commission fee. Just as he was coming to terms with this situation, COVID-19 hit hard, and the government began imposing a lockdown across the country.

"The total lockdown meant there was no way for me to return to Rwanda. Since I wasn’t officially employed, I had to use the money meant for a return ticket just to survive.”

He initially thought the lockdown would last only a week, but to his surprise, it kept being extended. The only option for a foreigner wanting to leave the country was by plane, which was out of the question for Eric. All his savings had quickly dried up.

The airfare was prohibitively expensive at that time, and the budget airline, Jambojet, was grounded for not meeting health guidelines.

While other businesses were slowly reopening, his barbershop remained closed. The situation became chaotic until the Somali boss's wife decided to pack up and return to her family in Uganda. All the barbers dispersed in search of jobs elsewhere, including the few who had become Eric’s friends.

"I was in a remote countryside where people spoke a language I had never heard before.”

He eventually got the courage to seek a job at a nearby barbershop. He explained his situation, and they agreed to let him work on a commission fee. This meant that his food depended entirely on his efforts. No clients, no meals.

Fortunately, Eric began to thrive at the new barbershop, with clients appreciating his services and even referring him to their friends. However, his success stirred resentment among some of the other barbers, who began to harbor grudges and jealousy.

"There were four of us: myself, known as 'the Rwandan,' a Somali, and two Kenyans. The Kenyans began to see me as a rival, unable to grasp how a newcomer had managed to win over all their clients.”

The Kenyans began asking around, inquiring whether Eric had a work permit. Once they discovered his visa had expired, they conspired to report him to the authorities.

Holding the trophy for a second

The saying "man proposes, God disposes" couldn't have been more apt. One of Eric's clients turned out to be a local police chief, who discreetly pulled him aside and warned him that his colleagues were plotting to have him arrested.

"He said he would have arrested me himself if he hadn’t recognized who I was. He advised me to find work at a different barbershop, knowing the two men wouldn’t stop until I was out of the picture."

Eric didn’t want to leave without formally bidding farewell to the barbershop's owner, a kind and honest man.

Since Eric was bringing in significant profits, his boss was curious about why he was leaving. Eric explained the situation, prompting the boss to gather all the barbers—excluding the Somali, who had been a genuine friend and confidant to Eric. The boss reprimanded them, declaring that anyone unwilling to work with "the Rwandan" was free to leave.

They agreed to change their behavior and eventually became friends with Eric. His boss offered him a six-month probationary contract.

A bitter twist of fate

As things began to settle, the Ugandan driver who brought Eric to Mombasa reappeared, ready to stir up trouble. He informed Eric that he had recently opened his own barbershop and wanted Eric to work for him. He reminded him that he was the one who brought him to Kenya and covered his living expenses for three months while he awaited the contract at the Somali's barbershop.

Reflecting on the experience of his colleagues plotting to have him jailed—and knowing how easily money could sway a man's fate in that country—Eric feared the Ugandan might resort to the same tactics if he refused the offer.

Recognizing the dilemma he was in, Eric reached out to his wife back in Rwanda. He remembered that he had no conflicts with anyone in Kigali and that his former boss there continued to check in on him.

Realizing that the money he was making in Kenya wouldn’t do much for a man with responsibilities to feed his family in another country, he and his wife agreed it was time for Eric to return to his motherland. That was in May 2020.

Home sweet home

Since he lived near the seaport where drivers picked up goods from China, Eric approached some of them to gather information. He was exploring whether he could find someone willing to take him to Rwanda despite the border restrictions.

One driver flatly refused, not wanting to get into trouble with the authorities. Another agreed and charged him $150, explaining that he would use $50 of that to bribe the border officials.

"I had only $80 at the time.”

He worked throughout May and June while also sending money to his wife to support herself and their baby. She informed him that she had lost her job because the supermarket where she worked had downsized its staff due to COVID-19.

"One day, I told the driver I was $30 short. He frowned and looked like he was ready to knock my lights out. I knew exactly what to do.”

Eric worked hard and, fortunately, managed to find all the money he needed, along with a surplus. By that time, Jambojet was allowed to operate flights, charging exactly $150, the same amount the driver was asking. Eric considered taking a flight instead of hiding in a truck.

He decided to go to Nairobi to stay with a friend living near the airport.

However, it seems that misfortune has a way of inviting even more trouble.

Suddenly, new regulations were announced requiring anyone leaving the country to present a negative COVID-19 certificate from a designated clinic. This document was only valid for three days. The cost of the certificate was KS10,000 (roughly $74) for Kenyans and KS50,000 (about $387) for foreigners.

"I found myself at a crossroads. I couldn’t find the money for the certificate because what I had was earmarked for the ticket. It felt like my forehead was about to burst. I couldn’t believe what was happening to me.”

He dusted himself off and decided to pull the bull by its horns by staying in Nairobi and searching for work in a new barbershop.

He secured a job at a struggling barbershop, where making money for food was a constant challenge.

Like a wanderer stumbling upon an oasis, Eric steeled himself and decided to call the Ugandan driver who had brought him to Kenya—the same man who had once tried to recruit him by force.

To Eric’s surprise, the call went through. The driver agreed to take him back to Rwanda free of charge, saying it was only right since he is the one who had brought him to Kenya in the first place. He told Eric he was in Mombasa at the time but would be in Nairobi in a week.

"The only document I needed was a negative COVID-19 test. When we reached Busia, the border between Kenya and Uganda, I was shocked to be told that the certificate I provided was fake. The immigration officers claimed I had tested positive for COVID-19. This meant I was going to be quarantined in a hospital and sent back to Nairobi.”

The driver pulled Eric aside and explained to him that the officers were instead asking for a bribe. Eric handed over the cash, and, as the driver had predicted, he was allowed to go.

However, when he crossed into Uganda, he was arrested and accused of being a Rwandan spy. At that time, diplomatic relations between the two countries were strained. Eric was questioned about why he had chosen to pass through Uganda on his way back to Rwanda when he had originally left Rwanda through Tanzania.

He was released a day later after the Ugandan driver paid KS50,000 for him. Eric managed to slip away and eventually reunited with the driver, who had been hanging around, waiting for him.

But before he could fully process what had just happened, they suddenly found themselves facing a barricade manned by Ugandan soldiers.

"When they asked for identification, all chaos broke loose as soon as they saw I was Rwandan. Sensing how serious the situation was, the driver abandoned me and left me there.”

One of the soldiers noticed the money in his shirt pocket and told his colleague to take it and let him go.

"They pickpocketed me, taking everything, and told me to go. Luckily, I ran into the driver coming back, who, much like Miriam watching over her little brother Moses in a basket, wanted to make sure I was safe.”

The rest of the trip went smoothly, and Eric eventually reached the Rwandan border, where he was welcomed with open arms.

New beginning

Eric was stunned to see how much Kigali had changed. The once vibrant city now felt like a distant, deserted place. After finishing his quarantine, he wasted no time in reuniting with his wife and son.

"My wonderful wife advised me to head to the countryside instead of staying in the city. She knew I had an unfinished house in my rural hometown and reassured me that she would be there by my side as we rebuilt our lives.

"She saw how depressed I was, and I honestly don’t know where that depression might have led me if she hadn’t been there to comfort me.”

When they arrived in the countryside, Eric began working on his farm, planting beans and carefully calculating the months before harvest. He could almost see the money exchanging hands from the sale of his produce. But in December, a heavy hailstorm struck the plantation, wiping out the crops, and leaving nothing.

Life hit him so hard that Eric began to compare himself to Jonah in Nineveh.

While in Mombasa, Eric stayed in touch with his former boss in Kigali. When the boss heard that Eric had returned, he sent money to help support his family and convinced him to come back to Kigali and work for him again. The boss even helped him resettle in the city.

Looking back, Eric realized that one doesn't need to cross oceans for a better life. In his view, having a wife who loves and understands you, someone who stands by your side through thick and thin, is more than enough.

Together, they eventually finished their house, and that’s where his family lives today.

Eric and his wife legally married in August 2024, and they are now blessed with a second son.