Swimming to school, the mermaids of Kibuye

Western Province If one simply asks you about your life as a kid, most of our faces would flash with the smiles of happy memories; great experiences that compromised us as we trekked through the famous aisles to adult life. But for people like Specioza Uwizeye, those possible memories are still dreams.At the age of 15 and in Senior-1, Uwizeye grew up to find her parents settled on an island in Lake Kivu. A mermaid life and detatched from mainland friend, not even a single path can lead one to Kibuye.The island of Muhengeri is one place where dreams and memories always look a little different. Leaving alone the tranquil scenario, no activities take place apart from fishing. Right from shops to hospitals, its residents have to go all the way to Kibuye town for any necessity. But as poor and isolated as they are, most families are satisfied and would never dream of leaving the place.Specioza is one of the 30 children that go to school by water.“Since Primary-1,” she says, “I have never woken up beyond five o’clock in the morning for I fear being punished for coming late to school.” Swimming through Lake Kivu at 6a.m in the morning gets her to school by 7:45. By the time she gets to school on the mainland she is awake but physically exhausted.It worries Specioza’s mother tremendously. “Not until I see my children back safely, can i have my heart settled. Every day that passes by I keep remembering many kids that have lost their lives in this lake as they are swimming to the banks,” Mrs Mumvaneza says. Parents have no option but are ever worried about their children drowning. “Water has no insurance and great swimmers always die,” she says.With their books and clothes in paper bags, they set to school and don’t rest until they are there. All these children’s talks circulate around waves, about swimming styles to maintain speed and energy. When other children are enjoying evening leisure at school, Specioza and the rest are rushing to Kivu to find their way home before it gets dark. Though some parents can afford wooden boats, it’s impossible to use them to drop their children at the bank simply because these are specifically business boats since the entire island depends on fishing. Imagine how hard it gets for these children during the rainy season?Nyirabihogo, 9, once lost her paper bag carrying books and clothes in to Lake Kivu by accident. If it weren’t for her friends who advised her to go back home and explain, she would have gotten herself drowned as she planned to go underneath the water to retrieve them.Then, of course, come the taunts as well.“I hate it when kids call me fish and laugh at me every now and then,” Nyirabihogo says. She is currently a Primary-3 pupil.As children worry about teasing in school, parent’s fear their children may never reach it, if their arms are too weak or the rain or currents too strong. They talk about the fact that Lake Kivu has methane gas which gets more dangerous between November and December every year. “If at all well wishers can help us get boats, our children’s lives would be safe,” Mumvaneza says.Until, the swimming goes on.Ends