Meet Ndayiramiye, the taxi-moto rider who returned Rwf 5.2m

Perched on a hill, it gives you a good view of Kigali’s breathtaking scenery. The small house is surrounded by trees and in the backyard is a small garden. Dressed in a pair of navy blue trousers and a black jacket, a slender man of dark complexion is at hand to receive me. In company of his wife dressed in yellow kitenge attire, he ushers me into a two-room house. The modest iron roofed house is located in Mageragera, a suburb in Nyarugenge district. Inside the house two benches and a small table is what stands out prominently. This is the home of 30-year-old Donat Ndayiramiye, a taxi moto rider who was in the news recently because of his exemplary act of returning Rwf5.2 million that belonged to a customer who was involved in an accident. By any standards Rwf5million would significantly turn around his home and life, but the father of one defied the temptation of pocketing Rwf5.2m, an act that turned him into a role model overnight. The act also earned him a brand new motor cycle from Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA). Beata Mukangabo, head of corporate affairs at RURA, hands Ndayiramiye a brand new motorcycle. At the age of 30, some youth are dreaming of living life on the fast lane, a good car, a house and all the good things that life presents. Indeed many engage in fraudulent activities to acquire these material needs. So as I sat down with Ndayimire, I saw a total contrast of what many youth at his age would do if they picked money from a stranger. The mood in the room is jovial and the couple’s one-year-old son occasionally interrupts the interview as he plays with the mum. Indeed, the home is an example of a happy home not defined by wealth or a palatial nice house. The 30-year-old man with a humble education background was recently involved in an accident, which left his customer unconscious. The customer was rushed to hospital and amidst the confusion his parcel containing Rwf5.2 million was picked by Ndayiramiye. This was a stranger that he was not expecting to meet again, but rather than pocket the money, Ndayiramiye handed the money to Police which later traced the owner. The news of the exemplary act spread like bush fire. Many praised him for his exemplary act while others said he misused an opportunity to get rich instantly. Before he could get over the ordeal, Ndayishimire got a phone call from RURA. The regulatory body awarded him a brand new motorcycle worth Rwf1.8 million as a sign of appreciation. While handing over the motor cycle the RURA official noted that Ndayiramiye’s honesty challenges every Rwandan to embrace honesty and integrity. For a man who struggles to make ends meet and only earns an average of Rwf80, 000 a month, it wouldn’t be alarming if he had decided to take off with the Rwf5.2 million. However, Ndayishimire defends his action as something he did out of responsibility because to him, striving to do what is right is what matters most other than being driven by selfish desires. “I am not a rich man, but I am always content with what I have as my own. Neither money nor any other materialistic thing can make me compromise my values, the principles that guide the life I lead. I believe we are defined by our values and not what we have,” the man who plies his business in the city centre says. Ndayiramiye with his brand new motor bike. Photos (and cover) by Timothy Kisambira. In reference to what would have happened to the customer, in case her money was taken, he cites a common saying that ‘Always do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ “I believe simple acts like this mean a lot to each one of us. The world can be a better place if only we could take such little gestures into consideration,” he says. His values at work are a reflection of the same man as a husband and father. His day starts at dawn and at around 8pm, he rushes home to be with his family. He says hard work and integrity are his guiding principles. Indeed this perhaps explains why Ndayiramye has managed to achieve a modest living standard despite having dropped out of school in primary six. “When I dropped out of school in 2002, I started farming but to be honest I felt like it wasn’t my calling. In 2006, I went to Kibungo, where I spent four years doing manual jobs,” he recalls. Later, luck smiled his way and he got a permit to operate as a taxi-moto rider. He started out riding other people’s motor bikes, but later met a regular customer who liked him for his down-to-earth character and honesty, and since then life has never been the same for Ndayiremye. An excited Ndayiramiye (centre) tests his new motorcycle as his colleagues escort him. “I met this stranger who liked me for who I was, he took my number and I thought he wanted to become a regular client but to my surprise he called me after a few days and offered me a motor bike to own, which he said I could pay back in installments,” Ndayiremye narrates. It was in 2010 when he left his home village in Ngoma in search for greener pastures to take care of his family; he has since managed to secure himself a piece of land where he has constructed a house for his family and now has a steady source of income. “Life is what you make it. What really matters is being content with what you have because there are always other people who are struggling to be where you are. But most importantly, a person should lead a life of honesty because this will be the door to endless opportunities,” he says. Wife not surprised Ndayiremye’s wife, Solange Mukambarushimana says it was luck that God gave her Ndayiremye for a husband and that when she learnt of her husband’s recent action, it didn’t come as a surprise because she has always known him as an honest man. “He is the kind of person who always keeps his word and aims at doing what is right. To him, reputation matters a lot, that’s why he is always very keen with what he does,” Mukambarushimana describes her husband. It fits within the country’s national values Ndayiramye says he prides in his country’s values which largely reflect the country’s image. “Rwanda is a role model in many aspects; many wonder how we have managed to make it this far. But it is through our shared values as a country that even in the smallest of our actions we don’t deviate.” The sky will be the limit for Ndayiramye as he plans to increase the number of his motor cycles to grow the business. In five years time he also hopes to have saved enough to venture into other businesses and to expand his small house and furnish it well.editorial@newtimes.co.rw

Lifestyle

Meet Ndayiramiye, the taxi-moto rider who returned Rwf 5.2m