Where future ministers fish

WESTERN PROVINCE Tall thick trees and banana plantations make Kwizhwi island an exclusive one from most of Lake Kivu islands. Best known for its Mazizi bananas, the island has also been attracting fishers of all times for its infamous 30-meter water wells where large catches swim. This is a place for young people with big dreams, who can’t seem to find one way or another to settle down. With a primary school in terrible state, the wells by the island attract some of the poorest children in country, with some of the biggest dreams. For Patric Ndayizeye, who goes fishing on the island after school to help feed his family and earn money, it is only a matter of time before he is rich and famous. “I will be Sports minister,” he said. “I admire Minister Joseph Habineza a lot.” At 3 in the afternoon, when the rest of the children are playing, Ndayizeye rushes home to help catch some fish before sundown. With three tilapia fish as a catch, Patric is very satisfied with his work, for even people with big nets at times only catch the small Sambaza. What gives this kid more hope is the fact that everything has a history. “Just in primary four, Patric is a challenge,” says his father, Ernest Mutamba. “When I tell him we are poor and can’t handle taking him to secondary his reply is always I am a man and will achieve it through hard work.” Patric, 13, is among 4 children. When he sells his fish, he never forgets to save some money for the future. “Yesterday I saved 300 Francs and today I am going to keep one hundred.” Asked about the way he saves, he proudly talks of his wooden box. Determined to achieve his goals through fishing to sort out all his needs, he as well goes fishing very early in the morning before he goes to school. “At first I wouldn’t let him but now that I see what he achieves each day that passes by, I let him go fishing,” Ernest says, who is also a fisherman. Patric credits his experience with closely watching his father work. “Since I was six, I used to make local hooks using sticks, inshinje [local grass] plus banana fibres; then I would set for my work,” says Patrick. Of course, any success story has its moment of disaster and conflict. For Patric, is the unforgettable day when he nearly drowned after catching a powerful, energetic fish in the Kivu water the young boy could not control. On many occasions, bad weather disrupts work as fishers have to swim to farther depths to place hooks, and winds off the lake misdirect them and can cause large waves. “ I believe one time I will have a big catch, then use that money to buy a bigger net after that I will go fishing day and night to get secondary school fees, until I am done with studies and become a recognized sports minister,” he said. Ends