Memories of life as a child laborer

“My wish was to become a pilot but my parents did not pave the way for my success,” says Valence Bagirakandi. Valence Bagirakandi, now a primary six pupil in Gishubi Primary school, in Gisagara District, was once a child laborer. He narrates a sad story of how he was mistreated, denied a chance in life and put to work. Valence, speaking at the Africa Child Day celebration held in Gisagara District, tells the public of the start in life his parents gave him. “My parents would always wake me every morning with a lot of abuses to go and chase away birds in rice plantations,” he recalls. “My father decided to deny me go to school like other children saying there was nothing I would gain from it,” he narrates his story before Gender and Family Promotion Minister, Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya. Children’s voices can be heard from a nearby playground like those of angles. They are all cerebrating Africa Child Day. “At the age of five, my father told me to go and make money which would help us get enough to eat,” Valence continues. But Valence’s family being farmers were not likely to go hungry. “I was born in a family of seven but we have never failed to get food. Our parents are farmers. They grow food crops in which we can eat and sell,” he says in an interview after his 30 minute testimony. Denying Valence a chance to go to school was out of ignorance from his parents who still believe education is not the way to progress. He remembers some time back when one of his neighbours’ advised his father to send him to school. “I remember one of our nieghbours who advised my father to take me to school but he abused him and said he is not much kinder than him on me,” he says. His father told that neighbour that he would teach his children how they make money. Born to Vedaste Harindimana and Domina Dusabe, Valence worked in rice plantations for almost two years. He would wake up at 5 a.m and work with other children. He was paid a mere Frw3,000 per month. “My father always collected my salary before the end of the month and could not leave me with some,” he recalls angrily. Valence repeats one of the songs they sung as to chase away birds in the plantations. “We had unique songs that scared birds; we would sing as loud possible,” he recalls with a smiling face. In the plantations Valence and his friends used to survive on sweet potatoes cooked in grasses. “We used to take it and immediately rush to the well searching for water because you fill thirsty after eating,” he says. Valence was lucky not to fall sick as a result of the dirty water he drank. “I am not prone to sickness,” he confidently says. Valence’s siblings are less resilient. He is his parents’ first born in a family of seven children four of whom died. After some time Valence began refusing to go to the plantations. He remembers one evening meeting his children of his age and the abuse they gave him. “They all laughed at me and said I was stupid because of not going to school,” he recalls. Valence rushed home and told his mother he was tired of chasing birds and wanted to go to school. His mother referred him to his father since she had no powers to decide. His father was shocked to hear such a “stupid” decision from his son. “He was going to kill me asking where I got that stupid idea,” Valence remembers. “Who gave you that stupid idea? You want to leave your job and go to get northing there,” Valence imitates his father who has himself never been to school. “I think my parents did not know the value of education but now they can understand,” he says. Finally, members of Turengerabana Cooperative, a cooperative that advocates for education of Gisagara children, put pressure on Valence’s parents to allow him to go to school. They accepted and put him to school where he has made wonders out of a miserable life. Ever since he started schooling, Valence has never repeated a class; he always comes close to top of the class. He is fast forgetting plantation life and once again dreams of becoming a pilot. Ends