Gloria Kayirebwa is the third born in a family of six and the only person in her family to have enrolled in a University. Her story can be summed-up as From Grass to Grace. After finishing High School, she literally had no hope of ever enrolling in a higher institution of learning, thanks to the coming of Beautiful World Canada to Rwanda to support girls from poor families to have access to university, importantly vocational based education.

Without the support from Beautiful World Canada, Gloria’s dream would be shuttered. From this support she was able to pursue an advanced diploma in Information Technology at IPRC Kigali. Speaking with empathy she remembers how growing up from a poor family made her humble, something that has helped her defy all odds. As a second year student she currently serves as the Secretary to the Student Union at IPRC Kigali.

On asking her how she learnt about Beautiful World Canada scholarships, the soft spoken and calm Gloria attributes all her current achievements to a friend from the village who had received similar support. At the age of 24 she is the first person in her family to join University. This has made her family so happy and treats her with uttermost respect.

For this opportunity she promised to be a driving force in changing the family’s life status and other deprived girls in her community by encouraging them never to lose hope in life because everything is possible. “All they need to do is to stay focused and continue to work hard, one day their efforts will be rewarded”, underscored Gloria Gloria’s story serves to inspire other girls in Rwanda who still think that technical and vocational skills (TVET) are meant for boys and calls upon other girls to embrace TVET “ We cannot afford to keep under-estimating TVET education because we can do anything boys can do . “ We need to challenge the main stream norm that looks at girls with an attribute of only managing soft skills. Times have changed, we can do anything that has been culturally reserved for boys, and even do it better - Gloria proudly said.