Computer donated to worthy student

This is a story that really touched my heart,” said Charito Long, human resources manager at Scaw’s Eclipse East Foundry in South Africa.

“We often take things for granted but we do not really know what lies behind every smile.  Christian Hategekimana, an engineering student who completes his practical assignments at Eclipse between semesters,  has the biggest smile I have ever seen, despite the unspeakable suffering of his youth. He is a very humble person, always so grateful for every little blessing.”

ECLIPSE SUPPORTS HIS STUDIES

Charito explains, “When we recently gave Christian a computer to help him with his studies, he was so overwhelmed that when he came back to my office he had tears of joy in his eyes.
“That he is alive and completing a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering is testament to his determination to survive.

“Christian, an orphan refugee from Rwanda, was 11 when the genocide started in that country in April 1994.

“Rebel soldiers occupied his home, murdered his father and a brother, and shot Christian in the legs because his parents protested against the soldiers seizing their property. His mother escaped with Christian and his siblings across the border to a refugee camp in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but his mom and sister died of cholera there one year later. When his brothers returned to Rwanda to reclaim their property, they “disappeared”. Christian is the sole surviving member of his family.”

A LONG ROAD TO SAFETY

Christian has travelled a long way since the events of his childhood. Having gradually made his way out of Central Africa, he is, today, a legal immigrant in South Africa, entitled to live, study and work in the country. In 2007 he was granted study assistance by Eclipse, which has enabled him to attend the University of Johannesburg. He is in his third year of study. Charito adds, “Christian is a dedicated student. He studied his N3 Engineering diploma with a bursary from IST and obtained very good marks, so Eclipse has been happy to sponsor his studies since. The donation of the computer will help him to complete the assignments required for his diploma.”