The Day I Will Never Forget
Mfurakazi,
Esperance
Grade: 11
School: Fargo South High School, Fargo ND
Educator: Leah Juelke
AWARD: Gold Key, American Voices nominee
“Help! Help! Help! Help! Help!” someone
desperately shouted.
“Mufatane amaboko,” my mom told us. We came out of the house intensely
holding each other’s hands and we saw the dark sky. It looked like it had
turned red. I was following where everyone else was going, I was so scared and
I did not know what was going on. I was soon separated from my family and I
started running faster.
Earlier in the evening, everyone had
been happy. The people in our community of Banyamurenge in Burundi had integrity and respect for everyone.
I was five years old and I was playing with my sisters. Sometimes we used to
make fun of my elder sister and tell her that whenever she would get married,
we would all have to follow her.
“Mwarasaze,” my sister would say.
My parents were always the best gift I
could ever ask for. My wonderful dad used to encourage us. He would tell us to
not listen to people who think that girls won’t be able to achieve much. He
told us
