Henriette Kwizera is 12 years old and has a physical disability. She lives with her parents, older brother and younger sister in Nyaruguru District in the Southern Province of Rwanda and is in her third year of primary school.
Henriette managed to get into school thanks to information campaigns carried out by the National Union of Disability Organisations in Rwanda (NUDOR).
”It was a teacher who met my parents and told them about the educational opportunities for children with disabilities. The teacher told me that I should come to school and join the school's new disability and human rights club,” says Henriette.
Henriette asked her parents to let her go to school many times and finally they allowed her to go. At school, she met other children, both with and without disabilities. They started to socialise, play, have fun and fight together against things like isolation and self-discrimination outside school.
”I felt better at school because the club had taught other children that we, children with disabilities, are the same as other children, so we can be free and play with them. They don't insult us anymore or say bad words like they used to,” says Henriette.
Henriette wants to continue her studies at university. Her dream is to become a doctor and take care of people, especially people with disabilities.
