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Patrick
Patrick
Karekezi
I survived against all odds. Now, I am helping to create a stronger generation of Africans.
@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
Patrick
Karekezi
I survived against all odds. Now, I am helping to create a stronger generation of Africans.
Patrick's Story
I survived Kwashiorkor against all odds, and currently work with young people to help empower them to realize their potential. I will never underestimate the impact of nutrition on education, nor the impact of education on one’s life.
As a child growing up in Rwanda, I suffered from Kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition. My mother would walk eight kilometers each day to a hospital to seek treatment and, due to her perseverance; I was able to begin the long road to recovery. I defied all odds and slowly recovered enough to attend school. However, in 2008, tragedy struck, and my parents died in a car accident.
Homeless and alone, I fell into a deep depression and had to leave school. My uncle, who adopted me and brought me to live with him in Jinja, Uganda, offered a glimmer of hope.
I survived against all odds. Now, I am helping to create a stronger generation of Africans.
In Uganda, I was able to begin a new chapter. Despite not speaking English, the language of my new school, I quickly learnt, seizing the opportunity to create a positive future for myself. Scholarships, prizes and academic awards soon followed – and indeed, have not stopped: I recently secured full funding to enroll at the African Leadership University in September 2019.
Leadership at school came naturally to me, being elected to the Student Council and to the Ugandan National Students Association. I used this platform to write two books – aimed at encouraging young people to realize their potential and become change makers – and found a youth organization, TALA – Touch A Life Anywhere, to create a more sustainable world for the current and future generations.
I am excited to pursue an undergraduate degree in global challenges, and use my story to inspire action to achieve SDGs 1, 2, 3 and 4, creating a better world for all.
@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
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@ Gates Archive/Jonathan Torgovnik
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