Guns or Doughnuts

“I grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist family in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After a long period of violence and insecurity in my home area, I decided to join my older brother and become a soldier in the resistance army. Our family—my parents and younger siblings—were constantly under attack, so I became a soldier to protect them.”

Claude would rather talk about his work in the bakery than return to the fear-filled memories that overwhelmed him as a teenager. He had not wanted to become a warrior, but service with the resistance army seemed to offer some hope for a better life. Instead the insecurity worsened, and eventually his family fled to Rwanda, where they joined thousands of others as refugees.

“I stayed behind as a soldier with the resistance army, but by 2012 my older brother and I were tired of the army life, exhausted by everything we had gone through.

“It was during that time that I chose Jesus as my Savior. I realized life without Him could not satisfy me. I also remember praying to God when I was in frontline fighting. There was so much shooting and killing that I felt certain I was going to die. I remember I was missing my mom so much. I prayed that God would help me not die without seeing my mom, and He saved me.”

One of Claude’s worst memories during that time was calling his mother and hearing her sobbing. “All my children are going to die!” she cried. That was when Claude decided to leave the army and join his mother and younger brother in the refugee camp across the border in Rwanda. One look at his mother’s relieved face told him that he had made the right decision.

There wasn’t anything for a young soldier to do in the camp, but there was an elementary school that offered classes up through grade 9.

“I didn’t believe I could go back to school and succeed, but I gave it a try,” says Claude. “I returned to school in eighth grade. I worked hard, and things started to improve. After eighth grade I advanced to ninth grade and enjoyed learning everything I could.”

Conditions in the camp were horrible. There were no jobs, little food, and no chance for Claude to fulfill his dreams of further education beyond ninth grade. For a while he was so discouraged that he decided the only thing for him to do was to return to the Congo and fight with the resistance army. His life, however, took a different turn when a team from Impact Hope arrived in the camp offering scholarships for upper secondary education.

Impacted by Hope

Hundreds of incredibly intelligent Seventh-day Adventist students like Claude have been mired in the refugee camps, eager to continue their education. But to attend the next grade in nearby towns, students have to walk miles there and back in the dark each day—journeys that are extremely dangerous, especially for the girls.

Stories of the need for a safe education reached several Adventist families abroad. They listened, visited the refugee camps in Rwanda, and devised a creative solution.

“There were several Adventist boarding academies in Rwanda, and all had empty beds,” says Mindy Thygeson, president and cofounder of Impact Hope. “When we returned home, we began raising funds to provide scholarships for refugee youth to continue their education in the safety of one of these boarding academies. Today we offer more than 800 academy scholarships for the best students in the refugee camps.”

“I was fortunate to be selected as one of the first candidates when Impact Hope was starting up,” Claude says. “Many young people in the camp wanted this opportunity, and I felt truly blessed to be among those chosen.”

Claude’s scholarship made it possible for him to attend Gahogo Adventist Academy in Muhanga district, Rwanda, and continue his education through twelfth grade.

When I think back to my days of desperation in the refugee camp, I thank God often that I did not just give up and go back to the army. Instead God has given me new and better ways to be happy and productive with Him.

“I’ll never forget the first time I saw the school campus,” Claude laughs. “As we were traveling to the Adventist academy, the driver pulled in at a beautiful place I thought must be a very special rest stop. When they told us this was our new school, I could hardly believe it. I was amazed that this truly was Gahogo Adventist Academy, the school I was going to attend.”

Claude studied hard and graduated from the academy in 2018. After graduation he was sponsored by Impact Hope to attend a one-year culinary arts vocational program operated by the Rwandan government. He immediately knew that he had found his dream!

Hands in the Dough

“Upon graduation from the culinary arts program, I got my first real job in the kitchen of a major Rwandan resort. Then Impact Hope contacted me again and invited me to become a culinary arts trainer at their new vocational training center: Center for Hope, right here in Rwanda.”

The Center for Hope offers six-month courses that lead to a vocational certificate that will provide students with a way to earn income for life. The four current career options are tailoring, hairdressing, culinary arts, and agriculture. You will find Claude, obviously, with his hands deep in the dough at the bakery.

“We were excited that Claude now leads our Center for Hope bakery,” says Brian Manley, director of Impact Hope. “Instead of fighting on the front lines in the Congo, he is becoming a very skilled leader in our bakery, mentoring countless others behind him.”

“Now that I am fully employed here in the bakery,” Claude says with a wide smile, “I am earning enough money so that I can pay my own way through the university courses and earn a full degree.”

A couple of Claude’s young students interrupt the conversation with a baking question, and he gives them a quick lesson on how to make sure the doughnuts (or mandazi, as they are called locally) are perfectly round balls. Then he continues: “I do not want just a little learning, but am eager to learn all I can, and as quickly as possible. When I think back to my days of desperation in the refugee camp, I thank God often that I did not just give up and go back to the army. Instead God has given me new and better ways to be happy and productive with Him.”

“Working with students reminds me of how Jesus walked with disciples. He taught them, corrected them, encouraged them. Most important, He loved them deeply. I see my role with students that way—to walk alongside them, guiding and planting seeds of faith that God will grow in His time.”

“By the way,” Claude asks, “may I offer you a mandazi?”