Unpopular opinion: Gashora wasn’t that bad honestly, we were just teenagers getting the hang of life.

The truth is there is always going to be something that isn’t right even in the best of places. Seriously, try talking to someone who went to any school you know, whether in this context Riviera, GHA, and others, there is always something.

Here is the thing, Gashora was simply a replica of life in the real world, and for the average 15, 16, 17 and even 18 year old, this is not an easy thing to grasp no matter where you grew up. If you know me personally, you know I didn’t have it easy, but when I look back, honestly all the projected supposed “hate” or meanness had a lot to do with who people were on the inside. And I hate to break it to you, but there will always be those people in society. There is going to be someone who supposedly hates you for no reason at work, there will always be someone who thinks you don’t deserve what you have or that you are too lucky in life and resent you. Even worse, there can be a family member who refuses to help even when they can. And all this mess is called life.

But here is the beautiful part, you get to choose. Does this actually define you, do you become mean just because someone else has become so, do you choose to be bitter just because it surrounds you, especially in Gashora’s context, from people who don’t even know who they are quite yet (you inclusive). The only thing we can do is choose to be better friends, better schoolmates, and beyond that build better friendships, families, and a better society at large. And if we acknowledge how detrimental this can be and how much we may have hated that environment, why don’t we encourage those there to choose to change it?

I remember someone once telling me that Gashora has a way it makes you sort of forget the bigger world, or at least the bigger picture of life. She told me you will have to choose either a Gashora struggle or a life struggle, choose a life struggle.

Personally, Gashora grew me beyond the imaginable, I came out a better person, more grounded, and eager for life. Gashora showed me it was okay to be curious, loud, it was okay to stick out and think maybe things shouldn’t go this way. And you know why? because I was surrounded by some of the smartest girls in the country, I believe Gashora gave each of us something.

Yes, there were some not so pretty times, but isn’t that growth, isn’t it uncomfortable, doesn’t it sometimes feel like failing a test, feeling like you are not as fluent in a language as others, having a few clashes with a friend, not making it to the ED list, getting rejected by your plan B college, the list goes on. And looking back at this list, would you say any of these are your biggest fears in life now ?(at least for the alumni) I definitely think not.

To any current Gashora girl, muhumure, ntakidasanzwe. Whatever feels like the end of the world today there, I promise it will be something you laugh about in your early 20s. Byose bizagenda neza, you will see.

To any alumni who is still trying to navigate and fully grasp what happened in the span of their 3 years at Gashora, emotionally and mentally, I wish you healing, and more than that, liberation.