Ange Nadette Batete's Story
I was born into a family of six children, two boys and four girls. I am the fifth child, which makes me the third girl. We live between two beautiful mountains, Mountain Kigali and Rebero. When I was young, I loved sitting outside, looking up at the sky, watching the stars. I always thought that if I had the ability, I would go out there, see the stars, and touch them.
When I was in kindergarten, our teacher once gave us homework to ask our parents what we wanted to become in the future. Because I already knew that I wanted to be one of the people who go to space to see the stars, I did not ask them. The following day, I went to school excited because I was finally going to share my dream. The teacher asked each student what their parents had told them. Some said they wanted to become doctors, pilots, or presidents.
When it was my turn, I said, “I want to go to space.” As soon as I said that, the whole class burst into laughter, including the teacher. She even called her colleagues to look at “the girl who wants to go to space.” One of her colleagues told me that if I studied and passed physics, I would go to space. From that moment, I understood that I needed to study physics to reach my dream. That gave me the courage to work hard in primary school, pass with flying colors, and become the best in my class.
I finished the year knowing that the next year I would finally study physics. When I reached Primary Five, I met the same teacher from Nursery who had told me about physics. I told him, “You are the one who said physics will take me to space, so are you going to teach me about it?” He replied that it was too early, but that if I passed my exams and went to secondary school, I would study physics then.
At that moment, I felt hopeless because it seemed like physics was still far away. But nothing stopped me from working hard, and I passed primary school with excellent grades.
I went to secondary school carrying the same question, still hoping to finally meet physics. But I was surprised when I found out that the physics I had imagined was very different. No one was teaching me how to go to space. I stayed determined to study physics in Advanced Level. During my third year, when choosing our A-Level combinations, I chose Mathematics, Physics, and Geography to help me achieve my dream. Thankfully, I passed my exams and scored 84 in Physics. I felt hopeful that I was finally going to study physics deeply. Little did I know that my dream was about to take another turn.
The Government of Rwanda saw something in me that I did not see in myself. I was selected among a few students to join a unique school that teaches software programming and embedded systems. It was hard for me to accept that my physics path to space might be fading, but my parents planted in me a seed of persistence. They reminded me that the future is bright. I accepted the opportunity and joined the school. At first, it was extremely difficult, to the point where I wished I could transfer back. But I remembered my parents’ words: never give up, and where there is a will, there is a way.
The first term was challenging, but I made it through. I went home for the holidays eager to show the new skills I had learned in coding. One day, when I went to the sector office with my mother to collect my national ID, I met one of my old classmates from primary school. They asked me if I had found the physics that would take me to space. I told them that what I study now is also powerful enough to benefit the world. There are many ways a person can contribute, including software programming and embedded systems.
I returned to school motivated to use my skills to help my family and community. I started a project to teach fellow students how to code, and I was fortunate to be selected as one of the winners. My project was funded by Girl Up in partnership with UN Women. Beyond this award, I participated in many competitions and consistently received certificates and recognition.
My mission is to impact the lives of people. I realized that my voice alone cannot reach everyone, but I believe that the few people I impact can become advocates who pass on inspiration to others. Those people will then impact more people, until we build a large community shaped not by my voice alone but by all the voices I have empowered.
My voice will also be passed through my book, a book that highlights my story, different from the ones in our English textbooks. It is the story of a girl who dreamed of going to space to see the stars. A girl who once felt ashamed to speak about her dream. A girl who never walked away from that dream, even when life took a different route. A book that will speak louder than I ever could, echoing through the world. A book about never being afraid to dream.
In this world of technology, I believe that if I am given the opportunity to build on what I already know, I can still reach my dream. The skills I will gain from studying Computer Science will support my mission without taking me away from my dream, because science and technology shape the world and space exploration. No one gets lost; sometimes you simply take the longer route, but you still reach where you are meant to be.
I want to share my dream, bright and broad.
