Djuma Adams Mugabo thinks of himself as a fortunate human being.
Considering he is one of the few children to have survived the Rwandan genocide that ran for 100 days from April 6, 1994, you may agree. Consider then that he grew up without his family, on the streets of a country where dead bodies littered the streets and landmines lay in wait of innocent civilians, and you may reconsider his fortune.
“It was a really horrifying time. It was inhuman and you couldn’t believe what was happening, ” said former Rwanda rugby captain Mugabo, who was just eight years old when the tragedy struck his country and he was forced to live on the streets.
“I remember losing some of my family members and friends. I remember there were dead bodies on the streets, all the walls had bullet holes and landmines were exploding as some were still active and people, even some of my friends, lost legs as a result.”
This week marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most brutal acts of tribal cleansing the history books can never forget.
It was 1994 when up to 1 million people were killed as the Hutu tribe set about eradicating Rwanda of its rival Tutsi population.
The statistics get even more horrific.
According to a recent Huffington Post article nearly six men, women and children were murdered every minute of every hour of every day. A meagre 300-400,000 people survived the brutality, at least 250,000 women were raped and 95,000 children were orphaned.
Remarkably, all this occurred over the course of just three months.
Mugabo, however, is positively optimistic, even grateful for the way his life has turned out. He views every horrific turn of events as a test of his character. Every win he’s ever had he regards a miracle.
He’s certainly come a long way since selling cigarettes on the Kigali streets and carrying people’s bags as ways of making money. At this time, Mugabo’s sisters were begging on the streets after they fled to the Congolese border with their mother.
Rugby has been Mugabo’s saving grace. In the years following those harrowing 100 days that irreversibly shaped the lives of Mugabo and his people, rugby has played a pivotal role in the most significant moments of his life.
In the absence of his father, who had to leave his young family in 1994 in fear of being murdered, Mugabo’s journey has been shaped by some significant and influential men who have thrust him into rugby where he has found salvation.
The first of those men is a Libyan by the name of Mahfouth who took Mugabo into his home and raised him like his own. It was Mahfouth who paid for Mugabo’s education, converted him to Islam and paved the way for the youngster to sample rugby for the first time. When Mahfouth returned to Libya after losing his job, it was rugby that allowed Mugabo to return to school after being forced to go without education for 18 months.
“It was in my third year that I started playing rugby at school and was introduced to the game,” Mugabo explained. “After I got to my fourth year in secondary school, Mahfouth had his work contract terminated so he had to go back home and I was fired from school as I had no way of paying for it. I didn’t know what to do.
“But because they knew I was a good rugby player, a Catholic School named St. Joseph’s called me to play for their team which is how I went back to school after a year-and-a-half of not studying. “
His rise from there was somewhat meteoric and in just a few years, Mugabo was representing Rwanda and travelling to neighbouring countries wearing the colours of the Silverbacks.
“When I was still in secondary school, we were playing an inter-school game and the head coach of the Rwanda national team, called Phillip, saw me playing and he told me: ‘I want you to come to the national team training’. I was really surprised and I couldn’t believe that one day I would be representing my country. When I went to training he said: ‘you are really talented and we need you!’
“In 2005, when I was 19, I went on one trip to Kenya as a replacement. Then in 2006 I got into the team and was starting every game. Then in 2010 that was my first time to fly away from home to Hong Kong where we played the Kowlons championships, which is a ten-a-side tournament. “
It was this tournament in Hong Kong that Mugabo remembers most fondly as the pinnacle of his international career and the reason why he met arguably the most significant person in his life thus far; Dave Hughes.
“[Hughes] was responsible for sponsoring the team going to Hong Kong every year,” Mugabo said. “He became the Godfather of my son and my friend as he liked the way that I played rugby. “
Just as Mugabo’s rugby career was taking off, it was tragically cut short. The 2011 Kowlons competition proved to be his last when he suffered a career-ending injury.
But Mugabo isn’t bitter, although his only criticism during our whole conversation comes when he takes brief aim at the Rwandan Rugby Federation.
“[In 2012] a week before we were supposed to go to Hong Kong I got injured as we prepared for the tournament. Everyone was there, the federation people [included], but during the six months I spent in my bed I didn’t go to see a doctor and not one person from Rwandan rugby called to see how I was doing.
“Most of the time we used soccer fields to play and train. The field was not good and I was running and tripped in a hole just as I was turning. My leg stuck in the hole and my knee twisted. It hurt really, really bad. I fell down and couldn’t walk afterwards.”
Mugabo hasn’t received any treatment or played for his country since but he still remains utterly loyal to helping develop rugby in Rwanda. Given his situation, you can understand why he is passionately campaigning for a dedicated rugby pitch built in the country.
“Rwandan rugby is developing,” Mugabo states. “In my opinion there is a lot of talent in Rwanda but we lack good organisation.
“If you talk about or watch videos of rugby in Rwanda, there is talent but we lack good management, a good structure and a rugby field – which is one thing that we really need.
“We don’t have any rugby pitch or rugby club, yet you will still see many people playing, including women and kids. I want rugby to be a good game in Rwanda because it’s already bringing people together – in rugby there is no division.”
His beloved sport even brought Mugabo to Dubai, with a little help from Hughes, although his time in the country has now proven to be short-lived.
A chance meeting at Hughes’ wedding, where Mugabo was one of the best men, resulted in the fly-half getting a job in a restaurant in Rwanda which in turn led to an opportunity at the JW Marriot Marquis.
“Rugby is a very good game where you meet very good people. It is through rugby [that I ended up in Dubai] because if I didn’t meet Dave Hughes then I couldn’t meet [Marriott human resources vice-president] Gary Dodd so you understand how it all came about [through rugby].
“I wanted something big as I always believe that big dreamers are big achievers and I was so happy to have got the job in Dubai.
“Unfortunately, my medical found a blood infection. It is not chronic so I can get it treated but it means that I have to go back to my country as I’m not allowed to continue to work there.
“It was a bit shocking to hear that news as I had already made plans and had a vision [of living in the UAE] but I believe that everything happens for a reason and I always remain positive.”
Mugabo now hopes to give back to the game that has given him so much by developing the sport and its young players in Rwanda.
And you can be sure that he will bounce back from his latest setback. His next step will – unsurprisingly – also feature rugby.
As for Rwanda now?
“To tell you the truth, now it is like a miracle,” Mugabo replied. “Now you cannot believe that something so brutal happened just 20 years ago. Now the country is peaceful, it is clean, the people are [united] together and it’s the young generation who want to study and want to excel.”
Regardless of the adversities that Mugabo has had to overcome at nearly every turn in his life, his optimism and positivity is remarkable. He understandably finds solace in rugby and you can be sure that his sheer passion for the sport and determination to succeed will once again see the 28 year-old find his feet.
As Djuma Adams Mugabo says: “big dreamers become big achievers”, and you can bet that if Mugabo continues to believe, he will continue to achieve despite any obstacle he faces.
