A Rwandan kid and a Chinese martial arts star

Bristley is a lad who works for me doing washing, cleaning etc who is invaluable and good company. I took him on when I was in Zaza when I needed someone to shop and walk to the next village to get water everyday. When I moved to the other side of the country I invited him to join me! He was separated from his family during the genocide ten years ago when he was a small child, found his way back to Zaza with the help of the UNHCR but has never seen or spoken to his parents again. So, he had nothing holding him back so he joined me!

I found a room for him in a house in the village so he has his own space and paid for him to return to Zaza for his Christmas and Birthday present so he seems content. His English is improving quickly, he’s consuming some technical books I got for him, I’ve just started teaching him computers and we’ve found a vocational training college for him to start studying mechanics and learn to drive when I leave in 2005.

He’s such a good lad – excellent attitude, hard working, lots of initiative, creative and practical, and stands out from others so I’m determined to help him build a career for the future. Funniest thing – I was told his name was Bristley which I assumed was spelt like that but the other day I asked him where it came from and he said his father worked for a Chinese man and saw some karate films and decided to call his son Bruce Lee!