Rwandan genocide victim, Jean De Dieu Tuyisenge`s, dream came true this week when Minolta South Africa donated R25 000 for a new prosthesis as part of Talk Radio 702`s Birthday Wish promotion.
Minolta SA public relations manager, Angie Stoffberg, says De Dieu Tuyisenge`s story touched the hearts of everyone at Minolta SA. "It`s hard to imagine what this young man has had to endure and Minolta SA wanted to do something that would make a difference to his life," she says.
At seven, De Dieu Tuyisenge witnessed the brutal murder of his mother and two younger brothers in Rwanda. He took refuge with his grandparents, who were later also attacked and murdered. The machete-yielding attackers left him with a disfigured face and a leg that had to be amputated at the knee.
Alive but orphaned, De Dieu Tuyisenge was taken in by a local Catholic monastery where he continued his schooling. At 15 he made his way to South Africa where several people and organisations including the Refugee Centre in Yeoville, the mother of one of his classmates, Mrs Matlau, and the Holy Family College, took him under their wings.
This year it became evident that De Dieu Tuyisenge needed a new prosthesis as his old one was falling apart and he had begun experiencing a lot of pain. With the money donated by Minolta SA and the necessary medical care offered by Netcare Rosebank Clinic, De Dieu Tuyisenge will soon be sporting a new prosthesis and undergo facial surgery.
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