A Silent Childhood Turned Into a Voice for Change

My name is Ishimwe Fabrice, and my journey began with sound but changed forever when I became deaf at the age of seven. Before that, I was an ordinary, joyful child who loved learning, playing, and talking with friends. Then one day, after a severe illness that left me in a coma, I woke up in silence. The world I knew disappeared, and a new one began a world without sound, without understanding, and without inclusion. Becoming deaf was not only a physical change; it became a life of challenges. The people I used to talk to, the friends who once surrounded me, and even some relatives slowly drifted away. Communication barriers built invisible walls around me. I was no longer seen as a capable child I was treated as someone who could not learn or dream like others.