Jururyiwacu Iris lives in a part of Kigali, Rwanda called Indera. She is the eldest of four children born to her parents, Alexis and Frida. Alexis (born in 1981) grew up in Burundi where his family fled during unrest in Rwanda in 1959. As a refugee in Burundi, getting an education was not easy, and Alexis’ education ended at 6th grade. His family returned to Rwanda after the genocide in August of 1994, where he eventually met his wife, Frida. Frida also grew up as a Rwandan refugee, but in the country of Tanzania, where her family fled in 1959. Her parents were not able to support her education, and she stopped going to school after the 5th grade. Her family returned to Rwanda in 1995, also after the genocide.

Alexis and Frida have four children: Jururyiwacu Iris, Umutoni Penuella, Umuragwa Jehovan, and Abe Isakal Tresor. Jururyiwacu Iris was born in March of 2011, and is Alexis and Frida’s eldest daughter. As of August 2026, she is in 8th grade. Iris says her favorite subject in school is English, but she is also excited to study Geography and History in the future. When she grows up, Iris would love to become a lawyer. In her free time, she enjoys riding bicycles. Her parents say she is very gifted at focusing on tasks, she is very motivated to continue learning more about the world around her, and she is a very driven young lady.

Alexis is currently the sole breadwinner for his precious family of six. Alexis creates hand-crafted and carved wooden 3D plaques, plastered over with cow dung, dried, and then painted in very beautiful designs which he sells at an arts and crafts market. He has been doing this since around the year 2012. This helps him provide for his family, but managing to put food on the table, pay rent, and send each child to school is a real challenge. Alexis and Frida are both passionate about their children receiving the opportunity they could not afford: A proper education.

Alexis hopes to see his children in school and learning languages like English and French, so they will not struggle with the language barriers that caused him to miss so many opportunities in life. Iris’ parents want her and her siblings to have radiantly bright futures. Both Alexis and Frida used to sing in the Baho Church choir before the closure of thousands of churches in Rwanda beginning in July of 2024, but they continue to praise their Lord Jesus from their home and the homes of other church members whenever they get a chance. Their involvement in Baho Church has given them a renewed hope and love for life.

On the day that they shared their story, Alexis was wearing a shirt that said “Yobu 28:28.” Job 28:28 says: “And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” As these parents raise their children with the wisdom and understanding that comes from the Lord, please consider coming alongside them in their desire to see Iris receive a proper formal education.