Umuragwa Jehovan lives in a part of Kigali, Rwanda called Indera. He is the third of four children born to his 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.

Jehovan was born in August of 2017. As of August 2026, he is in third grade. Jehovan’s favorite subject is French. He wants to become a pilot when he grows up. In his free time, Jehovan loves to play soccer. His parents say he is a determined and good son. When they send him to bring something home from the market, he is very fast and reliable. He enjoys helping his father with Alexis’ craft business.

Alexis explained that when Jehovan was four, he became ill with an unknown “head sickness” where he would faint randomly. They took him to every hospital they could manage, but no one could identify the sickness. It caused a mental problem in Jehovan where he could not take himself to the toilet and would end up soiling himself. Alexis moved his family because the neighbors in their previous area were speaking negatively about Jehovan and his condition.

When they came to their current home, they had lost hope in hospitals, and decided they wanted prayer for their son. They found Baho Church and Pastor Rose Ngabo prayed for Jehovan. On that Sunday, Pastor James preached about Elijah and about prayers being answered. Now encouraged, Alexis made the decision to take Jehovan back to the hospital. That is when a doctor was finally able to diagnose the problem as Silent Epilepsy. Jehovan was given medication and has dramatically improved. His father says that people often forget about what God has done for them, but the two things he can never forget are Baho Church and its pastors, because through them, God restored his child’s life. Jehovan used to struggle in school, but since receiving treatment, he has made big improvements.

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. Jehovan’s parents want him and his 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 Jehovan receive a proper formal education.