From a child that suffered the scars of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Charlotte Umugwaneza’s fairytale journey to one of the best women basketballers in the country is a true testimony of the power of sports in giving back the essence of life to even the most vulnerable.

The APR women basketball club captain is one of the longest-serving players for the regular season league and playoff reigning champions, having started her playing career with the army side in 2010.

Saturday Sport caught-up with the highly-rated Rwanda international and she narrated her inspiring journey to the helm of local women basketball.

Profile

Born on November 24, 1989 in Gasaka Sector, Nyamagabe district in the Southern Province, Umugwaneza is the only survivor in the family of four—three girls and one boy.

Her parents Aaron Mazuru and Susan Mukagahima and her siblings were all killed during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi that claimed over a million lives. Umugwaneza was raised by her maternal aunt.

She attended Groupe Scholaire Gasaka in her home district for primary education before joining Groupe Scholaire Notre d’ Ame de la Paix Cyanika also located in Nyamagabe district, for Ordinary level education.

For Advanced level, she joined College Saint Emmanuel de Hanika in Nyanza District where she studied Accounting and completed in 2009.

In 2010, she joined University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (INILAK) pursuing a Bachelor in Accounting and graduated in 2014.

After graduating, Umugwaneza has worked with several companies including MTN as an accountant.

Umugwaneza, who stands at 1.95m h and weighs 80kgs, has been described by some observers as one of the best center players to have come out of Rwandan women basketball.

Early days and life

As revealed above, Umugwaneza is among the thousands of innocent children that were left without parents and homeless by the 1994 tragedy, which means she never, had a chance to get the love and tenderness of her parents.

Following the death of her parents and siblings, she was taken over by her maternal aunt, who she named as Immaculee Mukamusonera.

"Honestly my childhood was a very trying period, having lost my family when I was still very young, I was forced to take whatever I was given and I was obliged to learn a lot at a young age but luckily, thanks to being humble and realizing who I was, learnt how to handle myself accordingly,” she says.

Despite growing up with passion to play football, her aunt who she describes as a "very religious” woman, never graced the idea and was against any form of sport she could engage in.

Umugwaneza narrates that, "My aunt’s family is a very religious one and the priority in my childhood was education and praying yet when I was young I used to play football but my aunt was always against it and considered it as a way of defying her.”

Despite such limitations, the 27-year-old center, who followed her heart and played football while at school, says she was a good goalkeeper and won several titles with her school in primary and ordinary level.

"When I reached A ‘Level, I told my aunt openly to let me follow my passion since I had grown up, fortunately, she listened to me and accepted. From that day, I started playing football without any fear of repercussions. I was a key player for College Saint Emmanuel de Hanika.”

Umugwaneza started playing basketball in 2009 when she was in senior six, after being encouraged by the school games’ master, called Dieudonne Ndayishimiye.

"Considering my height and athletic build, our games’ teacher advised me to try out basketball, convincing me that I had the qualities to become a good basketballer in the future and that is how I picked interest in basketball.”

"He taught me the basics, how to run with the ball and I quickly mastered that.. after a few weeks, I was named on the school team,” she recalls.

Towards the end of 2009, she was selected to be part of Nyanza district women basketball team that competed in the "Imiyoborere myiza Cup” – the team reached the national final but lost to Nyarugenge.

It was during that competition that Charles Mushumba, the current IPRC-South head coach, who was then coaching former National University of Rwanda (NUR) women’s team, spotted her and persuaded her to join his team, which was them competing in the national women league.

"He came and actually convinced my aunt and I began travelling from Nyamagabe to Huye every day for training, for three months,” Mugwaneza explains.

Umugwaneza was selected on the NUR team that travelled to Uganda for 2009 FIBA Africa Zone V Club Championship to represent Rwanda along with APR.

Playing career

Umugwaneza’s potential and performances at the Zone V Club Championship in Kampala didn’t go unnoticed – she caught the attention of APR head coach Charles Mbazumutima.

APR’s interest coincided with Umugwaneza’s relocation to Kigali where she was due to begin her University education at INILAK, hence joining the military side in 2010.

"It was tough to get playing time at APR then because they had a lot of good and experienced foreign players and I felt extremely out of place at first, but the coach continued to encourage me and I spent almost a year without getting into the first team until 2011 when the club began to use local players.”

But since breaking into the first team, the Nyamagabe-born center has gone on to develop into the team’s star player as well as the captain, guiding the club to six regular season league titles, six playoffs titles, which makes her the most successful club captain.

In 2015, she was named the best center player of the year. With APR, Umugwaneza has also competed at the Africa Zone V Club Championship every year, only missing the 2016 edition however; she is still waiting for her first regional title.

Future plans and ambitions

She says, "I believe basketball has made me who I am today and I don’t think I’m quitting any time soon, and when I retire, I hope to take a career in either coaching or refereeing.”

Appreciation

"First and foremost, I thank God for I am alive and for giving me the talent—I also thank my aunt and her family, for filling the gap of my parents in my life, coach Musumba, who spotted me for the first time and last but not least, my teammates at APR, which is my second family,” Mugwaneza explains.

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