Mutoni is 12 and full of wonder. She lives in a quiet village in Gakenke District, where the lights often flicker out and where girls are still told that science is not for them. But Mutoni doesn’t listen. Her imagination runs on questions and the stubborn belief that one day, she’ll become a scientist who helps her community see things differently. ALSO READ: Comics.Africa: How new digital comic platform is revolutionizing African Storytelling That dream takes form in Mutoni: The Innovator of Kiruku, a new comic book by science journalist Patrick Nzabonimpa, launched on October 29 at GS Kacyiru II. “Mutoni faced many challenges,” Nzabonimpa said after the launch. “But she kept going, and I wanted her story to challenge the stereotypes that still keep girls away from STEM.” ALSO READ: Africa’s first Olympiad-focused STEM school launched with bold mission In the story, Mutoni’s world grows from small home experiments—like lighting a bulb with dry cells—to a school project that changes everything. Alongside her friends Simbi and Kagabo, she builds an agricultural machine that transforms their village and earns them recognition both locally and abroad. By the time they graduate, their inventions have turned into a company built on the belief that ideas can uplift entire communities. “The comic format lets students see and feel the story,” Nzabonimpa said. “They can interact with the illustrations and understand science as something fun and possible.” Illustrated by Reuben Niyonkuru, the book brings Mutoni’s curiosity to life through bright panels and expressive characters. It shows that science is not just a subject—it’s a way to question, to build, to create change. The project grew out of Nzabonimpa’s recognition as Rwanda’s Best Science, Technology and Innovation Communicator, an award he received in 2023 from the National Council for Science and Technology (NSCT). Part of the prize was to design a project that promoted public awareness of science. “I wanted to connect my passion for writing with my passion for science,” he said. At the launch, Nzabonimpa was joined by Marie Chantal Cyulinyana, a physicist and founder of the Rwandan Association for Women in Science and Engineering (RAWISE). She reminded the students that science isn’t magic—it’s a skill they can learn and use to solve real problems. “A book like this lasts,” she said. “It keeps the message alive long after the event.” The comic, published by Imagine We Rwanda and priced at Rwf17,000, uses simple English and visuals that make complex ideas easy to grasp. Nzabonimpa has begun taking it directly to schools, where he hosts interactive sessions that spark curiosity and critical thinking among students. For young readers, Mutoni: The Innovator of Kiruku is more than a story about science. It’s a reminder that imagination, when paired with persistence, can light up even the darkest corners—and that the next great inventor might just be sitting in a classroom, pencil in hand, dreaming of something new.
