An orphan from Rwanda is desperately trying to raise money to finish his education in New Zealand.
Olivier Niyitegeka never knew his parents and he's been told they must have died fleeing civil war in Congo around 2000.
"They were killed and then I was rescued. I was under the bed," he says.
The Red Cross took him to an orphanage where he was given the name Olivier, where he stayed until he was 14, helping the younger kids.
"I used to ask the caregivers, 'Why are we here? Where are my parents? Where is my mum?'," he says.
"I used to have some sad moments but I never give up on smiling, trying to make everybody happy."
A Kiwi volunteer took a shine to the fast-learning Olivier and, against all odds, helped get him a passport.
Olivier was brought to Mount Albert Grammar School, where he loved volunteering, football and kapa haka; Māori culture reminds him of home.
Olivier's sponsorship has now fallen through, so to raise funds for education, his friends have set up a Givealittle page. He also gardens and sells chocolate.
"I think I've sold about thousands of chocolates, because every day I used to sell 100 chocolates and make $100," he says.
But Olivier's still well short of the $30,000 he needs to raise by mid-February to go to Unitec. His aim: to get a trade so he can apply for residency as a skilled migrant.
"[I want to get a] good paid job and keep making friends and tell them about Rwanda," he says.
Stigma surrounds orphans in Rwanda. They're seen as bad luck and they get attacked, but Olivier still wants to return home.
"To help Rwanda, to help Rwandan children, to help stop injustices that happens all over Rwanda. To speak for children, like orphans," he says.
If he fails to get the funding, Olivier could face deportation.
As a last resort he may be able to apply for refugee status, but he wants to stand on his own two feet instead.
Newshub.
