A Rwandan orphan desperately raising money to stay in New Zealand and finish his education has met his goal.
Olivier Niyitegeka never knew his parents. He understands they died fleeing civil war in Congo around 2000.
"They were killed and then I was rescued. I was under the bed," he says.
He was only five months old.
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.
A Kiwi volunteer took a shine to the fast-learning Olivier and, against all odds, helped get him a passport. He's been attending Mt Albert Grammar.
His sponsorship recently fell through however, and he found himself needing $30,000 so he could enrol at Unitec, get a trade and apply for residency as a skilled migrant.
He raised $18,000 on Givealittle, but now a donor with deep pockets has approached him and offered to pay for his education.
Without it, he faced deportation - not wanting to apply for refugee status, preferring to stand on his own two feet.
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.
Newshub.
