This is a brief glimpse into the life of Adela Bazigaga Bayingana who will be refereed to as 'Mama' in this blog, and upcoming blogs. She is Mama, not only because she birthed me, but because she was a mother to so many who found solace in her gentle arms and kind spirit. She lived for what she could give to others and for that reason not so many are aware of her background and the kind of journey that informed who she was to so many in Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was born on the eve of Christmas in 1937 into the loving family of Fortuné Nkeragutabara and Angèle Mukakayijuka. She was the 2nd born and eldest daughter to her parents who were devout Catholics. She was raised in the traditions of the Catholic Church and was well loved and adored by her parents. Mama grew up during the Belgian Colonization in Rwanda. As a young teenager, she was sent to l’École ménagère (…) in Nyanza, a girls’ school set up by Belgian nuns to train young ladies to become good wives and home makers to various chiefs in the territory. They learned home economics, sewing, cooking, baking and etiquette required of a noble woman. While there, Mama was a quiet beauty who simply loved to laugh, sing and dance. One of the most iconic Rwandan traditional singers known as Sentore used to refer to her as “Bikira Maria” (Virgin Mary) due to her stunning beauty and graceful manners. During church mass, when Mama rose up to go for holy communion, many young men would gently stroll behind her in what seemed like holy devotion to God but was simply desperate attempts for better proximity to gain her attention. A few miles south of Nyanza her would-be husband, Bayingana Ntango (Who will be refereed to as Papa) was studying medicine at the first Belgian medical school popularly known as Group Scolaire Reine Astrid which was named after the queen of Belgium. Papa was in the first group of young Africans who were being trained to become medical doctors and work for the colonial government. One summer day in 1953 while Mama was back home, she went to see her mother at the hospital in Mibirizi where unbeknownst to her, Papa was doing his medical internship. It was love at first sight! Upon returning to her home she told her parents that she was not going back to school in Nyanza because she had found the man she would marry. When telling this story, Mama always had a contagious laugh trying to convince us that Papa was dashing debonair handsome fella. The two were soon inseparable and they got married at the Mibirizi church in 1954. They together built a family across four countries, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Uganda, suffered through wars, near death experiences, exiles, became refugees, acquired other citizenships and came back to Rwanda in 1994 much more refined through the furnace of trials and resilience. Mama was a strong woman who gave birth to fifteen (15) children and loved them well. She gave of herself and was there for each of them through prayer, humor and a sincere pursuit of excellence. She lived what she preached, she was a hard worker whose hands and feet never slacked. Like any mother, she was loving but would not hesitate to descend upon us with wrath when we were becoming nuisances, and she would not spare the rod! She taught us to be mothers and to love without unconditionally, and without reservations. Towards the end of her life, she was content and found joy in her 37 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. She loved her Children-in-laws, and treated them as her very own. Mama was our best friend, our confidant and model for hard work and resilience. She was prayerful and helped her family and community through prayer and selfless service. She loved fiercely and gave of herself unreservedly. She loved everyone she encountered until the last day. Her life was spent in church serving God and supporting pastors and the people of God. In her community, she hurt with those who were hurting, cried with those who cried and above all loved to laugh. She looked for opportunities and things to laugh about and her laugh was contagious. Her children were her pride and joy and everyone who crossed her path felt loved and cherished. She was a creative entrepreneur who worked with her hands and provided for her family. A virtuous woman who was diligent with her hands, everything she touched was blessed. She is a mother to a doctor, a lawyer, architect, economists, bankers, statisticians, entrepreneurs, freedom fighters and nation builders! We were so blessed to call her mama as did countless others whom she impacted with her gentle spirit. This blog is dedicated to the preservation of her memory through chronicling her amazing legacies for the benefit of our healing and for future generations. Her Legacies include Generosity, leadership, hospitality, nurturing, and so much more.
For the net 13 weeks, this blog will be updated on a weekly basis in an effort to celebrate her life and legacy.
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