How many children are living with you?
I've got nine children here, five boys and four girls. We are a very close-knit family.
How would you describe your task as an SOS mother?
The most important thing for an SOS mother is to love children. This job needs somebody who is totally dedicated because sometimes you don't get a wink of sleep all night, because one of the children is ill. Can you imagine that with nine children? They've all got problems and all want to be heard.
What was the most special and beautiful moment you ever experienced as an SOS mother?
I remember first the day Willy was admitted to the SOS Children's Village in 1994. Willy was an orphan who was picked up near a hospital in Kigali after the death of his mother and his father during the genocide. Back then, he was not even two weeks old and weighed about 800 grams. He was so ill and so weak that every day I wondered if we would make it saving his life. I put in all my motherly energy and a lot of effort. Willy always had my attention on him. Today, Willy is 14 and in good health. It makes me so happy watching him go to school every day and play with his brothers and sisters, classmates and friends.
There are also those beautiful memories of my twins, Nadette and Nadège. They were admitted to SOS Children's Village Kigali in 2001 after their mother had died; they were only two-months old. Neither their poor father, nor any other family member was in a position to take care of them. Arriving at the village, they were crying a lot as they had trouble adapting themselves to the new situation. I often spent whole nights awake, carrying them around and consoling them so they would stop crying. Now, Nadette and Nadège have turned seven; they are in their second primary year at school. I am extremely proud of their performance at school and all those years of effort I've put in.
I am very proud of David; his story is quite unique. David was admitted to the village in 1998 (with some of his brothers) under exceptional conditions, as he was already 12 back then. He came from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he witnessed the murder of his mother and father during the war that struck the country. He was deeply traumatized. I put in all effort I was able to in that kind of situation in order to "bring him back" into leading some normal life. Little by little, David managed to reconnect with his feelings and resume schooling, which had also been threatened. He's 22 now, at university. He never failed a single class. I'm so proud of him.
However, I don't think there's anything more touching than hearing a child call you "mummy". Taking care of the needy children and helping them become responsible people in society is an exciting work, which gives you a lot of joy and satisfaction. I also love to remember spending Christmas and New Year's Eve with my children; those were opportunities to talk about what they liked, their sorrow, and the problems they were faced with in day-to-day life. Well, of course it was also a good excuse for a party!
What special thing do you think you can give the children to help them on their way?
That they learn from the special kind of relationship we have and abstain from violence.
What do you wish for the girls and the boys?
I would like to see them become active people.
What is your wish for all the mothers in the world and the SOS mothers in particular?
I am calling upon all mothers in the world to love their children unconditionally. No woman may be called mummy without there being love and affection. Mothers should love their children, whether biological children or not. They must be able to understand their children and assist them in solving their problems. I also call upon SOS mothers to be patient and persevering. We have to be patient, because we have a noble and difficult work to perform. Our work is difficult because we take care of children coming from different areas with a heavily-charged background looking at their age. We have to help them succeed and become responsible adults in the future; that is not an easy task at all. We have to be patient and persevering, because we have to face serious problems which can only be solved if we put ourselves in the shoes of the children. Some of them can even be very complicated at times, but we have to make the effort to understand them and help them, because this is often connected to their painful past.
How do you celebrate Mother's Day at the SOS Children's Village with your SOS children?
On Mother's Day, the village organizes a ceremony honoring all SOS mothers with several invited guests. Children do socio-cultural performances, such as songs, dance, poems and sketches. They offer presents to their mothers like flowers and beautiful hand-made cards. Those presents are an expression of tenderness and love. After the ceremony, everybody gets together for refreshments. I always prepare a substantial meal for my children and some friends at the family house in addition to what is being prepared for all SOS mothers at the village. It is an important day when all the women in the world can really feel what it's like to be a mother and parent.
SOS mother Théogène was among the recipients of the Ring of Honor of SOS Children's Villages, in recognition for the work done since 1994. The Ring of Honor was granted to her on 18 March 2008 by SOS Children's Villages President Kutin, during his visit to Rwanda. These are her feelings about being awarded the Ring of Honor:
'To me, the Ring of Honour of SOS Children's Villages represents the strength, courage and the need to do even more. It represents strength and courage to carry out the noble task of taking care of the children who have lost the love of their parents. We SOS mothers owe these children affection and love.
An SOS mother needs a lot of strength to take care of ten children simultaneously, otherwise she will never succeed. I need courage everyday anew to carry out this mission. I intend to work more so that my family house is the place where people at the village can copy best practice. I need strength and courage to take initiative and serve as a role model. The Ring of Honour of SOS Children's Village is a motivation to contribute even more to the success of our children and the village as a community. The village must be a mirror for the surrounding community, and I have to contribute to this everyday more and more.