Rwandese-Irish scholar, activist and writer, Dr Sandrine Uwase Ndahiro, this week celebrated the culmination of a 10-year journey at şÚÁĎÉç as she was conferred with a PhD in English Literature from the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Sandrine’s journey at UL, from her undergraduate degree to her doctoral degree, has been a deeply personal one whereby her studies have led her to develop a deep appreciation of her dual identity as a Rwandese-Irish woman. She says, “UL has taught me the importance of creativity, curiosity, and – most importantly – the power of being myself.”
Having grown up in Carlow in the early noughties, Sandrine was part of the first wave of African immigrants to settle in Ireland and often struggled with her dual identity.
Born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, Sandrine’s parents were forced to flee Rwanda in 1994 as genocide engulfed the country in east-central Africa. However a chance meeting with an Irish humanitarian aid worker Niall O’Keeffe, now Head of International and Migration at the Irish Red Cross and Sandrine’s godfather, was to change the trajectory of Sandrine’s life and that of her parents.
“My parents met Niall in the refugee camp while my mum was still pregnant with me so I have known him my entire life, and without him we would have never come to Ireland,” says Sandrine.
Sandrine’s parents, Immaculee and Alex, along with her godfather Niall celebrated with Sandrine at UL as she was conferred with her PhD, a milestone moment for Sandrine and her family with her father Alex expressing immense pride in his eldest child – “We are so proud of her because it has been 10 years in the making.”
Writing about topics that are personal to Sandrine has been an integral part of her academic practice and her Rwandese-Irish identity has offered her a unique perspective, something which she says she is incredibly proud of. “It took me a long time to understand the importance of my own research – especially the value of my unique contribution as a Black and Irish woman”, she says.
That unique perspective has led Sandrine to be a scholar who has strived to make space for the voices of Black and Irish people. She says, “Through my work on Black environmentalism and Black and Irish culture, I hope to break down barriers and normalise the inclusion of our voices in conversations taking place across the country.”
Over the past four years of her PhD research, Sandrine has sought to centralise African voices in conversations on climate change – conversations, which Sandrine says, have often ignored African voices. Through a deep exploration of how contemporary African artists and thinkers have documented the effects of climate change on the lived experiences of Africans, Sandrine has tackled the issue of environmental racism and examined how this form of racism has adversely and disproportionately impacted indigenous communities in Nigeria, Kenya, Niger, Senegal and Ghana.
In addition to her PhD in English Literature, Sandrine holds a BA in English and History and an MA in English from UL. Through her studies at UL, Sandrine says she has been shaped into the scholar she is today, and her studies have also led her to realise the power of her own writing. She says, “Writing is a powerful form of activism, and I aspire to be a scholar who writes about issues that truly matter – a scholar who bears witness to the world around me and uses writing to make sense of it all.”
During her time at UL, Sandrine was inspired to create a literary and cultural magazine, Unapologetic, a safe space for activist writers from minority and diverse backgrounds to discuss and highlight social issues.
One of the issues that Sandrine is deeply passionate about is the need to decolonise the curriculum and create greater diversity in the classroom. She says, “The lecturers at UL created a safe and supportive environment for me to explore topics that I was passionate about and during my MA in English in particular, I was introduced to works by Black and Irish writers, which inspired me to create Unapologetic. Without being challenged by lecturers in UL to think outside of the box I wouldn’t have had the confidence that I do now to advocate for the need to decolonise the curriculum and push for greater diversity in the classroom.”
Recalling a standout moment while studying at UL, Sandrine speaks of the transformative power and importance of representation. “During my PhD I was teaching the concept of race to a group of students and had the opportunity to introduce them to my research on Black and Irish culture. At the end of class, a Black and Irish student approached me and said how inspired they felt – it was the first time they had seen a Black person as a lecturer in Ireland.”
This moment resonated deeply with Sandrine who remembered the impact that seeing a Black lecturer had had on her during her undergraduate Erasmus in France. “Until that moment, I did not know that Black lecturers existed – let alone that I could become one in the future.” This life-changing moment was to be the first of many during her time in UL that empowered Sandrine to embrace her Rwandese-Irish identity.
Dr Yianna Liatsos, Sandrine’s PhD supervisor, introduced Sandrine to thinkers like Frantz Fanon during her undergraduate degree and for the first time, Sandrine says she began to see her dual identity as a “superpower” and a unique lens through which she could critically and meaningfully connect with a diverse range of theories being explored in the classroom.
Reflecting on her time at UL, Sandrine recalls the piece of work she is most proud of – her MA dissertation on the Rwandan genocide in which she challenged and dismantled the stereotypes perpetuated through the European and American coverage of the genocide. In her writing she sought to reflect the lived experience of Rwandans during that time and looked to her parents to tell the true story.
“I was 23 when I wrote that dissertation, and it was the first time that I felt ready to have honest and hard conversations with my parents about the genocide. Listening to my parents’ stories – especially my mother’s experience of being pregnant with me during that time – was incredibly emotional. Their strength and love for each other during this life-changing period is something that inspires me every day. By writing that dissertation and having those open and important conversations with my parents, I gained a deeper love and appreciation for my dual identity,” Sandrine says.
Looking ahead to the future, Sandrine hopes to continue her research on environmental racism in Africa and dual identities in Ireland by developing new research projects in collaboration with African scholars around the world. Later this month, she will travel to Kenya to present her research at the annual African Literature Association Conference in Nairobi.
As she steps into the next chapter of her life as Dr Sandrine Uwase Ndahiro, she says, “I’m constantly inspired by the world around me – always learning from everyone and everything I encounter. I’m inspired by the next generation of Black and Irish students and scholars, who will continuously produce cutting-edge research and make meaningful contributions to Irish society and culture. I hope that my work will inspire others to recognise how their voices matter.”