By Sibo Yvette Ishimwe
I am Sibo Yvette Ishimwe, born in the Western Province of Rwanda, formerly known as Cyangugu into a family of seven, including both parents—three brothers and one sister: Yves, Jean-Luc, Mackenzie, and Pacis. I live in Kigali. I am a licensed pharmacist, a certified scrum master, a self-taught data analyst, and an adrenaline junkie.
A year after being accepted into the esteemed University of Rwanda, I made the difficult decision to opt out of school because of the wrong course that was given to me to study which marked the start line to a teetering mental health.
Dropout blues. This is a feeling of sadness, frustration, and disappointment that individuals may experience after dropping out of university or college. It is a term used to describe the emotional and psychological impact of leaving education prematurely. Depression can be caused by dropping out of university for several reasons which is championed mostly by a sense of failure and loss of self-esteem associated with not completing a degree. Financial difficulties and uncertainty about future career prospects can contribute to stress and anxiety. Additionally, the social pressure and stigma surrounding dropping out can further exacerbate feelings of depression.
However, dropout blues is not often talked about in any table of discussion in the African society or households as a social issue for several reasons. There is a societal expectation that obtaining an educational degree is necessary for success and personal fulfillment, and as a result, dropping out is often seen as a personal failure rather than a systemic issue. There is also a lack of awareness and understanding about the emotional impact of dropping out and the potential mental health consequences.
Heretofore I had struggled with a decision about sharing my journey and healing process dealing with depression, but months ago I started writing, understanding that stigma is often associated with mental health issues in general, which can prevent open discussions about depression caused by dropping out. And coupled with societal focus on the positive aspects of education and the achievements of those who have completed their degrees, while overlooking the challenges and difficulties faced by school dropouts.
Nigeria (Africa’s largest economy) is described as the country with the most dropouts and out-of-school children in Africa, with 16.9%, Mustard Insights reports. This was the main reason I decided to publish my book in Nigeria, as it has a high rate of dropouts in Africa. It is important to recognize that dropping out of university always comes with different reasons, including not being prepared academically, financial reasons, wrong courses, lack of academic support, high academic expectations, perfectionism, academic stress, social pressure, academic burnout, and failure, early childhood trauma.
My intent is that people will come to notice this and invest in helping students stay in school and complete their education.