Last year on 29th September, Fiona Namusoke received a text from Ashraf Habimana, her youngest son, asking her to pick him up from college. Minutes later she received a call informing her that Ashraf had been stabbed. The 16-year-old had been with a group of friends that were attacked over a grudge that Ashraf had no part in. As twin brothers are now sentenced over his death, Ashraf’s mother reflects upon her loss and the unfulfilled dreams of her son in her own words.
Ashraf was a cheerful boy who brought a lot of joy. His mother vividly remembers how they used to wash the car together and he would spray her with water, and they’d end up laughing. He would even chase her around the house to give her a kiss. Her son was focused on school, working hard to achieve his dream of going into cyber security. “Mum, all of these people are getting scammed, and I want to stop it,” he said. He was an enthusiast in computing and loved his friends and family. They were virtually inseparable.
On the day he lost his life, Ashraf sent his mother a text message after school, requesting a pick-up. Fiona replied she would be there soon, but just seven minutes later, someone called her saying Ashraf had been stabbed. Arriving at the scene, she found police cars and ambulances everywhere. As the ambulance left for the hospital, she saw the bright lights, and her heart broke. She could not bear to watch her son’s life slip away.
Fiona recalls how difficult it had been dealing with the aftermath of Ashraf’s murder. People wrongly assumed Ashraf was in a gang, so she lived with the pain of that misconception. He was innocent, chatting with his friends after school, his books opened in front of him. The knife even went through one of his books. The two brothers who killed him have received their sentences, and Ashraf’s mother feels she has gained a measure of justice. She has formed a foundation in Ashraf’s name to enable children to be involved in activities that reduce violence.
Despite the pain of losing her child, Fiona is proud of who Ashraf was, and she regularly visited a bench with Ashraf’s name on it that his friend’s dad put up in his memory. She believes he made a real impact on people’s lives and that she played a significant role in raising him to be that person. Even after he is gone, it is comforting for her to see how many people care so much about Ashraf. Still, she says there will always be a void in her life where Ashraf should be, and she will always wish she had done more
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