As a 14-year-old boy in Rwanda, Pie-Pacifique Kabalira-Uwase (Pie pronounced ‘P’) survived war atrocities. For his safety and future, he prepared to flee to Canada, but ended up in South Africa after being scammed and losing all his money. He worked as a car guard in Durban city centre, studying between shifts, dreaming of university. Despite a tsunami of obstacles, he completed a degree in physics and was awarded the prestigious Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.