The Sound of Rain” (Genre: Drama / Emotional Resilience)
Aurelie remembered the sound of rain in Congo—gentle, endless, rhythmic. In Nakivale, the rain hit the tin roofs like falling rocks. It was louder, harsher. But it also gave her something unexpected: peace.
She came to Nakivale after losing her father during a militia raid. Her mother, once a schoolteacher, had fallen into deep silence. It was Aurelie who now looked after her younger brother, Pascal. Food, firewood, school, safety—she balanced it all.
One stormy afternoon, she found Pascal trying to do his homework under a flickering candle. He had drawn his math problems on the dirt floor. Aurelie’s chest tightened. That night, she stayed up thinking.
The next day, she collected scrap: a cracked flashlight, a piece of a broken mirror, and a plastic bag. She’d once read about a girl in Nigeria who made lanterns from discarded batteries. It became her mission.
Her first invention was rough: a solar-charged lantern made from bottle plastic, taped aluminum, and a bit of wire she traded her sandals for. But it worked. Enough to help Pascal finish his homework. Enough to give her mother a flicker of pride.
The light didn’t just brighten the room.
It softened the silence.
And for the first time in a long time, Aurelie heard the rain as music again.
