Hirwa w’imyaka 28, avuga ko yatangiye gukunda kwandika akiri umwana muto yiga mu mashuri abanza, ageze mu yisumbuye mu Iseminari nto yitiriwe Mutagatifu Yohani muri Nkumba, atangira kujya asoma ibitabo harimo nk’ubuvanganzo bwa Okot p’Bitek. Yakomeje ubushakashatsi ngo arebe ko yazagera ku nzozi ze zo kuba unwanditsi.

Igitabo yanditse cya mbere yari afite imyaka 15, gusa ngo byaramugoye kuko yacyanditse mu Cyongereza kandi atari azi igihagije.

Iyo mbogamizi yatumye icyo gitabo yanditse kidakundwa n’abo yacyohererezaga bazobereye mu kwandika, ariko ntiyacika intege kuko yakomeje gushaka uko yabigenza, kugeza nubwo yize ku ikoranabuhanga afashijwe n’ikigo cyo muri Uganda cyitwa Center for African Cultural Excellence (CACE), mu mahugurwa yitwa Writivism Mentorship Program, bimuzamurira ubumenyi.

Nyuma yaho yakomeje ubwanditsi bwe, ubwo yigaga muri Kaminuza ya Southern New Hampshire University ibinyujije muri Kepler University Program i Kigali, yaje kwandika inkuru ngufi, ayohereza muri Welter Journal muri Kaminuza ya Baltimore muri Amerika iremerwa, aho hari muri 2019, bihita bimutera imbaraga zo gukomeza, yandika n’indi nkuru ngufi yise ‘Homecoming’, na yo yemerwa mu Bwongereza muri Wasafiri Magazine muri 2020.

Arangije kwiga muri Southern New Hampshire University aho yigaga itumanaho (Communications), Hirwa yagiye kwiga icyiciro cya gatatu cya Kaminuza muri Texas State University muri Amerika, yiga nanone iby’ubuhanga mu bwanditsi (Creative Writing).

Agira ati “Nyuma y’umwaka nanditse agatabo gato nka paji 30 ka poems, gahita gasohorwa n’ikigo Akashic Books cyo muri New York. Nakomerejeho nandika n’utundi dutabo, kuko numvaga ngenda ninjira mu bintu byanjye narotaga kuva nkiri umwana”.

Igitabo cye “Hairpins” ni cyo cya mbere cy’imivugo yanditswe mu Cyongereza cy’Umunyarwanda cyasohotse muri America.

Hirwa uri i Kigali muri iki gihe ari na ho atuye nyuma yo kurangiza kwiga muri Amerika, avuga ko amafaranga make yabashije kubona muri utwo dutabo yanditse, yamufashije kugura Camera, kuko anakunda gufotora ndetse n’ubu akaba abikora.

Ibijyanye no gufotora ari mu nzira ibyo abonye, ngo yabyigiye ku Munyamerika ukomoka muri Nigeria, Teju Cole, wigishaga muri kaminuza ya Harvard, kuko yabonaga ari byiza, cyane ko ngo yamubonaga yagiye kumurika ayo mafoto, na we akumva yabikora.

Ati “Ibyo uwo mugabo yakoraga byaranshimishije, ndabikunda, bituma nanjye maze kubona camera nziza ntangira kugenda mfotora ibintu abantu batitaho ku mihanda ya Texas n’ahandi nanyuraga. Numvaga rero nazajya nsohora ibitabo by’amafoto, ngakora n’amamurika yayo (exhibitions)”.

Akomeje kwagura impano yo gufotora

Kuri ubu uyu musore uri mu Rwanda kuva muri 2024, yakomeje ibyo gufotora aba ari byo aha ingufu, ku buryo yakoze n’amamurika abiri y’amafoto, rimwe kuri L’Espace, ndetse n’irindi ku isomero rya Kigali (Kigali Public Library) ku Kacyiru.

Nyuma yaho ngo yakoze andi mamurika abiri ya rusange, rimwe kuri Kigali Centre for Photography n’irindi kuri King’s College of London mu Bwongereza.

Hirwa avuga ko ibyo akora ubu bitaragera aho bimuha amafaranga afatika yamufasha kubona ibyo akenera byose, gusa ngo intego afite ni ugukomeza kwagura ubugeni bwe cyangwa se ubuhanzi ku buryo bizagera aho bimwinjiriza agatubutse.

Ati “Intego mfite ni ugukomeza kwandika ibitabo by’imivugo, cyane ko ndi mu Banyarwanda ba mbere basohoye agatabo k’ubwo bwoko mu Cyongereza, nkumva nazakwandika n’ikinini. Ikindi ni ukongera imbaraga mu mafoto, cyane cyane ayo nafatiye mu Rwanda nkajya kuyamurika ahantu hakomeye hirya no hino ku Isi, ngamije gusakaza ubwiza bw’u Rwanda”.

Akomeza avuga ko ikindi ateganya ari ugukora amafilime manini avuga ku Rwanda no ku mibereho y’Abanyarwanda. Ikindi ngo afite umushinga mugari wo gushyira amasomero hirya no hino mu gihugu cyane cyane mu cyaro, mu rwego rwo gukundisha abantu umuco wo gusoma.

Hirwa mu butumwa bwe ku Banyarwanda agira ati “Ndashishikariza Abanyarwanda gusoma, kuko nk’uko tubizi twese ibitabo ni byo bibitse ubumenyi bwafasha abantu kwaguka mu mitekerereze. Ibitabo bibitse ubwenge, umuco n’ubuhanga bw’abatubanjirije, ushobora gusoma rero ukamenya uko babagaho, ugasanga nawe wahindura uburyo ubayeho kandi bigakunda, ukagera kuri byinshi ubikesha gusoma”.

Yungamo ko igitabo ari cyo kibika amateka n’imico itandukanye y’ibihugu n’abantu babyo, bikamara imyaka ibihumbi, bityo ntibizime ahubwo bigahora byungura ubumenyi abasimburana ku Isi.

Yanditse igitabo ‘Hairpins’ cyasohotse mu 2023, ikindi gitabo cye cy’imivugo ‘Dear Zoe’ ntikirasohoka ariko cyashyizwe ku rutonde rw’ibitabo byatoranyijwemo icyatsindiye Sillerman First Book Prize mu mwaka wa 2025 (finalist).