The boy lives in a poor family of 5, and his parents try to make a living through farming, with varying degrees of success.
He has a 12-year-old brother, a 3-year-old brother, and a 5-year-old sister. His mother only completed 3 years of elementary school, so she cannot read or write, while his father only studied for 5 years.
The nearest well is 30 minutes away from Elissa's home, and he and his brother have to carry water back every day before school, so they wake up at 5 am to make it to their first class on time.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Elissa is an outstandingly hard-working and intelligent student, he finished his year with an exam result of 73.8%. He achieved the highest scores in mathematics and Kinyarwandan language.
Elissa's favorite subjects are math, Kinyarwandan language, physics, chemistry, and geography. In his free time, he loves to study. When he grows up, he wants to become a soldier.