About me

Name: Ciza Swanson
Contact: ciza.kirundi

I was born in a small country in Eastern Africa called Burundi. After my father ran away and my mother died from birth complications giving birth to my younger brother, I was fortunate enough to be taken to an orphanage where I was raised for about seven years. There, I spoke Kirundi and I learned to speak English and French. I was then adopted along with my younger brother and older sister in 2004 and moved to Santa Barbara. Because I was adopted at such a young age, I did not quite understand the significance of knowing multiple languages. As a result, my ability to speak it began to decrease as time progressed. However, thankfully, my comprehension of the language didn’t quite leave me. In Burundi, Kirundi was used more as a tool to communicate. I personally saw it as a way to communicate and did not perceive it as part of the culture. I love to play sports such as football and rugby and be active, I also love teaching my self instruments and composing music. I love to paint and write. My favorite types of movies and TV shows are comedies. My favorite color is red and I love vanilla/caramel ice cream.

This is the school where I received my education.

These are the people I grew up with in the orphanage.