An hour and a half drive from Kigali, through lush green hills where farmers plant their crops on tightly packed inclines, is the village of Gakenke. It’s where Gloria Sifa Nibagwire first learned to play soccer, and where I spent the day on Sunday with her and her family. She is one of the first generation of women to play soccer professionally in the country, and captained the country’s national team before it was disbanded. She comes from a large family, and playing soccer has opened up doors for her, despite the fact that some in the country believe women should continue with more traditional roles in the home. But Gloria is a fighter, with a spark that is evident from the moment you meet her. As I learned more about her and her family, I realized that her past was more complex then I first thought. Her story, like many in Rwanda, is not an easy one to tell. —Megan Specia