It could have been easy for a 31-year-old London-based survivor of the Rwandan genocide to act like the world owed her something after the atrocities she had experienced.

But Agnes Uwase – who has recently returned from spending seven months in four countries on the Council for World Mission’s (CWM) Training in Mission programme after being nominated to take part by the United Reformed Church – says it’s her duty to give back and calls herself a ‘Jesus warrior’.

The programme is intended to be a stage in Christian formation and offers young people aged 18 to 30, who are single and not ordained, the opportunity to develop a wider vision and a strengthened sense of fellowship and partnership, along with a deepening their commitment to faith.

‘I learned so much,’ says Agnes. ‘I learned to read the Bible from different perspectives and how to be a warrior of change. As Christians we pray pray pray, and so what? What happens next? That’s not what Jesus did. The Jesus way is to pray and take action. We learned how to be part of the big picture, to try and create Heaven on earth. Jesus was a man of action and he spoke for marginalised people. I want to be part of those who take action.’

The fashion design technician spent two months in New Zealand, four months in Fiji – which included two weeks on an island in the Republic of Kiribati learning about the devastating consequences of climate change – and one month in Taiwan.

‘Being a refugee is bad,’ she continued. ‘But there’s a difference when you become a refugee because of climate change. Because your home is wiped away from the map, you no longer have a country, you’ve lost the language, the culture, and you become a stranger in the world, because there’s no reference. You’ve lost everything that defines who you are as a person. By doing this course I learnt that small things make a difference, like recycling. You can say, I’m just one person, what does it matter? But I have been to Kiribati and it was painful speaking to the people. They have moved time and time again to other islands because theirs keeps disappearing under water because of rising sea levels.’

The training programme also saw the Islington URC member undertake a work placement in New Zealand helping homeless people, and a disabled group, and also experience living in a children’s home in Fiji. She says it was the children that most touched her heart.

‘We shared food with them and experienced their life,’ she added. ‘They had the most moving stories. It made me realise how my life is and gave me a new-found appreciation for my life and how privileged I am.’

Agnes positive outlook comes despite losing most of her family in the Rwandan genocide of April - July 1994. Between 500, 000 and 1, 000 000 people were killed. Agnes was aged just seven.

Following her terrifying experience and the loss of her family, Agnes said it would have been easy to act like the world owed her something.

‘I paid my price,’ she declares. ‘But I still need to consider other people. I want to be a good person and move on. I wouldn’t want other people to go through what I went through. Why did God spare me? I’m still searching for my purpose. But doing all these things (like the Training in Mission programme), I get an idea of what I want to do. I might not know how I am going to get there but I know I should be part of something bigger. That gives me hope. I didn’t give myself the opportunity to be here today. There was somebody who took care of me and I need to find a way to give back to society and the community to make a change in other people’s lives.

Agnes encourages other young people to participate on the programme.

‘I was too scared to travel on my own. But this programme is the best way to travel and experience spending time with people who have a different view from yours. You make friends and these people become your family for seven months.’

She now hopes to set up her own charity for those who cannot afford to go to school in Fiji and Kiribati but in the meantime, aims to help other charities.

Follow Agnes on Facebook at Migrants Youth and Young People.