Justine Ndiba might have been picked last on Love Island USA, but the 27-year-old has become a fan favorite overnight! The only Black female contestant on episode 1 of the dating reality show didn’t find a love connection with any of the eligible boys on the island. While some fans showed nervousness about her probable elimination from the CBS show, Justine’s background shows that she’s a strong competitor and most importantly, a survivor.
When the part-time go-go dancer Justine stepped forward for the very first boy to enter Love Island, she showed remarkable confidence. However, she was rejected and not picked until the end. This won her brownie points from the CBS show’s fans. Her pair with Jeremiah ended up in the friend zone, and Justine declared that she didn’t feel a connection with any of the singles. Less screen time and not enough attention from Jeremiah made fans wonder if this was a display of racism towards Justine. However, the girl with a finance degree, who calls herself a “whole package”, shows the type of enthusiasm that might just lead her to victory on Love Island, as long as she finds her match. Her back story does give the self-proclaimed Love Island fan the much-needed push that it takes to win a reality show.
According to the New Jersey-based billing coordinator’s bio on CBS, she is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Justine immigrated to the USA with her family in 2001 when she was just eight. The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, was a mass slaughter of Tutsi, Twa, and moderate Hutu in Rwanda and killed almost 800,000 people in 1994. The brutal campaign of killings started in April 1994, with the death of then-Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi President Cyrien Nyaryamira in a planned plane explosion. The genocide lasted for 100 days. As per Al Jazeera, the two leaders were returning from Tanzania where they had signed a peace agreement with rebels from the Tutsi minority group.
These events led to widespread riots between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups. The victims were mainly Tutsi, killed by the government-allied Hutu forces who accused them of killing the Rwandan President, who was a Hutu. The Hutu gangs searched for victims as they hid in churches and schools and killed them with machetes and rifles. Almost 70% of the country’s Tutsi population lost its life. By July, when the rebel Tutsis had taken over Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, many Hutus had to flee to neighboring country Zaire. Later on, Zaire became what is today known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This in turn led to the First Congo War or Africa’s First World War from 1996-1997. This war killed as many as 200,000 people.
Justine, who was a child during the violent events that unfolded in her country, has come a long way in terms of personal growth and career. The Love Island contestant proudly writes “blessed to be a witness” in her Instagram bio, while showcasing her Congo-Kenyan heritage. As Justine looks for a humble guy who could match up with her beliefs and ideals on the CBS show, she showcases the fact that she knows exactly what she wants. If she continues using this very strategy, it won’t be impossible for Justine to reach the final leg of Love Island… as soon as she discovers her “ride or dies!”
Love Island USA airs nightly at 9pm EST on CBS.
