BIO

Emmanuel was born into a wonderful family of eight people – his Mom and Dad, five siblings and himself. His parents worked hard to support their family, but it wasn’t always easy. His Mom worked in the local market, sewing and repairing clothing. His Dad is a farmer. So, unfortunately, often the money they make isn’t enough to meet all their needs. Emmanuel is the only one in his family to complete secondary school with the dream of going on to university. He sees a university education as an important way to bring transformative change to his family and his community.

Emmanuel was raised in a community where very few children attended school beyond the primary grades. As he entered secondary school and shared his dream of going on to university, Emmanuel experienced a lot of teasing and even bullying that made him think about quitting and dropping out. But then he remembered how much his parents struggled so he could continue his education. And that gave him the strength to persevere. If his community didn’t encourage him to continue his education, they did teach him a lot about other important values, like the significance of self-discipline, the value of teamwork, and the importance of being a good friend and neighbor. In addition, what Emmanuel saw and experienced in his community simply reinforced his desire to be a healthcare provider of some sort. He saw so many people struggle with healthcare issues because of their poverty

Emmanuel attends the University of Rwanda, where he is studying Environmental Health Science. His dream is to impact in as powerful a way as possible the health of vulnerable people living in poverty.

In addition to his studies, Emmanuel serves as a leader of the students from his district who are attending university, as well as a project manager for the Students One Health Innovation Club. He is also active in Toastmasters.