BIO

Because of ethnic conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mutoni’s family made a very difficult decision. Her father would stay behind, but her mom would flee with Mutoni and her sister to Rwanda, which meant growing up in a refugee camp. Mutoni is so thankful for her mother. She says, “My Mom is the strongest lady I have ever seen.” Mutoni’s mom always emphasized the importance of education for building a better life.

Life is hard in a refugee camp. It’s not a place a person wishes to call home. Mutoni grew up longing for a better community, a better life outside the camp. And yet at the very same time, Mutoni has a deep love for her refugee community, in spite of all its challenges. She describes her refugee camp this way: “It’s a community that releases you to fly into the world, even though we have many vulnerable people inside with a string tied to your leg; a community that supports the poor, but the poor never stop begging; a community that offers education to everyone, but only a few lucky ones step into class; a community hated by outsiders, but loved by insiders.”

Mutoni attends the Adventist University of Central Africa, where she is studying Marketing. Her dream is eventually to start her own organization focused on creating positive learning environments for young children from underprivileged backgrounds.

Outside of the classroom, Mutoni loves volunteering to help those in need, especially those experiencing food insecurity and other challenges.