Rwanda

Ange Ishimwe Benimana is a talented accountant known for her exceptional ability to manage numbers and navigate financial complexities. She is deeply committed to empowering women and dedicates her time to mentorship, advocacy, and actively participating in initiatives that support women’s advancement. Outside of work, she enjoys workouts, movies, music, traveling, and dining out with loved ones.

Florence Musabyemariya is from Rwanda and holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations obtained from Xiamen University (China), a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, and a diploma in Nursing. She has been working with Partners In Health Rwanda for more than five years assuming different positions since 2019 with sound experience in leading clinical programs and research with acquired skills in data collection, transcription and coding. She is experienced in non-communicable diseases where she actively contributed to the decentralization and treatment of diabetic, hypertension and asthma from district hospitals to health centers. Moreover, she has extensive training skills as a trainer of trainees on non-communicable diseases. Currently, Florence works as associate director in charge of clinical programs with responsibilities of coordinating programs at the cross-site level offering programmatic implementation, knowledge generation and use and health systems strengthening support to the clinical programs and facilitate communication with various levels of decisions making as well as with all staff, under the supervision of the deputy executive director of Partners In Health Rwanda. She coordinates and supports cross-site requests and opportunities, while in the implementation she tracks and strengthens clinical programs to ensure effectiveness and efficacy. In addition, she catalyzes new initiatives to ensure smooth onboarding and quick execution, leads in communication, project concept notes writing/reviews, partnership management, budget management, as well as overseeing programs progress. She is very passionate about global health issues especially in responding to social determinants of health around rural communities.

Jeanne Mukarukundo is a professional renowned for her expertise in climate smart agricultural development and sustainable farming practices. With a distinguished background in environment Jeanne has served in different positions at One Acre Fund where she now serves as the Tree and Outgrowers Program Manager, a leading organization dedicated to empowering smallholder farmers. Jeanne’s career is marked by commitment, armed with a Master’ Degree in soil and water management from Haryana Agriculture University in India and a wealth of practical knowledge gained through years of fieldwork, she has emerged as a driving force in the realm of rural development. Previous to the work at One Acre Fund Jeanne worked as a local expert for KCC a company from Southern Korea for the design of a multi-purpose Dam that will support smallholder’s community in the Eastern province of Rwanda. She also worked for the Ministry of Agriculture in 2010 to 2011 as Watershed officer supervising the implementation of land husbandly, Water Harvesting and Hillside Irrigation (LWH) a World Bank funded project before resuming her study in 2012. At One Acre Fund, Jeanne assumes a pivotal role in spearheading the strategic planning and execution of tree planting initiatives and Out growers’ program. At One Acre Fund her achievements include initiation of one of the biggest networks of local community trees nurseries which are led by the 2000+ local enterprises and are able to produce and distribute 20 Million trees on an annual basis. As of  2023, 96 million trees were produced and distributed to farmers.

Mariella Munyuzangabo is a professional in the nonprofit sector with a background in global health. With a Bachelor’s degree in Global Health and a Master’s degree in Reproductive and Sexual Health Research, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her current role as the Associate Director of the Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Program at Partners in Health Rwanda. Her responsibilities include project planning and implementation, team management, collaboration with stakeholders, and ensuring evidence-based programs that meet community needs. Mariella’s research experience, particularly in maternal and child health in conflict settings, has equipped her with skills in project management, implementation research, and evidence-based decision-making. Her passion for health and gender equity, particularly in improving sexual and reproductive health and rights for young women, drives her commitment to making a positive impact in her field. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellamunyuzangabo/

Having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Chemistry from National University of Rwanda in 2009, Emmanuel is recently completed his second year in the Master’s degree program in International Education at the SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont. He has also had 5 years of experience directing cultural immersion and service-learning programs for American students in Rwanda and Senegal through the internationally acclaimed cross-cultural education program, “Where There Be Dragons.” While traveling as an experiential educator in this position, Emmanuel has co-created curricula and directed programs focused on critical service-learning, language study, and exploration of development issues in Rwanda and Senegal. He has also been responsible for setting up on-course activities including students’ homestays, arranging for workshop facilitators and guest speakers, and coordinating with local nonprofit organizations for students’ service-learning and internship opportunities. Through these experiences, Emmanuel has developed strong skills in program design and implementation, and a passion for participatory international service-learning and education for social change. Emmanuel’s strong belief in the benefits of cross cultural exchange and community empowerment also influenced the years he spent in volunteer service, including working as a counterpart to a US Peace Corps volunteer in Rwanda in 2009 and later, working as language and cross culture facilitator (LCF) for US Peace Corps trainees in Rwanda. He also taught science to high school students through the Rwanda Girls Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to girls’ empowerment. Emmanuel is a fan of animated movies, loves Senegalese “Yassa Viande” and enjoys watching soccer.

Host Organization: CorpsAfrica

Role at Host Organization: Emmanuel will focus on developing a solid framework of communication and support for CorpsAfrica offices as the organization works to open offices in Sub-Saharan Africa. He will work closely with the senior management team with periodic travel to Morocco, Senegal.