Tujenge Africa Foundation

Tujenge Africa Foundation is renaming its Opportunity Fund – created in 2022 to provide scholarships for its alumni who opt to pursue higher education at Burundian universities – the Brad Gasser Memorial Scholarship Fund, in honor of our late instructor, mentor, and friend.

Brad started with the Tujenge Scholars Program in 2018, and quickly established himself as a beloved instructor. He developed courses which have come to define the interdisciplinary culture of the program, combining his wide-ranging expertise in science, technology, philosophy, and history. Students honed their reading and critical thinking skills under his tutelage, and over the course of their 18 months in his classes would discover completely new ways of looking at the world. Brad was a major source of advice and inspiration for the 159 students he worked with during his tenure.

Brad was also a tireless champion for his students throughout their time in the program and beyond. He recognized the need for ongoing support for alumni who pursue university studies in Burundi, and would fund-raise for the Opportunity Fund throughout his personal network. His efforts have been a major factor in the success of this scholarship program. In light of these efforts, the Foundation is renaming the Opportunity Fund program in his memory and is launching this fundraising campaign for his students who will be starting in Burundian universities over the next six months.

In recognition of Brad's devotion to his students, funds raised in this fundraiser will go directly to student scholarships with zero administrative overhead. Funds raised in excess of the current year's budget will be saved to fund scholarships in future years.

Scholars' Short Bios

1. Piaguette MUHIMPUNDU

Piaguette is a young Burundian woman, born and raised in the Gitega Region in Bukirasazi-Kibuye. She is the fourth child in a family of six, with both parents and five siblings – three brothers and two sisters. Her birthdate is May 14, 2003, and she is a proud Tujenge alumna from cohort 5. Since 2018, Piaguette has immersed herself in the field of journalism, culminating in her recognition as one of the top child journalists nationwide. Importantly, she is actively engaged in advocating for children’s rights and women's rights within her community through journalism. This commitment has garnered invitations for her to present her project on various media platforms, including radio stations, television, and social media. Piaguette’s journey extends beyond leadership and entrepreneurial roles at a young age. She harbors a profound interest in advocating for human rights, particularly those of children, and fostering peace wherever she goes. With steady determination, she aspires to pursue studies in the Sage Femme department at Hope of Africa University in Burundi. Her goal is clear: to stride toward her vision and personal life goals, combating inequalities in all their manifestations. Your support will propel Piaguette towards making a meaningful impact and creating positive change in her community and beyond.

2. Therence NDAYIHORIMBERE

Therence was born and raised in Ngozi Province, located in the northern region of Burundi, specifically in Kiremba. He attended and completed the Tujenge scholars’ program as part of Cohort 4, and is now in his second year of pharmacy studies at Université Panafricaine Les Mages, located in Bujumbura, Burundi. With this degree, he believes he will be able to achieve his dream of solving the problem of inaccessibility to pharmaceutical products in rural areas of Burundi, especially in the region where he was born.

3. Marie Ariella IRANZI

Marie Ariella grew up in Buyenzi, Bujumbura Mairie, Burundi. She was part of the first cohort of the Tujenge Scholars Program. Although she received several offers of admission from different universities, they turned out to be unaffordable due to the lack of full scholarships. She patiently waited until the Tujenge Scholars' Program's second cohort began the admissions process and tried again. She was finally awarded a MasterCard Foundation Scholarship to study at Agnes Scott University in Georgia, United States. However, due to health issues, she was compelled to return to Burundi for treatment. It is worth noting that Ariella has been interested in solving community issues, particularly through the field of medicine, and believes that by taking a medical program, she can ultimately gain the most adequate skills and experiences needed to realize her dream. In the same spirit, she is currently in her second year of undergraduate studies in Pharmacy at Université Panafricaine les Mages in Bujumbura, Burundi. With this degree, she intends to pursue her healthcare career aspirations.

4. Etienne MUGISHA

Etienne was born and raised in Cibitoke, a northwestern province of Burundi, in a low-income family. As a member of the Batwa community, he faces historical marginalization in almost every aspect of life. For generations, his community has struggled with significant barriers, including limited access to education due to financial constraints and systemic marginalization. Despite these challenges, Etienne's family remains in the same village where he grew up. However, with the support of the Tujenge Opportunity Fund Project, Etienne has overcome these obstacles to pursue his university studies in Burundi. He is currently in his second year of undergraduate studies in Sciences Economiques et Gestions at Université Sagesse D'Afrique. With this degree, he aims to empower the young generations in his community with practical and financial skills, enabling them to become fully self-dependent and break the cycle of poverty.

5. Charles MINANI

Charles was born and raised in Gisagara, Cankuzo Province, one of Burundi's northern provinces. As a Tujenge Scholars Alumnus from Cohort 4, he has overcome significant obstacles to pursue his dreams. Although he received admission to African Leadership University (ALU) in Rwanda, the lack of a full scholarship meant he couldn't afford the tuition. Undeterred, Charles is currently living in Bujumbura and attending his first year of Ophthalmology studies at Hope University. He is thrilled to be pursuing his passion, believing that his dream has finally come true. He aspires to acquire the necessary skills to address the pressing community issues and health challenges that Burundi faces year after year.

Help the Tujenge Opportunity Fund Raise $9,439 for Scholars to Attend University

From the bottom of our hearts and on behalf of the Tujenge Africa Foundation, the Tujenge Opportunity Fund Project, and all the TOF beneficiaries, we would like to take this opportunity to truly thank you all for your kindness and generosity in helping us make this project a success.

We are excited to inform you that all six scholars successfully made it through their first academic term! And, as we promised you that we would keep you posted on the progress of this project, we kindly announce that the fundraising campaign for the next academic year (2024) is finally here. To proceed, we once again ask for your generosity as well as a donation. Please help us spread the word to your family members, networks, and friends.

Piaguette Muhimpundu, Cohort 5

Piaguette is a young Burundian woman, born and raised in the Gitega Region in Bukirasazi-Kibuye. She is the fourth child in a family of seven, with both parents and five siblings—three brothers and two sisters. Her birthdate is May 14, 2003, and she is a proud Tujenge alumnus from cohort 5. Since 2018, Piaguette has immersed herself in the field of journalism, culminating in her recognition as one of the top child journalists nationwide. Beyond her journalistic endeavors, she is actively engaged in advocating for children's rights within her community. This commitment has garnered invitations for her to present her project on various media platforms, including radio stations, television, and social media. Piaguette's journey extends beyond leadership and entrepreneurial roles at a young age. She harbors a profound interest in advocating for human rights, particularly those of children, and fostering peace wherever she goes. With steady determination, she aspires to pursue studies in the Sage Femme department at Hope of Africa University in Burundi. Her goal is clear: to stride toward her vision and personal life goals, combating inequalities in all their manifestations. Your support will propel Piaguette towards making a meaningful impact and creating positive change in her community and beyond.

Marie-Ariella IRANZI, Cohort 1

Marie Ariella grew up in Buyenzi, Bujumbura Mairie, Burundi. She was part of the first Tujenge Africa Foundation cohort. Although she received several offers of admission from different universities, they turned out to be unaffordable due to the lack of scholarships. She patiently waited until the second cohort began the admissions process and tried again. She was finally awarded a MasterCard Foundation Scholarship to study at Agnes Scott University in Georgia, in the United States. However, due to health issues, she was compelled to return to Burundi for treatment. Now, she is in her first year of undergraduate studies in Pharmacy at Université Panafricaine les Mages in Bujumbura, Burundi. With this degree, she intends to pursue her healthcare career aspirations.

Etienne MUGISHA, Cohort 3

Etienne was born and raised in Cibitoke, a northwestern province of Burundi, in a low-income family. He belongs to the Batwa community, which has been historically marginalized in Burundi and whose people struggle to access opportunities to pursue even secondary education. His family still lives in the same village where he grew up. He is part of the second cohort of Tujenge Africa Foundation Scholars and is currently in his first year of undergraduate studies in Sciences Economiques et Gestions at Université Sagesse D’Afrique, thanks to the Tujenge Opportunity Fund project.

Thérence NDAYIHORIMBERE, Cohort 4

Thérence was born and raised in Ngozi Province, located in the northern region of Burundi, specifically in Kiremba. He attended and completed the Tujenge Scholars Program as part of Cohort 4, and is now in his first year of Pharmacy studies at Université Panafricaine Les Mages, located in Bujumbura, Burundi. With this degree, he believes he will be able to achieve his dream of solving the problem of inaccessibility to pharmaceutical products in rural areas of Burundi, especially in the region where he was born.

Charles MINANI, Cohort 4

Charles was born and raised in Gisagara, in Cankuzo Province, one of Burundi's northern provinces. He is a Tujenge Scholar from Cohort 4. Although he recently received admission from African Leadership University (ALU) in Rwanda, he did not receive a full scholarship, which meant that he could not afford the tuition. He is currently living in Bujumbura and attending his first year of studies in Ophthalmology at Hope University. He believes that his dream has come true because he has longed to attend a medical university that can provide him with the necessary skills to address community issues and health challenges.

To meet our yearly budgetary goals, we are holding fundraising drives once a year, beginning in June. If we surpass our fundraising goals, we will roll any surplus funds forward to future years of the fund.

For this campaign, our suggested donation benchmarks are based on the cost of tuition and a living stipend for each scholar (rounded to reasonable values). A single donation of $1,255 will fully cover these costs for one student for one year, while donations of $628 and $314 will cover half and one-quarter, respectively.

Donors making one-time donations may either donate here on GoFundMe or via PayPal.

For donors who prefer to make monthly donations, they may sign up for a recurring monthly donation through Tujenge’s PayPal donation page for this campaign.

January 2024 Update: We regret to inform you that Euphrasie has decided to leave the program and return to her family in the village. Your past support has been invaluable, and we appreciate your understanding during this transition. We kindly ask for your continued support as we welcome Piaguette Muhimpundu from Cohort 5, who shares a similar profile and will be joining this program and start her academic year this year. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and support!

Tujenge Africa Foundation is raising funds to launch a pilot program for its new initiative, the Tujenge Opportunity Fund. This program will directly support the university education of six high-achieving Burundian scholars by funding tuition and living costs.

 

Problem Statement

 

The Tujenge Africa Foundation’s primary initiative, the Tujenge Scholars Program, is a peacebuilding and leadership incubator that simultaneously prepares students to bridge the gap between high school and university. Nearly all of our past scholars have received admission and a scholarship to international universities and colleges across the globe. Since our first cohort in 2017, more than 93 % of our scholars have received financial aid and scholarships to enroll in universities. These 92 students have collectively received more than $7.4M in financial aid.

 

Nonetheless, because the admissions process is so unpredictable, a small percentage of our scholars (six scholars over 4 cohorts) were not accepted or did not receive full scholarships. Our most difficult challenge has been, specifically, obtaining full scholarships because our scholars cannot afford to pay international universities. These scholars don't continue their studies not because they fail to value the 18 months that they spent in Tujenge Program, but simply because they cannot financially access education in the long run.

 

Proposed Approach

 

To that end, we are developing a project to approach this from a new and innovative perspective - supporting all of our scholars who were not admitted to international universities or who were admitted but did not receive scholarships so that they can attend local universities. Specifically, those six scholars were denied admission or a scholarship for any reason, or they were unable to finish school due to health or other issues. Indeed, for this pilot program, we propose working with those non-university students ranging from the first to the fourth cohort. We are committed to assisting these scholars in accessing their undergraduate studies at local universities.

 

We are also excited that the administration of the program will be handled by an alumnus from Tujenge Scholars Program’s second cohort. Jean de Dieu Ndayishimiye has been hired to lead and manage the initiative, ensuring that the project’s aims and expectations are consistently and transparently met.

 

Project Aims

 

Through this program, Tujenge Africa Foundation aims at

 

Project Timeline

 

We believe that starting as soon as possible would be the best approach for our potential scholars because they have spent at least two years after high school graduation. As a result, we planned for this to begin in the upcoming academic year, which begins in September 2022. This implies that we have three months to raise funds for the first year, and we are confident that with your support, they will be able to start this year once we have all of the necessary funds.

 

Project Budget

 

The Tujenge Opportunity Fund will assist these six scholars in attending their preferred local universities through this program. Then, in addition to monitoring scholars' educational progress, this project will undoubtedly and unavoidably necessitate our financial capability so that scholars can afford their basic needs for University programs and living expenses. The following is a breakdown of our allocated budget for these program scholars to be successful and effective:

 

 

 

 

Tuition and a living stipend (including registration fees, class supplies, housing, transport, and food) for six scholars, a basic health emergency fund, and salary for a 3/4-time administrator are covered in the budget above.

 

Fundraising Goals

 

We expect to hold fundraising drives once or twice per year, to meet our budgetary goals. If fundraisers surpass fundraising goals, we will roll any surplus funds forward to future years of the fund. To finance the pilot program, we expect to raise $8,500 per year for three years through community crowdfunding campaigns.

 

For this campaign, our suggested donation benchmarks are based on the cost of tuition and living stipend for each scholar (and rounded to reasonable values). A single donation of $1,000 will fully cover these costs, while donations of $500 and $250 will cover half and one-quarter.

 

For donors who prefer to make monthly donations, they may sign up for a recurring monthly donation through Tujenge’s PayPal donation page for this campaign: (https://www.tujenge.org/donate-opportunity-fund).
 

 

 

 

More information about the Tujenge Opportunity Fund can be found in the Project Proposal, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dQZUuyF_khsCPk3Ut7wLKlQURC4SBTJ6ga5scvwwdg8/edit?usp=sharing