Our Story

My Rwandan parents were living in a refugee camp in Uganda when I was born. I struggled to get food, an education, and clothes. As a refugee, my father could not afford to pay for my education.

Providentially, God brought into my life a Roman Catholic priest who would be my sponsor for the next four years. He put me in his school which had no beds, windows and no food because he had started the school in pure faith without having the needed funds.

Many times we spent days without food, eating only two sweet bananas and warm water at lunch and wait to see what would happen the next day. This went on for quite some time and our priest, that we so dearly loved, secured some funds to buy us some beans that became our only food for several years.

Our priest also acquired some land and we started growing our own food. Every day after class we could go to gardens and plough, dig and grow crops. We could also spend whole Saturdays in the gardens cultivating- often times with all the hunger.

After the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, majority of the refugees returned to Rwanda. My family also returned (except my father who had already died in Uganda).

Upon returning to my home country Rwanda, God had already prepared a Roman Catholic nun who paid for my High School Education and afterwards several other people played different roles in my education. Through determination, perseverance, hard work and the help of these people, I was able to obtain three university degrees – Bachelor of Christian Education, Bachelor degree in Microfinance, and MA in International Development. (I am the only child in my family of eight to complete university education).

It is through this personal experience that instilled in me a desire to serve the poor. In fact, I am currently playing a major role in helping close to two million people who are poor through microfinance services.

I have helped at least eight students to pursue High school education, two students in vocational school, one pastor to pursue his diploma in Theology, and 40 kids in primary school.

It was then that I felt it was time to start ministry to help the poor in a more organized and effective way. That was the beginning of “Africa Shalom Mission.”

Daniel’s unique life experiences and educational and professional background have provided a foundation and framework for the integrated and holistic vision and mission of ASM, as well as the specific programs created as a means to fulfill them.