Theoneste is the Head Teacher of G.S. Rwanyanza in Kigali, Rwanda. Growing up, Theoneste never wanted to be a teacher but God directed his steps and after graduating high school Theoneste was admitted to the Kigali Institute of Education. Throughout university, Theoneste remained actively involved in the church and was a dedicated member of the choir. 

After completing his degree, Theoneste was hired as a History and Geography teacher at a school in Kigali. Theoneste excelled in his first three years as a teacher—his students performed well, and he received positive reviews. During that time, conflict within the school’s leadership team led to widespread distrust and low student retention. The severity of the situation caused the Director of Studies to be let go and Theoneste was hired to take his place.

As a young leader, the new responsibility caused Theoneste to grow. He was able to promote unity among the teaching staff and re-establish trust between the students/parents and the school leadership. After four successful years as the Director of Studies, Theoneste was given the opportunity to become the Head Teacher of G.S. Rwanyanza. 

Theoneste entered another challenging situation at his new school—three members of the previous leadership team were imprisoned after stealing from their students. Theoneste has had to work hard once again to re-establish trust and repair fractures among the staff. By including various stakeholders (i.e. students, parents, teachers, and local leaders) in the restoration process, the students’ performance has improved year by year.

Moving forward, Theoneste’s goal for G.S. Rwanyana is to sustain its recent success, promote a culture of solidarity, and equip his students to be valued members of society. Every single day, Theoneste hopes to seek and serve God in everything he does.

Theoneste is looking forward to participating in ALI’s fifth cohort because he knows the experience will equip him with the skills and resources to improve in his current leadership position.

Thanks to donations made by generous members of the Kurumbuka community, Theoneste has no remaining scholarship needs! Any additional funds given through this page will be allocated towards future ALI scholarships.