Olivier was born and raised in a Christian family. From a young age, he had a strong desire to know more about Jesus and why he died on the cross for sinners who didn’t even recognize his sacrifice. He was deeply curious about why people hated each other and why there was suffering in the world, but he could not find satisfying answers in church or in the Bible.

At the end of Primary 3, Olivier wrote a long letter to God asking him to answer his questions. He kept that letter until all of his questions were answered and he learned that through Jesus, he was able to directly relate to God the Father. After gradually gaining answers to his questions, Olivier asked God to show him how He sees him. This question, and a series of prayers, led to a striking vision:

“God showed me my body lying in mortuary among dead bodies. I was terrified about it and prayed that God would let me know what that means. The same night God showed me Jesus coming from heaven to pick me up.” 

Olivier’s journey was winding, but after questioning God and struggling with crippling fear, Olivier embraced Jesus as his Lord and Saviour and began actively doing life with Him. Part of that transformation included inviting God into his work as a teacher.

As a student, Olivier always enjoyed explaining challenging topics to his classmates and many people encouraged him to enter the education sector. After graduating from the University of Rwanda with a degree in Biology and Education, Olivier taught at a local school for three years.

During that time, Olivier helped a friend apply to the Wellspring Academy. A few years later that same friend called him and encouraged Olivier to apply to an open science teacher position. Olivier got the job and after excelling for two years he was promoted to Deputy Principal. Working with Wellspring has shown Olivier the impact of quality Christian education. Wellspring has graduated five classes of young Christian leaders. The school is intentional in providing opportunities to less privileged students and currently teaches over 900 students ranging from ages 3-18 with over 80 staff.

In the future, Olivier dreams about starting another Christian school that will educate children's hearts and minds so they reflect Jesus in their lives and impact their communities. He is excited about ALI because he has seen how the program has not only made other leaders more competent but has taken them on a journey of personal transformation.

To learn more about the work Olivier is involved in, click here. 

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