Born in Tanzania as a refugee, Rose Mushimiyimana returned to Rwanda when she was seven. Orphaned at a young age, Rose was taken in by a low-income family and struggled with how she viewed herself. Facing challenges from poverty and having little access to education, her early years left her timid and uncertain about her worth and potential. 

In 2013 she saved up to attend a conference hosted by Youth Impact Mission (YIM): an organization founded by Sam Birondwa that promotes reconciliation and youth empowerment. Here she connected with student leaders who helped her discover her potential. 

The following year, Rose returned to school. Because of her experience at YIM, she had the confidence to participate in extracurricular groups like debate, theatre, student leadership, and women's empowerment. During this time, Rose gained valuable mentors who helped her see her leadership potential and invested in her leadership journey. She also continued her involvement with YIM and later became a student leader and had the opportunity to mentor younger students. 

Rose's life was transformed by those who saw the potential in her. She says, "I believe I am who I am today because people held my hand and walked the journey with me, and I believe this is the right time for me to pay it forward by raising other leaders." Her passion is youth empowerment and she wants to help others discover their God-given gifts. 

When Rose heard about Trek, she knew she wanted to be a part of the program and contribute to the leadership development of emerging leaders. She strongly believes that this program will equip young people to find solutions to the most challenging issues in African society and become better stewards of the gifts God has given them. 

 

 We are grateful that Rose has joined our team and will use her gifts and abilities to encourage and empower the next generation of African leaders.