Tamar M. Copeland, Executive Director
Tamar joined Agahozo-Shalom as Executive Director in October of 2009. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years and specializes
in resource development in organizations spanning the social justice, arts,
academic, and Jewish cultural communities. Her experience of founding
and running her own theater company allowed her to develop and hone her
resource generating skills, which she has transferred in a professional
or advisory capacity to more than a dozen other nonprofit organizations. Prior
to her arrival at Agahozo-Shalom, she re-built the development function of The New
York Women's Foundation, effectively doubling the fundraising revenue in
tandem with the operating budget, thus allowing the Foundation to significantly
increase its grant-making in New York City. She received both her
Bachelor degree in Social History and Masters Degree in Nonprofit Management
from Carnegie Mellon University.
Tamar serves as a development advisor to the Cape Ann Farmers Market. She
lives in New Jersey with her husband and two sons.
Jean-Claude Nkulikiyimfura, Village Director
Jean-Claude joined Agahozo-Shalom as Director of the Village in July 2011. His passion in life is to help provide a platform and a voice to the voiceless. That explains his choice for journalism as a career path in the fall of 1994, receiving a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Central Arkansas in the United States. In 2001, Jean-Claude returned to Rwanda as a media and protocol officer in the Office of the President until 2006. Thereafter, he moved to South Africa to undertake a Master's program in International Relations. Following his return, Jean-Claude created XLcom, a consulting agency from which he provided communication services to various institutions including a two-year consultancy in Communication for the African Development Bank in Rwanda. He then became the General Manager of Saatchi & Saatchi's local branch, a worldwide advertising firm, which provides communication and marketing solutions to MTN Rwanda , other businesses and non-profit organizations.
Alain Munyaburanga, Director of Education and Training
Alain has been a key member of Agahozo-Shalom’s staff in Rwanda since the fall of 2006. Beginning with leading the negotiations for the land on which the Village now sits, to assisting in brokering and managing the relationship with the architects and builders who constructed the Village, Alain was instrumental in ensuring the speed and success with which the first phase of construction was completed. As the country director and only employee in Rwanda, Alain oversaw the permitting process and assisted in the recruiting and hiring of Village staff.
He served as Village Deputy Director from 2009 to 2011. A veteran of the village’s institutional memory, and ever ready to serve where most needed, Alain has now taken the role of Director of Education and Training, overseeing the application of the village’s philosophy and the staff’s Professional development. Alain is a graduate of the British Columbia Institute of Technology; he worked in the Tel-Com Industry in Nigeria and trade in Dubai and South Africa before moving back to Rwanda in 2006.
Jean-Pierre Nkuranga, Director of Informal Education
Jean Pierre was born in 1974 in Rwamagana district, Eastern Province, Rwanda. During the 100 days of genocide, he experienced countless atrocities and lost most of his family members, at the age of 20, he was an orphan and became the head of his household. In spite of that difficult situation, he strongly believes that “a survivor can become a leader” and since 1995, he has taken a lead role in developing initiatives that provide assistance to the children who survived the genocide. In 1996, while a university student, he helped start the Association des Etudiants Rescapés du Genocide (AERG), an association of students who survived the Genocide who wished to assist those who suffered the same fate. To date, AERG has 23,000 members with 18,000 teenage survivors who are learning about the past and changing their future. Jean Pierre holds a bachelors degree in Economics from National University of Rwanda and has served as Butare Provincial Coordinator at the National Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG) as well as The National Coordinator of Uyisenga N’ Manzi, an NGO dedicated to the financial and psychological wellbeing of 3,850 children who are heads of households. In January of 2010, he was awarded the CYRWA (Celebrating of Young Rwandan Achiever) by the Imbuto Foundation, chaired by the First Lady of Rwanda, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame.
Wilton Ndayisenga , Director of Formal Education
Wilton was born and educated in Rwanda, leaving secondary school in the midst of his education due to the war. From 1991-1996 he served with the Rwandan Patriotic Front, returning to his education in 1996 and eventually completing his secondary school education in 1998. Wilton received his bachelor’s degree from the Adventist University of Central Africa and recently completed his masters degree in Educational Management at Bugema Univeristy, Uganda. Wilton left his position as head of a Poverty Eradication project for SOS Children’s Villages and joined Agahozo-Shalom in the fall of 2008, prior to the opening of the Village.
Sylvia Gata-Salama, Director of Finance and Administration
Sylvia came to the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in the fall of 2008 from her position as Director of Finance and Administration in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry. She is responsible for budget development and oversight, management of human resources and logistics. She was born in Uganda where she studied under a tree for her entire primary school education. She completed secondary school at the Rwanda International Academy and received her bachelor’s degree in finance from the National University of Rwanda in 2004.
Trevor Green, Director of Business Development
Trevor first came to Agahozo-Shalom in 2011 as a long-term volunteer involved in the operations and logistics of the village. He had previously worked with the Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre as a researcher in disaster management while affiliated with their Young Scholars for Humanitarian Work program. Trevor returns to Agahozo-Shalom to head our new business initiatives as well as assist in developing an entrepreneurship program for the youth in the village. His experience in acquisitions and regional markets, coupled with a Bachelors degree in Economics from UC Santa Cruz, has allowed him to cultivate a strong rapport with the local business community and nurtured his inclusive approach to economic development. He completed his M.A. degree in International Relations and Environmental Policy with a certificate in African Studies just prior to joining the village staff in 2012.
Celine UWINEZA, HumanResources Director.
Celine's passion for humanitarian work and her belief that non-profit organizations can provide their staff with a professional, safe and comfortable work environment is what propelled her to join Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village as the Director of Human Resources in November 2011. Having experienced the loss of siblings who were still in their youth, during the 1994 genocide, she has a strong desire to live for them, and to maximize the goals and potential that were taken from them. Each day Celine is striving to work and lead by example, in order to show Rwandan's young men and women that it is still possible to move forward and excel in their lives and careers despite their difficult past experiences. Celine demonstrated this drive and passion for helping others when she chose to study law, with a focus on humanitarian law, from Kigali Independent University. In 2003 she started her career in the private sector as a Human Resource officer where she practiced social and labor law. She was subsequently promoted to the position of Human Resource Manager then in 2007, she joined the CommercialBank of Rwanda and oversaw the Welfare and Employee Relations section. In 2011, Celine decided to follow her passion by joining a humanitarian organization, and being a role model for the youth at Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village.
