Our Partners

Rwanda

Key Individuals

The mission is to champion activities that are geared towards peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and socio-economic development in the Great Lakes sub-region of Africa through project development, studies or research on all vital issues, training, advisory services, dissemination of local knowledge, advocacy.

GLCPD Website

jules.kazungu@glcpd.org

Jules Kazungu

Phillippe Rumenera

philippe.rumenera@glcpd.org

Philippe Rumenera

Educating people with a positive impact on their socio-economic and spiritual lives, and on the whole society.

Kibogora Polytechnic Website

Kenya

Key Individuals

Waterstone Norway A/S develops innovative and game-changing ‘green solutions for businesses, industries, and government entities.

Waterstone website

obf@waterstone.no

Ole Bernt Frøshaug

Uganda

Bridging the gap between policymakers and small-scale farmers.

Bringing together small-scale farmers to discuss issues that affect them.

Washarika website

We Build for the Future.

makerere website

Burundi

Key Individuals

The purpose of the S.A.D is to support children and families in crisis and vulnerable situations to find their comfort and adequate well-being.

S.A.D Website

nzisabirasergeclaver@gmail.com

Serges Claver Nzisabira

socaction_dev@yahoo.fr

Munyerere Magorwa Bienvenu

We hope our mission speaks to you.

Help us grow new opportunities.

Pacific Bamboo Resources

From Rhizomes to Resilience:
We’re positioning bamboo resources for 21st-century sustainability.

Our Location

Seattle, WA

Contact:

info@pacificbamboo.org

Jules Kazungu

Jules Kazungu leads as the Country Director for Bamboo for Good, Rwanda, and is serving as Senior Program Officer at Rwanda Bamboo Organization. He has over 18 years of professional work experience as a forest management technician and trainer. His long and first-hand working experience in the field of environment conservation has made him a community forestry and natural resources management expert. In 2012, he completed his Master in Science degree with a specialization in Agroforestry and Soil Management from the University of Rwanda. This academic qualification has provided him a strong foundation and enhanced his expertise in the agriculture sector of Rwanda and the region. His influence in the field can be seen through his enthusiastic involvement with multinational projects in sectors like environment, forestry, agroforestry and agricultural sectors. He holds good skills and expertise in agriculture extension, agribusiness development and promotion, and agroforestry. Jules has served in senior leading positions in government institutions, public and private sectors, and various NGOs. He has made a significant contribution by serving through (high qualitative) research and publications for the agriculture and environment sector. He has played an instrumental role as a researcher for different African and International Organization like African Development Bank, Rwanda Bamboo Organization, and many more He has a generous persona and believes in serving back to the people and nature. As an agroforestry expert, he has observed people suffering from poverty and the impacts of climate change. He knows the multipurpose bamboo products can help to support communities and vulnerable groups to poverty alleviation, income generation, welfare improvements, and overall social, economic, and environmental vitality. Through PBR, Jules is working to mobilize financial resources and long term development partnership for research and promotion of bamboo sectors in Rwanda and beyond. He is currently leading the Rwanda team to explore new funding opportunities, undertaking significant research, and providing technologies and information for sustainable management, conservation, and development of forests and allied natural resources. He has a lifelong commitment to promoting the use of bamboo and bamboo products for the sake of the environment and economy. His continuous dedication to exploring ways for enhancing employment prospects, income augmentation, and living conditions for the bamboo workers is a great source of inspiration for PBR.

Director / B4G Rwanda Rwanda jkazungu@pacificbamboo.org

Philippe Rumenera

Philippe Rumenera is a qualified researcher and agribusiness manager based in Rwanda and holds a Masters Degree in Agriculture Economics from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. He currently serves PBR as the Director of Business and Network Development and works with SNV within the project “Strengthening Education for Agriculture Development” (SEAD). Philippe has more than 20 years of experience in implementing activities under different domains including baseline survey, mid-term evaluation, final evaluation, feasibility studies, survey techniques, etc. He has worked for various Government Agencies such as (MINICOM, MINAGRI, NAEB) more specifically towards the value chain development of different agriculture commodities. He has conducted successful consultancy assignments for local and international institutions such as SNV, FAO, USAID funded projects including CRS, ACDI VOCA, USAID CARANA, CHF, Global communities, PSDAG; World Vision Rwanda, IFAD, EU funded project; PSF, AGRI- TAF, PASP/MINAGRI, Palladium, ACCORD. He is a certified agriculture practitioner and trainer. He holds a rich base of experience in the development of course notes, teaching materials, and training modules, preparing training sessions, reports, conducting participatory planning, developing strategic and business plans. Some of the important training and outreach activities that he has led include Training of Trainers (ToT) on Climate-Smart Agriculture, Good Agriculture Practices to farmers, Value Addition, and Value Chain Development of Agriculture Crops. During his long professional career as an agriculture expert, he has had numerous opportunities to work with farmers in bamboo promotion and development. He wants to use his agricultural background and economic knowledge to strengthen the business promotion and upscale menu of bamboo in Rwanda and across the region. Along with the dynamic team of PBR, Phillippe is committed to providing his input and expertise for bamboo-based business development, employment generation, and promoting food security.

Forestry Education / Field Research Rwanda prumenera@pacificbamboo.org

Ole Bernt Frøshaug

Ole Bernt is co-founder and CEO of Waterstone Norway, and their subsidiary Waterstone R.F. Kenya established in 2011. Waterstone are committed to developing environmentally sound business opportunities in order to support economic growth and create employment in the green and renewable industries. Currently the focus is on establishing a scalable Bamboo Model for women and smallholder farmers in Kenya in cooperation with Greenbelt Movement. The overall project goal is to save natural forests, mitigate climate change, and to generate income by planting bamboo, and producing and selling bamboo products made by the 25 women groups involved. The project has been selected as one of 24 innovative projects, called ‘Reasons for Hope’, by the Al Gore Foundation. The bamboo model was one of only two projects selected from Africa. He was the co-founder of Basecamp Explorer back in 1997, developing ecotourism facilities in Kenya, India and at Spitsbergen. In 2010 he was part of the team establishing Mara Naboisho, a 20 000-ha wildlife conservancy, together with 500 maasai landowners, declared the best wildlife concept in Africa in 2016. He is presently also a director in Basecamp Foundation Kenya, working with entrepreneurship groups, health and education in Masai Mara. And of course, re-introducing the savannah bamboo to women entrepreneurs in the region. Ole Bernt is building on more than three decades of experience from Africa, including 7 years spent serving the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Norwegian Development Agency working with development projects worldwide, focusing specially on environment and communication. With background in Social Science from University of Oslo he has been engaged as a photojournalist and filmmaker, specialized in international documentaries, dealing with politics, environment and culture. Producing for Nordic TV, as well as BBC and National Geographic. His experience from bamboo farming, sustainable business, community work and eco-tourism in Kenya, bamboo product manufacturing and import from China to Kenya and a background from development and environmental work both within NGO’s and the government, he sees the huge possibilities that can be created by growing a bamboo and enhance awareness in Kenya and East Africa.

Co-founder and CEO, Waterrstone obf@waterstone.no

Serges Calver Nzisabira

Serges Claver NZISABIRA is a professional social worker. He served as Assistant Project Coordinator for Burundi in PROSOWO II, a project for promoting social work in East Africa. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Community Development and currently studying Master’s in Community Development from Hope Africa University, Burundi. He is an executive member of the National Association of Social Workers in Burundi in charge of Communication and Public Relations. Currently he is working for a non-profit organization called Social Action for Action where he serves as Child Protection Coordinator. Currently Serges Claver Nzisabira is leading development projects for rural populations most of them based on Agriculture and VSLAs etc. He is a co-author in several scientific articles on social work profession in Burundi, socio economic development and gender. Serges Claver Nzisabira is also an activist, public affairs analyst and entrepreneur.

nzisabirasergecalver@gmail.com

Muyerere Magorwa Bienvenu

Munyerere Magorwa Bienvenu is the founder and the national coordinator of the Social Action for Development NGO “S.A.D” in Burundi. He is a student on line in masters program in the International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid; he has hold a bachelor degree in social work and community development, post graduate in Master’s of Research in Community Development and undergraduate in Nursing. He is also the chairman of the supervisory board of the National Association of Social Workers in Burundi, Deputy of the Center of Research and Innovation in Community Development (CRICD) as well as the National Coordinator of the Collective of Burundian Organizations involved in humanitarian response.

Founder S.A.D