The Rwanda of today is experiencing miraculous renewal and
reconciliation. Our people have proven resilient and the willingness to
forgive has moved us towards unity. Rwanda is being rebuilt from the
ground up, stronger and more resourceful than ever. While great
strides have been made in these rebuilding efforts, there is still a large
number of under-educated and impoverished people; children as well
as adults.
Our vision for a nurturing and allied Kanazi (Nyamata) community that
cares for and invests in the potential of every citizen from birth to
adulthood is realized at Nibakure Community Village (NCV). The
people in our community contribute to a vibrant and prosperous
Rwanda and will for generations to come.
The vision for Nibakure Community Village (formerly Nibakure Children’s Village (NCV) began in the heart of Floriane Nibakure, a native of Rwanda. Her difficult childhood, including separation from her biological mother at just a few months old and abuse by stepmothers, often left her feeling like an abandoned child. Although she immigrated to the United States in 1988 and raised a family here, Floriane continued to feel a connection to–and compassion for–the children of Rwanda.
Learn MoreFloriane Marie Nibakure. Founder and Executive Director
Some of the members of our Community
Founder and Executive Director
Floriane is a native of Rwanda and has lived in the US since 1988. She is fluent in Kinyarwanda, French and English and proficient in Swahili. Floriane has attended school in Belgium; has worked as a radio broadcaster; as a freelancer for UNDP and UNICEF; and worked as an English teacher at the American Embassy in Rwanda. In the US, she has worked for Pillsbury (now General Mills); the US Embassy in Ouagadougou; 3M; St. Jude Medical; St. Paul Companies and RBC Dain Rauscher.
Board Chair
Mary Beenken is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and currently serves as Board Chair of the NCV Board of Directors. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Writing from Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota) in 2012 and with her Master’s of Divinity from Luther Seminary (St. Paul, Minnesota) in 2017. In 2010, Mary spent a summer as an English teacher in Rwanda, which sparked a lifelong love for the country and its people.
Director of Development
Arnaud Muhimpundu is a Supervisor of the Comprehensive Clinical Assessment Program at St. Vincent Catholic Charities and currently serves as the Director of Development for Nibakure community Village. Arnaud graduated in 2018 with a Master’s Degree in International Development from St. Mary University in Minnesota.
Secretary
Clint Robins is the son of Floriane Nibakure, the founder of Nibakure Community Village (NCV). Clint currently serves as the Secretary on NCV’s Board of Directors and joined the board in 2016. Clint is a Ph.D. student in wildlife ecology at the University of Washington (UW) based in Seattle, WA. Clint received his M.S. in wildlife ecology from UW and received his B.A. in biology and environmental studies from Williams College.
Vice Board Chair
Kim Raymond is a licensed architect that owns a boutique Architectural and Interiors firm in Aspen, Colorado for the past 27 years. She is NCV’s architect, providing countless hours of consultation. She has worked passionately with the other members of the NCV Board and the staff ‘on the ground’ in Rwanda from the beginning; and with the Rwandan architect Straton Nizeyimana.
The partnership of these generous organizations supports our continued success.
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