Skip to Content Skip to Navigation
Donate

Christelle Kwizera

2019 Fellow

ChristelleKwizera_Headshot_Africa
Rwanda

 

Christelle Kwizera, 25, is a Rwandan mechanical engineer and social entrepreneur. In 2014, Christelle founded Water Access Rwanda, an award-winning innovative social enterprise offering tailor-made solutions in the field of collection, distribution and purification of water. The enterprise has provided water to over 100,000 Rwandans through a network of 95 boreholes and INUMA™️ purified clean water microgrids. Water Access Rwanda was the only Rwandan enterprise to ever be awarded with the prestigious Africa Entrepreneurship Award. Her work in water and geophysics has also seen her train and support the development of social water businesses across the African continent with Water4. Christelle was also recognized as the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year this March in Paris by INCO with support from the Chanel Foundation.

With her strong academic background and deep commitment to environmental, youth and gender issues, Christelle has managed to get the attention of development leaders and enablers who have awarded her with fellowships and awards for her various initiatives and volunteering efforts. In her home district, she was elected to be the economic commission head in the Joint Action Development Forum. Christelle is a regular speaker and activist on the national and international stage, and is involved at a high-level in keeping leaders accountable to their people, especially in promoting youth initiatives. A faithful steward, Christelle lives to see her God-given gifts multiplied through service.

 

Kwizera’s business supports the following SDGs:

Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic growth

Goal 13: Climate action

 

“We provide safe purified water at an affordable rate. This liberates time and money that can be used for other income generating activities, allow kids time to focus on education and women more time to engage in economic and political activities, thus positively impacting progress towards the SDGs.”

 

Christelle was selected as a 2019 WE Empower Awardee.