If you collected every story of our Edify staff, it would be a book of God’s grace, with endless pages. It would be filled with stories about overcoming immense challenges, witnessing miracles firsthand, and reflections of His goodness.
These stories are often shared over meals at staff gatherings. However, Claudine Uwimbabazi, a Christ-Centered Education Officer (CCEO) in Rwanda, is graciously sharing part of her testimony as an encouragement of God’s faithfulness in her life.
Claudine’s Story
After tragically losing her father and eldest sister at six years old, Claudine’s mother raised the remaining four children on her own, and could barely get by on her mother’s income. When each child outgrew free government schooling at 15 years old, they had to drop out. When that time came for Claudine, she sat alone in her living room as many of her former classmates headed off to school.
Yet, as the radio’s sound waves traveled through the living room, a spark of hope struck her heart.
“I heard the Cornerstone Leadership Academy (CLA) Christian School announce on the radio about a program created to give educational opportunities to financially struggling students,” Claudine recollects.
The school would admit 40 students per year (20 girls and 20 boys) and called for all students who had passed primary exams to come in for an interview. She continues, “At first, I thought I would fail; I didn’t know if I was good enough… But I passed, and God gifted me the opportunity to attend CLA.”
From that time on, Claudine was on a new path. From school fellowships and morning devotions, to a school motto about “letting your light shine,” Claudine’s life was now centered on Christ. She attended leadership courses, studying the “10 Principles of Leadership” and read the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” These experiences “created in me a tool kit of options to better equip me for future challenges,” she reflects.
The school propelled and challenged her throughout the coming years, and Claudine excelled among her peers in the national exams, receiving a scholarship to university.
Whether during her studies in primary and secondary school, or her time at university, she often tutored her peers. The seed was planted for her love of education, and little did she know it was only the beginning.
The Road to Edify
During her last year of university in 2016, she jumped into the world of teaching. A local school proprietor was seeking five teachers who went through CLA to establish a Christian environment at the school. Before she knew it, she was teaching secondary school economics at a school that partnered with Edify. After initiating morning staff fellowships, forming Discipleship Clubs among students, and creating a collaborative environment in the school, she “found joy in knowing [she] was making a positive impact on student’s lives, helping them learn and grow.”
In the fall of October 2021, she vowed to seek God’s wisdom in prayer for 40 days, seeking out His will for her in her next job. She was confident He would make the next steps clear, just as He always had.
In November 2021, an Edify staff member connected with Claudine about an open position, proving God’s faithfulness yet again. She has now served as an integral part of the Edify Team in Rwanda for two years.
Claudine reflects, “When I think about the journey God has brought me on, I am convinced that He was preparing me for the work I am doing today. It is not by my skills, but by the plan of God that I am serving in Edify. When we read Jeremiah 1:5, we see that God knew us before we were formed in our mothers’ wombs, and He appointed us as prophets to the nations. Nothing has happened to me that has surprised God, so when I have the opportunity to meet schools we work with, I pray this testimony builds up those around me.”