A difficult upbringing can easily shape a negative outlook on life.
Many people spend years blaming their past for their present struggles. Others use it as motivation to chase success and wealth, hoping to erase the pain of their childhood. But for Salomon and Gloriose, both graduates of African Christian College, hardship became a seed for compassion — a call to serve others and create opportunities for people to rewrite their stories.
After graduating from African Christian College in 2015, the couple returned to their home country, Burundi, determined to live out their faith through service.
Gloriose, who majored in counselling, began working as a health center mediator, walking alongside people living with HIV/AIDS , a role that requires deep empathy and love.
It is hard to live with yourself when you see people suffering and do nothing.
Salamon Ntibaharire, 2015 Graduate.
“I had to put into practice what I learned at African Christian College,” she recalls. “Many of the people I met were not only battling the disease but also the emotional and psychological weight that came with it.”
In a country still wrestling with poverty and illness, her work became a ministry of healing — bringing hope to those who needed it most.
Salomon, meanwhile, served as the Provincial Church Empowerment Zone Coordinator for World Relief, working with churches to bring practical help to the destitute and vulnerable.
“Every day, I wake up with the desire to make a difference in my community,” he shared. “It is hard to live with yourself when you see people suffering and do nothing.”
His passion for community development later opened more doors. Salomon went on to join International Christian Ministries, in partnership with United Christians for Change and Development, as an Area Coordinator in Bujumbura Province. Through these partnerships, he has helped close the inequality gap by providing food parcels and support for struggling families.
One of the highlights of his ministry has been working with New Life Behavior International, a program that has reached thousands of young people. “Many youths have restored their lives to Christ, regained hope, and returned to school to complete their education,” Salomon says with gratitude.
The couple’s impact extends to widows and orphans as well. Through their Goat and Rabbit Project, they empower widows by giving them a female goat or rabbit and training them to raise and multiply their livestock. “These women are now forming savings groups, paying school fees, and providing for their families,” Salomon explains. “Seeing the joy on their faces when the animals give birth is one of the greatest rewards. It brings hope not only to our community but to Africa as a whole.”
Their efforts have also reached 198 orphans, who received essential school materials such as shoes, uniforms, and books, helping them and their struggling families regain dignity and hope. Beyond that, the couple has overseen the construction of wells, providing clean water to more than 3,000 people who once had to walk long distances just to fetch water.
Looking to the future, Salomon dreams of building an orphanage center — a place where vulnerable children can find safety, love, and a chance to thrive.
“We are forever grateful for the education we received at African Christian College,” they both affirm. “It shaped our hearts for service and gave us the tools to help others just as we were helped when we were struggling.”
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