Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya

A Rwandan environmentalist and women's advocate who pioneered reforestation efforts and gender equality initiatives post-genocide

Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya emerged as a transformative leader in post-genocide Rwanda, leading efforts to heal both her nation's environment and its social fabric. As the Director of Rwanda's National Forestry Authority from 2001-2014, she spearheaded the Umushinga model - a community-driven approach combining reforestation with poverty alleviation. This program transformed over 2 million hectares of degraded land while empowering women through agroforestry cooperatives. Her Rwanda Development Board initiatives helped the country achieve 30% forest cover by 2020, reversing decades of environmental degradation. Beyond ecology, she championed gender equity through programs like Imbuto Foundation, enabling thousands of girls to access education. Her TEDx talk "From Seeds to Empowerment" highlights her belief that environmental sustainability and social justice are intertwined. Mujawamariya's work inspired the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), now restoring 100 million hectares across the continent. Her legacy lives on through the Greenpop movement she co-founded, proving that grassroots environmental action can drive societal transformation.