CITW Rwanda & Community Manager Aline Umutoni has known Seleman Majyambere since his earliest days as an Eco-Club member at Bisate Primary School. When we heard that Seleman had been employed by Wilderness Bisate after his graduation in 2025, we asked Aline to tell us a bit more about his inspiring journey.
Seleman was born and raised in the Bisate community near Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda. He is one of seven children, and lives with his father and siblings following the passing of his mother in 2024.
Despite facing significant economic challenges growing up, Seleman showed an ongoing commitment to his education and personal development, as well as a passion for environmental conservation.
Children in the Wilderness Rwanda (CITW) at Bisate Primary School
Through his interest in environmental conservation, Seleman didn’t hesitate in joining the CITW Eco-Club programme in March 2018 when it was launched at Bisate Primary School, soon after Bisate Lodge opened. From the very beginning, he demonstrated exceptional enthusiasm, discipline, and dedication to conservation activities.
He actively participated in weekly Eco-Club lessons and environmental awareness programmes, consistently showing strong leadership qualities and a genuine passion for protecting nature and wildlife.
One of his early, and most formative, conservation activities was participating in a tree-planting initiative on the Wilderness Bisate Concession, along with his fellow Eco-Club members, local environmental staff, and the CITW programme facilitators. His commitment during these activities distinguished him as a motivated and dependable student.
Scholarship Support and Academic Achievement
In recognition of his commitment, academic performance, and active participation in environmental education, Seleman was awarded a full CITW scholarship in 2019.
The scholarship supported him through his six years of secondary education, covering his school fees, educational materials, and other essential school requirements. The programme continued to support him through the educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected school timelines across Rwanda.
Thanks to his scholarship, after completing his Ordinary (O) Levels at Bisate Secondary School, Seleman advanced to Ecole Islamique de Ruhengeri (ESIR), where he specialised in Tourism studies and successfully graduated in 2025.
During his studies at ESIR, he also participated in leadership and club operations training, earning certification for his active involvement and commitment to student leadership initiatives.
Seleman (pictured above in the hat, fourth from left) was one of the 29 students who were the first recipients of the CITW Rwanda scholarship programme to graduate. For a young person from a financially vulnerable household, this support nurtured his leadership development, personal confidence, and long-term career aspirations.
Current Employment and Future Aspirations
Following his completion of secondary school, Seleman applied to Wilderness Bisate, and was employed in the Housekeeping Department, specifically in the Laundry. Through his work, he is developing practical skills in a conservation hospitality organisation whose Impact vision is very much aligned with his own.
Seleman’s colleagues and mentors describe him as hardworking, respectful, and eager to learn. Outside of work, he enjoys reading and singing, and he remains passionate about continuing his education in conservation.
Through the Children in the Wilderness programme, Seleman gained access not only to education, but also to mentorship, environmental awareness, leadership opportunities, and hope for a sustainable future.
As he continues building his career and pursuing his conservation ambitions, he stands out as an inspiring example of how empowering young people can create lasting benefits for communities, conservation, and future generations.
Today, Seleman aspires to further his studies in conservation and environmental management, with his long-term goal being to one day establish his own conservation-focused organisation that contributes to sustainable environmental protection and community development in Rwanda.
