Daniel Muhwezi

Daniel is a MasterCard Foundation scholar graduating in Master of Science in Community Sustainability. At the age of 15 years old, the civil wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) forced Daniel and his friends and family to become refugees in Uganda, they have now spent over 22 years in Kyangwali refugee settlement, Hoima, western Uganda.

In 2017, Daniel has started Bunifu that is currently being registered in Michigan as a US 501(c) 3 charity and NGO in DRC. Bunifu is a Swahili word for ‘imaginative’ or “innovation”. Bunifu seeks to curb extreme poverty and high unemployment in DRC, which was worsened and weakened by over 20 years of civil war. Consequently, more than 80 % of aged 15 to 35 have no access to steady employment. Bunifu is committed to building a sustainable community model, that inspires and accelerates the grassroots innovative solutions that are economical, environmentally, and socially healthy and resilient to address most pressing social problems like lack of education and peace, youth unemployment and poverty, food insecurity and lack of access to clean water in the DRC and Africa.

In 2005, Daniel also co-founded CIYOTA that is providing access to education to refugee youth in Uganda. CIYOTA's founders have been recognized with prestigious awards including the Ashoka Fellow 2015, UN Youth Advisory Board 2013, Global Citizen Award; Echoing Green Fellow 2013, Unreasonable Institute Fellow 2010, World Economic Forum 2010, African Leadership Academy, United State Institute of Peace 2014, Without Violence 2014 etc.

Daniel is also a founder of Ubuntu Trust and About Congo-Kinshasa. Daniel holds a Bachelor degree in Information Technology and partial MBA from Makerere University-Uganda. Daniel keeps a hopeful smile on his face all the time, he is social, kind, honest, and passionate about social entrepreneurship and transformative change. Daniel is Happily married to Winfred Mbabazi with two beautiful daughters Daniella and Destinee.