WHO WE ARE
The Ntwali Lane Foundation encompasses a variety of people, all with varied backgrounds and experiences. One thing we have in common is a commitment to serve God and those around us. That commitment allows us to do what we do, in the way we do it, with enthusiasm and joy, which in turn allows us to receive it from people as well.
Nathalie Imanishimwe
Co-Founder
Nathalie is Latin for “birthday,” derived from the phrase Natale Domini, which means “the birth of Christ.”
Nathalie is in some respects the sole founder of the Foundation as she was the one who had the initial idea of creating it when she and Alan were in Kenya helping a young woman get a prosthetic for her amputated leg.
Nathalie is a very bright, strong, wise, determined, faith-filled, passionate, creative, and compassionate woman, and now the mother of her and Alan’s only child, Tona. She has always had a pension for caring for others and being mindful of their needs. The mutual love that she and Alan have for people, and concern for their well-being, is in many ways a foundational aspect of their marriage and their lives together.
Nathalie also has a small business in town where she sells baby cloths and baby items, along with the beautiful candles she makes and various home décor products that are locally made.
Alan David Lane
Co-Founder
In the Bible, David was described by a servant as, “skillful in playing, a man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence; and the Lord is with him.” Quite the qualities to live up to but Alan “David” is doing his best.
As co-founder of the Foundation Alan feels as though he has found his personal mission in life, the work that God has called him to do. However, he knows the Foundation will only be as successful as it can be by surrendering to and desiring God’s will.
Alan grew up in St. Cloud, Minnesota, a small midwestern town an hour or so drive west of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. He meandered along, doing different things along the way, until he joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 29. He served in the Iraq War and was nearly killed when a roadside bomb blew up the vehicle that he and his team member were in (who also survived, thank God). After a number of years dealing with a significant amount of Post Traumatic Stress, eventually he found his way to Rwanda through Photographers Without Borders, and in the fall of 2020 he moved here to stay, experiencing a healing and a joy of living that he had never experienced before. That healing and joy continues to increase every day.
Companions to the People
Claudine Umwaliwase
The name Claudine means “compassionate one.” There couldn’t be a more appropriate name for her. Since the beginning Claudine has had a gift of interacting with everyone we meet, helping them feel loved by her, and by God. The Foundation simply wouldn’t exist without her. She has been and will continue to be a Godsend to both the group and everyone we encounter.
Claudine is a mother, wife, teacher, children’s book author, and friend to many. As with many people over the age of 30, she was affected by the Genocide. She did not lose any loved ones, but her family did have to relocate to a neighboring country, eventually being placed in a refugee camp. They moved back to Rwanda in 1996 and were placed in a camp with the assistance of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), who were able to hep them with their basic needs.
In time they were able to leave the camp, first living in Kigali, the capital, and eventually to Muhanga, where she and her family live, along with her mother and one of her sisters.
As she says, “life is something that is given for free. It is also something that changes at will. That is why we should always look out for the good of others, because we never know when we might change their lives.”
Eugenie Mujawimana
Eugenie brinks a lot of quiet and prayerful wisdom to the team.
She was born in 1957 in Cyeza, in the south province of Rwanda. She is a widow and the mother of Nathalie, Alan’s wife. She also has a son, Eric, who got married in 2023. After she received a bachelor’s degree in history she became a teacher, first in high school then higher education where she taught geography and history.
While working at the higher education institution she was a lecturer but also combined it with other administrative responsibilities. She was the financial director, head of human resources, and was a member of the research teams of the International Federation of Catholic Universities. Eugenie is currently retired but is very involved in different charity and missionary activities in her local area.
She also likes being a volunteer teacher and tutor. She enjoys doing research, gardening & taking care of small livestock. She loves the cultural & traditional dances of Rwanda. Eugenie especially loves prayer time and all of the different ways it is expressed (singing & praising, meditation, etc.), and enjoys being part the Foundation and the work that we do.
Alice Nyirakamana
We met Alice in 2023 and she became one of the people we spend time with. Her tenderness, vulnerability, strength and faith led us to ask her to join us in ministering to people.
Alice was born in a village not far from the city of Muhanga. Two months after she was born her mother passed away and was immediately raised by her stepmother. She treated Alice like her own daughter. When she was 10 years old, her second mother died. Her father married another woman but his wife was not a good mother to Alice. This is what led her to marry at the age of 19.
At first they had a good marriage, but then her husband developed a mental illness and life became more and more difficult. It became necessary for her to raise her two sons alone. It wasn’t easy for her because she also suffers from health problems. Alice continues to seek the life she is looking for because she knows how to work hard and she has a strong faith in herself. The life she went through has also drawn her to God.
Alice enjoys the work she is doing with the Ntwali Lane Foundation. Meeting others who have had difficult life problems such as chronic illness, being deprived of peace with their spouses, raising children in a difficult situation, etc., helps make her feel happy again. It helps her build herself up and keep others out of being hopeless because she once was. It also made her realize that giving does not only require having more but that she also has something to give; to comfort and sustain others.
Vestine Mukamana and Laurence Nkundizanye
Vestine and Laurence are our two most recent additions to those who are joining us in the field.
In brief, we met Vestine at the clinic in 2021 when Alan was getting a covid shot. She was with her son, Jean Remy, who at the time was malnourished. We ended up helping them, and her mother Christine. While Jean Remy is still on the small side, he is no longer in danger and is a normal and happy young boy.
We have known Laurence for a number of years. She is a gregarious and joyful woman, while also having a very sensitive heart. She lost her mother recently and is finding that staying occupied and sharing with others helps her with her grief.
Jean Eric Munezero
Eric started out being with us in the field with everyone we spend time with, but he now focuses on the group that means the most to him, the street kids. He spends a couple morning each week with them, walking and talking, giving them something to eat, and offering them basic companionship.
Eric was born in the Muhanga are, which is where we do most of our work. He lost his father when he was five months old, the only memories of him being through pictures. He lost his mother when he was three years old when she was killed during the Genocide. That left him and his older sister. While he had to move around with her and it was difficult at times, they stayed close and Eric is now the local DJ in town. He loves music and he loves to share it with others. As he says, “music speaks many languages.” He also loves to cook, having his own YouTube channel along with some friends.
“As an orphan I know how it hurts and I wish that one day I will help change the life of someone who is struggling the way I did. Human beings are struggling out there. I believe it is the reason I met the community and came to be a part of them.”
Amata Bonne Iyibukiro
Website Developer
There couldn’t have been a better chance meeting than when Alan came across Amata through a mutual friend. The connection was immediate and continues to this day. She is a joy to work with and has done outstanding work on the site.
Amata grew up in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Her parents ended up separating, which led to her mother leaving the home. Being the first born, Amata became the mother figure of the house and had to take care of her two brothers and two sisters when she was only 17 years old. She had no choice but to take in and overcome every challenge life threw her way, especially mentally.
The love she has for her family is her first and biggest source of strength, but from a very young age she also fell in love with music. That has made it a lot easier for her to cope, both emotionally and financially. She became a singer at the age of 21.
While on her journey, through the challenges of a very difficult life, she witnessed the love of God in the good deeds of friends but mostly from a complete stranger she met one day, when she was helpless and lost. She believes this person was an angel sent from heaven to help her.
She believes that a gesture you perform for someone, though it might seem very little to you, can sometimes be a lifesaver and will come back your way eventually. She cherishes the goodness and love shown to her and keeps reminding herself to be kind and compassionate towards others as a way of paying it forward.
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