Current Scholars - Africa

Our 2024 Scholars serving in Africa

Be sure to see how our scholar alumni are utilizing their Wheaton training in Africa.

Pacifique Bisangwa
Rwanda - Ministry Leadership

Herbert J. Taylor Scholarship

Pacifique took his experience with Intervarsity, Youth for Christ, and missions awareness from the Kairos and Perspectives courses to found Tubasange, which means “Let’s go to them.” Tubasange is an indigenous mission organization determined to mobilize the church of Rwanda to take the gospel to unreached peoples using preaching, Bible studies, mission awareness seminars, conferences, discipleship programs, and mission school training of potential new missionaries. Pacifique has a young family, so he is thankful for the hybrid learning model of this Wheaton master’s program. Watch a video introduction for Pacifique

David Kanekey Conteh
Sierra Leone - Evangelism & Leadership

Albert R. & Marjorie Fesmire Scholar, Elaine A. & Michael G. Jordan Award

David was miraculously saved from being shot by a rebel commander in one of the most brutal civil wars in the world. David KNOWS that God saves and wants to establish the first missionary sending body within Sierra Leone to share that Good News of salvation. His vision is to see a change in the “narrative of Islamic dominance” by empowering and equipping many to impact their spheres of influence and beyond. 

Benjamin David
Uganda - Ministry Leadership

Henry C. Theissen Scholar, John E. & Mary C. Jaderquist Award

When his father died young, Ben “didn’t shed a tear”, but a loving surrogate father showed Ben the love of Christ. Now Ben enjoys a relationship with his heavenly Father and wants “everyone to experience the joy that only the Father can give.” These studies will allow him to be a more effective leader for Hope Speaks, the holistic ministry he and his wife founded.

Tewodros Debebe 
Ethiopia - Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership

Philip & Jane Buswell Foxwell Scholar, Benjamin Allen Peays Award

Teddy has many years of experience in food security, livelihood, and disaster response as Compassion International Ethiopia’s Senior Program Support Specialist in Disaster Preparedness, Prevention, and Response. He is looking for this program to help him integrate Biblical principles into his theory and practice to benefit local churches. Teddy believes that the great commission includes ministry to both body and soul. He longs to see the Ethiopian community more resilient to shocks that will come.

Tricia De Boer 
Canada to Uganda - Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership 

Walter H. & Ethyl Smyth Scholarship

Tricia lost both parents by the age of six and struggled throughout her childhood in foster care. At age 13 at summer camp, the Lord revealed His incredible love for her, and Tricia met her forever Father. She now testifies that “her past struggles and pain as a child became a way for me to connect and grieve with other children and youth in similar circumstances. My past also became my testimony of how God can bring healing and hope.” She now ministers to survivors of war with I Live Again Uganda. Watch a video introduction for Tricia

Olayemi Ilesanmi
Nigeria - TESOL & Intercultural Studies

W. Lloyd & Helen Fesmire Scholarship Ketch Family Nehemiah Fund

Olayemi was sent by his mission organization, Calvary Ministries (CAPRO), to an unreached people group in northern Nigeria and he is preparing to deploy outside his home country. Olayemi desires to be a professional, wise, and well-rounded English language teacher to bless and serve long-term his students in the Middle East. He will study primarily online. Watch a video introduction for Olayemi

Collette Kaligirwa 
Rwanda - Marriage & Family Therapy

Adolph & Emma Hermann Scholar

Coco has a lot to teach us about family, healing, and forgiveness. Coco’s parents and two siblings were killed in the 1994 genocide, but the Lord of healing broke through religiosity and into her life many years later. She will use this training to develop a family clinic in Rwanda to train practitioners, professionals, and lay Christians in family counseling. She also anticipates developing integrated responses on the issues of family trauma and counseling.

Salome Kariuki
Kenya - Evangelism & Leadership

Rev. Wayne I. Wessner Scholar

Salome is a bold evangelist and gifted administrator. She is the international mission administrator at African Enterprise collating and analyzing missions data from 12 countries. She also supports the partnership between African Enterprise and the Lausanne Movement. “I believe it’s time for Africans to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the rest of the world.”

Catherine Kingston 
Ghana - Outdoor & Adventure Leadership

Thomas B., Jr. & Carrie E. Wessner Scholar

Catherine currently serves as the Global Missions Director at Teens Aloud Foundation. She believes this Wheaton program will increase her ability to lead and coordinate others. She wants to learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills and grow in her ability to think on her feet to handle the unexpected. She sees incredible potential in raising the caliber of Christian camping in Ghana. She will use the training to elevate missionary training, church-based camp programs, and discipleship endeavors.

Edward (Ato) Manful
Ghana - Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Albert R. & Marjorie Fesmire Scholarship, Elaine A. & Michael G. Jordan Fund

Ato is the Country Director of Excellent Youth Outreach (EYO), Ghana. He is encountering mental health issues in more and more students from the university campus to rural communities. He seeks the training at Wheaton to minister more holistically, disciple effectively, and create a thriving system for mental health within EYO. We congratulate him on his recent marriage 

Cecilia Mumbi   
Zambia - Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Rev. Wayne I. Wessner Scholar, William & Loretta Gaunt Award

Cecilia is studying at Wheaton as part of Zambia Fellowship of Evangelical Students’ strategic plan to better address mental health and sexual purity among students and establish a professional counseling desk. She knows that “God is concerned in the wholeness of His people” and acknowledges His healing in her life and her unique vantage point for ministering to others.

Lawrence Owinya
Uganda - Leadership

Thomas B., Jr. & Carrie E. Wessner Scholar

Lawrence and his wife, Lydia, will come to Wheaton to live and study. They sensed that “mission focus and strategies seem to be shifting from the global west to the African Church,” so they founded an indigenous nonprofit mission called Reaching Frontiers. The vision is to work with local churches to inspire, mobilize, train, and launch indigenous cross-cultural workers. Lawrence and Lydia are missionaries among the Tepeth among the Karimojong.