Emmanuel Niyonkuru was born and raised in Rwanda. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the School of Governance within the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) at the University of Rwanda’s Huye campus. His academic focus was in the Department of Political Science. Emmanuel possesses a natural talent for drawing and painting art, and he honed his skills during a three-year academic program that spanned from 2018 to 2021. During this time, he actively participated in and completed a training program centered on “Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding.” This online training initiative was a collaborative effort between the University of Rwanda and Huron at Western University of Canada. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded a certificate of participation, equipping him with valuable skills and knowledge in conflict prevention through mediation, arbitration, conciliation, and truth-telling. Emmanuel also undertook an academic internship at the Kinihira Sector Office, specifically in the office of the Executive Secretary (E.S). During this experience, he applied political theories to practical situations, aligning with the academic curriculum requirements of his three-year bachelor’s degree program. His academic journey culminated in a research project entitled “Smart Governance of Small Cities in Africa,” with Huye City as a case study. He also worked with CorpsAfrica/Rwanda as a community-led development facilitator in Cohort 5, from August 2023- July 2024, facilitating the mindset change and rural communities’ empowerment through Community Led Development (CLD) and Asset Based Community Led development (ABCD) approaches.