Irankunda Jean De Dieu Ndaruhuye
Grand Rapids,MI
Summary
I am a Talent Development Instructor at West Michigan Works, passionate about empowering individuals through job readiness training, career development, and skills-based workshops. Previously, as Refugee Community Engagement Coordinator at Bethany Christian Services, I worked to bridge cultural gaps, strengthen trust, and connect refugees with vital resources. I am committed to advancing equity and dignity through trauma-informed, person-centered, and culturally responsive service.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Talent Development Instructor
West Michigan Works
08.2025 - Current
- Create engaging and comfortable learning environments.
- Assess participant needs and customize lesson plans.
- Develop and recommend curriculum and materials for workshops.
- Monitor participant progress and provide support.
- Conduct group workshops
- Teach job-seeking, job-retention, and employability skills
- Deliver training for community partner programs
- Provide feedback to Career Coach staff
- Use varied instructional methods
- Engage participants actively
- Stay current with hiring trends
Refugee Public Health Community Engagement Coordinator
Bethany Christian Services
09.2022 - 08.2025
- Organizes community health work, mental health awareness initiatives, and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training in different communities such as the Congolese, Bhutanese, Burmese and Banyamulenge communities in Kent County resulting in significantly positive impact on the well-being of individuals and the community as a whole;
- Coordinate and provide training for families on home hygiene, in partnership with Mercy Housing. This training raises awareness about proper home maintenance to meet landlords' expectations, protect the health of family members, and ensure a clean environment that contributes to neighborhood safety.
- Advances internal and external engagement and outreach efforts through recruiting, training and maintaining relationships with local community organizations and medical providers;
- Partners with medical providers, ethnic and community-based organizations to increase collaboration and community building for the development and implementation of culturally appropriate refugee and immigrant foster care and adult and family programs;
- Coordinates and administers effective educational outreach programs, activities, and events that promote health and mental health within refugee and immigrant communities;
- Creates and facilitates presentations to build and embrace cross-cultural relationships and increase trust and understanding between American and Newcomer community members and service providers, including all of Bethany's refugee and immigrant programming, criminal justice and law enforcement agencies, faith-based communities, and medical providers;
- Identify, establishes, and retains relationships with Ethnic Community Based Organizations to address health and mental health challenges, reduce stigma, and increase access to health services;
- Partners with the refugee and immigrant foster care team to address barriers in the licensing process for refugee and immigrant individuals and families and advocates for more accessible and equity policies to license homes that reflect the URM and UC populations served;
- Collaborates with the Community Engagement team and refugee and immigrant community to write and successfully receive grants to enhance services and resources for the refugee community, including the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and the Amway Refugee Capacity Building Project;
- Assists with managing and overseeing budgets, grants, and program development.
Independent Consultant
Feed the Future "DLEC" Project
01.2020 - 04.2023
- Facilitated a study to assess how private sector extension advisory services (EAS) engages youth and what the potential is for greater engagement.
- Specific objectives included:
- Describing models of youth engagement used in Uganda and Rwanda (by models of engagement we mean actions taken to engage youth in EAS as either providers (such as hiring more young extension agents) or as recipients (such as providing more entrepreneurship training to young farmers);
- Assessing model performance and the factors affecting performance, and
- Making recommendations for how governments and the donor community can support promising private sector youth engagement models.
Consultant
GIZ-NEPAD Project
06.2019 - 05.2020
- Monitored, evaluated and built capacity for effective employment services in Sub-Saharan Africa and MENA Regions;
- Enhanced capacities of the participants of the Global Initiative on Innovative Employment Services for youth, under the "YouMatch II" Programme;
- Collaborated with the beneficiary officials of Public and Private Employment Services providers in selected countries in the MENA and SSA regions which are members of Communities of Practice (CoP).
Agriculture Impact and Training Lead
One Acre Fund
12.2013 - 06.2019
- Designed the annual impact training calendar to improve planting compliance amongst One Acre Fund farmers and increase the overall impact that farmers receive from the Rwanda program;
- Collaborated with the Innovations Department to develop agricultural trainings, tested them in the field, and ensured that they are easy to facilitate and target the right information;
- Reviewed historical drivers of impact and designed long term cost effective interventions for the Rwanda program that increased impact per farmer in the most efficient way possible;
- Assessed farmer behaviors and designing strategies while adapting to changes and needs;
- Conducted qualitative research in the field to inform well designed, high-quality trials that test strategies to increase the adoption of good agricultural practices (GAP) by One Acre Fund farmers;
- Utilized trial results to design behavior change methodologies that lead farmers to implement GAP;
- Coordinated with the design team and other stakeholders to create materials used by clients and the field team to promote impactful behaviors;
- Collaborated with the Marketing and Enrollment Team to drive the adoption of impactful products;
- Oversaw the execution of impact activities in the field by following up on progress, correcting course, and creating recommendations for future season.
Education
Master of Natural Resources Management -
Auburn University
08.2025
B.S. - Agricultural Science
University of Rwanda
07.2013
Advanced Diploma - undefined
University of Rwanda
07.2011
Skills
- Microsoft and Google Applications
- Grant Writing
- Community Engagement
- Networking
- Monitoring
- Evaluating and Training
- Non-profit and Program Development
- Research Methods and Budgeting
- Public Speaking and Content Creating
Accomplishments
- Multi-lingual Professional: Kinyarwanda and Swahili (Native), French, English and Kirundi
- USA Banyamulenge (Congolese) Community, Vice President: January 2022 - Present
- Kent County Health Equity Council, Member: January 2022 - Present
- Grand Rapids 2023 Neighborhood Summit: Your City, Your Voice: Co-Creating Belonging, Workshop Presenter: Walk in my Shoes
- Arizona 2023 Refugee Resettlement Symposium, Presenter: Participatory Modalities as a New Service Model: Resettlement Agencies and Refugee Run Groups as Partners for Social Services
- Publication: Rwanda Youth Engagement in Private Extension and Advisory Services, Co-Author: July 2020
- Rwanda African Continent YouthConnekt, Volunteer: 2018
- Community Interpreter and Translator, Ongoing/As Needed
Certification
- Certified Mental Health First Aider and Instructor
- Kent County Health Department, Kent County, Grand Rapids
- Apr 2023 - Apr 2023
- Certified to provide culturally competent mental health first aid training to unite communities, build positive mental health and substance use awareness, advance individuals mental health literacy, and how to help others. My expertise is bridging the gaps between American and Refugee and Immigrant mental health cultures and systems. I have successfully trained the following communities: Bhutanese, Burmese, Congolese, Banyamulenge, and Unaccompanied Refugee Minors, Unaccompanied Afghan Minors, and Unaccompanied Children in refugee and immigrant foster care programs.
- Certification in Emergency Preparedness
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids
- Aug 2023 - Aug 2023
- I have successfully completed FEMA certification in Grand Rapids, equipping me with essential skills in emergency preparedness, disaster response, and crisis management. This certification has strengthened my ability to assess risks, coordinate relief efforts, and support communities during emergencies. Through specialized training, I have gained expertise in areas such as emergency planning, incident command systems, and disaster recovery strategies. My certification enhances my ability to contribute effectively to emergency response teams, ensuring resilience and preparedness in both local and national crisis situations.
Languages
Multi-lingual Professional: Kinyarwanda and Swahili (Native), French, English and Kirundi
Timeline
Talent Development Instructor
West Michigan Works
08.2025 - Current
Refugee Public Health Community Engagement Coordinator
Bethany Christian Services
09.2022 - 08.2025
Independent Consultant
Feed the Future "DLEC" Project
01.2020 - 04.2023
Consultant
GIZ-NEPAD Project
06.2019 - 05.2020
Agriculture Impact and Training Lead
One Acre Fund
12.2013 - 06.2019
B.S. - Agricultural Science
University of Rwanda
Advanced Diploma - undefined
University of Rwanda
Master of Natural Resources Management -
Auburn University
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