Our Founders

Issa Ntambara’s journey of resilience and compassion began in a single-mother household after the loss of his father. At just eight years old, as the eldest child, Issa assumed the role of caregiver for his siblings, navigating the profound challenges of financial hardship and emotional strain.

His mother worked tirelessly to keep the family together and provide for their education, but financial constraints often disrupted their schooling. Tragically, the family faced mistreatment from those who offered support, compounding their struggles and contributing to high levels of depression.

One particularly harrowing chapter of Issa’s childhood was the disappearance of his five-year-old brother, Meddy, who later endured severe physical and emotional trauma.

As a young boy, Issa bore the heavy responsibility of searching for Meddy, an experience that left an indelible mark on him.

The loss of his father also disrupted Issa’s education for six years. Yet, at 14, with unshakable determination, he returned to primary school despite being much older than his classmates,a significant challenge in a cultural context where such a mismatch often stigmatizes students. Determined to create a better future for his family, Issa persevered through these hardships, ultimately completing his secondary education and earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

While in school, Issa received a modest stipend, which he used to help his younger siblings, including Meddy, resume their education. However, Meddy’s struggles with mental illness, stemming from his early-life traumas, prevented him from completing his studies. Over the years, Meddy’s condition worsened, culminating in severe episodes of depression and a two-year hospitalization that marked the end of his education. For more than 16 years, Meddy has battled mental illness, leaving the family with painful memories and a deep understanding of the gaps in mental health care.

Meddy’s story became the driving force behind Issa’s inspiration to establish Byuzuye Pivot Organization (BPO), an organization dedicated to restore individuals struggling with mental heal challenges in Rwanda and Beyond. Witnessing his brother’s suffering and the lack of adequate mental health support in their community, Issa felt a divine calling to create a foundation that would restore hope and fullness to individuals and families facing mental and emotional challenges.

Through BPO, Issa envisions a future where individuals like his brother Meddy and their families are not defined by their struggles but are empowered to live fulfilling lives.

At BPO we commit ourselves to being a guiding light for those struggling with mental and emotional challenges, ensuring they experience life in all its fullness as Jesus Christ intended.

We acknowledge that people facing these challenges often find it difficult to make decisions they want for themselves because the devil has stolen their good sense and meaning of life, and thus we devote ourselves to representing Christ in their lives.