Fountain of Hope Africa
Fountain of Hope Africa
Sector Portfolios
- Sani (Education)
Focus Areas
- Education
- Livelihoods
- Health
- Gender Equity
Cohort 05 (2026)
- Central Africa
- Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Malawi
Marcel Cirhuza grew up watching his father provide for an entire village in eastern DRC, bringing the first clean water, vaccinating animals dying by the hundreds from preventable disease, and feeding children who showed up at the family home daily. When he was forced to flee DRC amid conflict and spent years in a refugee camp in Malawi, that quiet inheritance shaped everything that followed. He slowly began building what would eventually become the first refugee-led organization formally registered in Malawi: Fountain of Hope Africa.
Working across eastern DRC and Malawi's Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Fountain of Hope Africa provides emergency assistance including food, shelter, healthcare, clean water, cash support, and psychosocial services to refugees, internally displaced persons, and vulnerable host communities. Alongside that immediate response, the organization builds long-term resilience through climate-smart agriculture, livelihood programs, vocational training, microcredit, and social enterprises, and expands access to education through accelerated learning programs and community schools.
Partner Impact
FIELD UPDATES
Leadership Highlight
Marcel Cirhuza
Executive Director
Marcel Cirhuza is a humanitarian leader, social entrepreneur, and refugee advocate with more than 18 years of experience designing and leading community-driven initiatives that expand access to education, livelihoods, and economic opportunities for vulnerable populations.
Born and raised in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Marcel was forced to flee conflict in 2009 and spent 11 years as a refugee in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi. His lived experience of displacement has given him a deep and broad understanding of the challenges faced by forcibly displaced populations displaced persons and marginalized communities, as well as a strong commitment to advancing locally led solutions. Marcel holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and has completed professional certificates from several international universities.
Throughout his career, he has worked with respected organizations including Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL), Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), and Lutheran Community Services. As Founder and Executive Director of Fountain of Hope Africa, Marcel leads programs that empower underserved communinties in Eastern DRC and at Dzaleka Malawi through education, sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment. He has successfully launched community initiatives including schools, economic empowerment projects, and social enterprises that have improved opportunities for thousands of people and emergency assistance to thousands of families who needed it the most.
A member of the Obama Leaders Network since 2023 and participant in multiple global fellowships, Marcel combines lived experience, strategic leadership, and grassroots engagement to drive meaningful social change. He is passionate about serving individuals, families and communities realize their potential and build pathways toward dignity, self-reliance, and lasting prosperity.
