Executive Director, Afro Ark | Rwanda

Patience Iribagiza is an advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights and access to services for youth, women, and girls. She does this through Afro Ark, where she is the founder and executive director. Patience also serves on AfriYAn as a co-chair and participates in other youth and women networks. She is a young Rwandan woman, born and raised in Rwanda, with a passion for youth and women’s empowerment to achieve gender equality and sexual and reproductive health justice. She is a blogger and poet via Sauti Zetu, an online platform where young Africans share their voices. Patience has a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Adventist University of Central Africa-Rwanda. In addition, she has earned certificates for international women’s health and human rights, international organization management, project management, strategic leadership, and management and global health innovation. 

Rise Up Cohort: Youth Champion 2021