Meet The Team
Donatien Fire Fundi
Founder & President
Donatien is a survivor, educator, and father whose personal healing journey through yoga and the arts inspired him to found Art for Hope in 2016 within Dzaleka Refugee Camp. Born from his own experience of transforming pain into purpose, he created the organization to provide refugees with the safe, compassionate space for healing he once needed.
His academic journey reflects his commitment to service and growth. Donatien holds a Diploma in Liberal Studies from Regis University (Denver, Colorado), an Associate of Arts Degree in Business from Southern New Hampshire University, and a Bachelor of Arts in healthcare management with a specialization in communication from Southern New Hampshire University.
Beyond Art for Hope, Donatien is an active leader in the Burning Fire Scout Group within Dzaleka Camp, where he contributes to leadership development, scout training, social media management, and secretariat work. This role reflects his dedication to empowering youth and strengthening community structures.
As a father and community leader, he blends academic knowledge with lived experience to guide Art for Hope's vision. Under his leadership, what began as small yoga sessions has grown into a comprehensive program providing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), education, and creative wellness to thousands of refugees fostering dignity, resilience, and hope, one life at a time.
- Phone:+265 991 306 413
- Email:fundidonatien@gmail.com
Daniel Max
Training facult & Fundraiser-USA
Daniel’s journey with yoga began in his teenage years in India and has since become a lifelong practice of service. A co-founder of JP Centre Yoga in Boston, he is a certified yoga teacher (since 2005), shiatsu practitioner, and holistic health counselor.
His teaching is rooted in the Iyengar and Vinyasa traditions, with a deep reverence for yoga’s South Asian heritage. For Art for Hope, Daniel channels this experience into training faculty and supporting fundraising. He is dedicated to sharing alignment-based practices that cultivate body-mind awareness and nervous system rehabilitation, helping to create sustainable, inclusive healing spaces for the refugee community in Dzaleka.
- Email:daniel@jpcentreyoga.com
Kasongo Musafiri A
Trustee, USA
Musafiri's path with Art for Hope began through the Creative Art program, but his heart for service quickly revealed a deeper calling. A pastor in Dzaleka Camp, he naturally gravitated toward supporting others, first joining the monitoring and counseling department, where he provided compassionate guidance and then became a community advocate within the mental health program.
His unwavering dedication to the mission led him to serve as the organization's chairperson from 2023 to 2025. In this role, he provided steady leadership during a critical period of growth before joining the Board of Trustees. Though his family was resettled to the United States, Musafiri's commitment never wavered. He continues to support Art for Hope from afar, contributing his wisdom and advocacy to ensure the community he served remains strong.
His journey from counselor to president to transcontinental advocate embodies the enduring spirit of Art for Hope: once a part of the community, always a part of its family.
Heid Campbell Rachel
Homeschooling Program Director – Malawi
Heidi is a passionate advocate for children's education and a devoted mother of twin boys. Her journey with Art for Hope began during one of the most challenging periods in Dzaleka's recent history know as the Forced Re-Encampment of Refugees in 2023. Witnessing the heightened hardship within the camp, Heidi connected with Art for Hope to create an immediate, tangible response.
Together, we developed the Dzaleka Homeschooling for Hope program to address a critical crisis. Thousands of children were unable to access public schools, and families could not afford private options. Heidi took action, organizing a team of teachers from within and outside Malawi to reach the camp.
What started as a lifeline for 250 children has grown into an impactful annual program that launches at the beginning of each academic year.
Her dedication goes far beyond coordination.
Heidi tirelessly leads fundraising efforts and material drives, collecting toys, coats, blankets, clothes, and food for the children. She organizes special Christmas drives, ensuring each child receives gifts and educational materials. Understanding the need for sustainability, she also helped teachers market themselves to cater at major events across Malawi, generating profits to support their own stipends.
Through her compassion and relentless energy, Heidi has helped Art for Hope build vital connections across the country, ensuring the program's sustainability. She believes every child deserves to flourish, and through her work, hundreds of young lives in Dzaleka are given that chance.
Abraham Dejene
Fundraiser & Advocator -USA
Abraham is a dedicated yoga teacher and community advocate committed to bringing healing practices to underserved populations. Trained at JP Centre Yoga (JCPY) in Boston through a scholarship from the Yoga Diversity Initiative, he teaches in Boston public schools, juvenile detention centers, and at Boston Medical Center for cancer survivors.
Through his deep connection with JCPY, Abraham supports Art for Hope by leading fundraising efforts and advocacy initiatives in the US. He works to cultivate welcoming, inclusive spaces and address social justice issues, helping to bridge resources and awareness between Boston and the refugee community in Dzaleka. His service is rooted in a belief that yoga and mindfulness should be accessible to all, especially those impacted by displacement and hardship.
- Email:fundidonatien@gmail.com
Asifiwe Alfred
Athletic Coach & Fundraiser-Canada
Alfred joined Art for Hope in 2018 as an athletic coach, bringing with him a passion for running and a vision to unite the Dzaleka community through sport. Known throughout the camp as a dedicated mentor, he organized children and youth, training them to compete in tournaments outside Dzaleka—giving young athletes opportunities to showcase their talent beyond the camp's borders.
A passionate runner himself, Alfred played a central role in leading Art for Hope's annual running events, including the Global Run for Freedom and the Dzaleka 5K Run/Walk and Games. He coached aspiring professional runners, helping them develop discipline, confidence, and hope for the future.
Though Alfred was resettled in Canada with his family, his heart never left Dzaleka. He continues to advocate for the community through fundraising and material support, and still offers his coaching skills remotely—proving that distance cannot break the bonds of dedication.
His journey from coach to transcontinental advocate reflects the enduring spirit of Art for Hope: once part of the community, always part of its family.
Clemence Kisose
Yoga Teacher
Clemence's journey with Art for Hope began when she arrived in Dzaleka Refugee Camp after fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, having lost her husband and other relatives. Seeking healing from profound trauma, she joined Art for Hope's mental health program, where she discovered the support needed to begin rebuilding her life.
After her recovery, Clemence felt a deep calling to give back. She volunteered to share her expertise in accounting, budgeting, and financial management—knowledge vital to sustaining the organization's growth. Her dedication and skill were quickly recognized, and in 2024 she was appointed as Board Treasurer, a role in which she has helped the organization flourish through sound financial stewardship.
Driven by her belief in the programs that healed her, Clemence later trained as a yoga and mindfulness teacher. She now serves both the community and schools within the camp, guiding others on their own healing journeys. Her life reflects a full circle of transformation: from trauma survivor to healer, from program participant to organizational leader.
- Email:ckisose@gmail.com