Esperance Mwiza: A LIFE OF FAITH AND PURPOSE
DEVOTION Ruth 1:16
A steadfast commitment to God, faith, and loved ones, demonstrated through loyalty, worship, and commitment to God. Devoted women in the Bible like Ruth and Hannah remained faithful despite trials, putting God and His purpose above all else.
Esperance Mwiza’s journey has been shaped by unwavering faith, resilience, and a deep sense of purpose. Today, she may appear to be a typical American college student, acting in plays, forming close friendships, and participating in Indiana Wesleyan University’s Presidential Fellows program. But her path to IWU was anything but typical.
Born in Rwanda to Congolese parents, Mwiza is a member of the Banyamulenge, a minority Tutsi group from the mountains of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her parents fled their homeland to escape persecution and political violence, a choice that ultimately saved their lives and gave their children a future.
“My parents are Congolese, but I was born in Rwanda and grew up in Uganda,” Mwiza said. “We’re a minority group, and for a very long time, my people have not been welcomed in the country.”
The story of the Banyamulenge is one of displacement and survival. Though they have lived in the eastern Congo for generations, they have been labeled foreigners by political leaders and rebel factions. Mwiza’s parents left everything behind in search of safety, joining thousands of others who were forced to flee.
She spent her early years moving between countries in East Africa. First Rwanda, then Uganda. In Uganda, she attended school in Kabale, a small town in the southern part of the country, before moving with her family to the capital city of Kampala. Each stop along the way helped shape her into the person she is today.
“I feel like my life is this melting pot of all these different cultures, all these different experiences,” she said. “I speak about five languages.”
In 2015, Mwiza’s family made one of their biggest moves yet, immigrating to the United States. She was 13 years old, just shy of her 14th birthday. They settled first in Portland, Maine, a city with ocean breezes and a quiet rhythm that reminded her of the earlier chapters in her life.
“It was beautiful, but the atmosphere felt different,” she said.
Soon after, they relocated again, this time to Indiana. While Mwiza was no stranger to change, she found adjusting to American culture uniquely difficult. The Western emphasis on individualism was a significant contrast to the communal life she had known in Africa.
“I came from a world where everything was done together, with people,” she said. “Then I entered a culture where it felt like I was isolated.”
“I MUST ACT. I MUST CARRY MY MOTHER'S STORY, MY FAMILY'S STORY, MY PEOPLE'S STORY. I FEEL THAT IT IS MY DUTY."
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ESPERANCE MWIZA
IWU Student
The first year she began attending IWU was especially hard. Mwiza often felt alone, far from her family and the cultures that had raised her. But through time, faith, and meaningful connections with students and professors, she began to find her place. Theater helped her open up. Faculty in the communication department helped her feel seen.
Now as a 2025 IWU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in human communication, Mwiza uses her education as a tool for advocacy. Her senior project — a documentary featuring five students speaking in their native languages — is a celebration of cultural identity and a call to empathy.
“Storytelling is something that’s really important to me,” Mwiza said. “This project is about raising awareness.”
Mwiza believes stories are powerful not only for personal expression, but also for justice. For her, this is about more than school, it’s about amplifying voices that are often ignored, including her own people.
“My people have been killed, and we are very displaced around the world,” she said. “The Congolese government continues to claim that we do not belong in Congo.”
Her deep desire to serve others and fight injustice has led her to pursue a future in law. After graduation, Mwiza plans to attend law school and focus on international law and human rights. She hopes to advocate for displaced people like the Banyamulenge people, who live in daily upheaval and uncertainty.
“I must act. I must carry my mother’s story, my family’s story, my people’s story,” she said. “I feel that it is my duty.”
Looking ahead, Mwiza dreams of returning to Africa. Not just to visit, but to live, serve, and lead. She envisions working directly with displaced communities and using her voice to fight for justice on a global scale.
“With faith as my foundation and storytelling as my tool, I am determined to make a difference,” Mwiza said. “One story at a time.”
For her, returning is more than a homecoming. It’s a calling.
“This story stays alive, and maybe one day justice will dawn in the mountains,” Mwiza said.
Presidential Fellows
Mwiza is one of 12 presidential fellows in the inaugural cohort, which launched in the fall of 2024. The new program provides students with the opportunity for personal and professional development, networking, and targeted mentoring from university administrators, board, faculty, and staff.
Students represent the university to visiting donors, engage in shaping the future of their community, and build meaningful relationship between the student body and IWU administrators.
“Dr. Linda Manganello invited me to a board meeting, and she asked me to lead the prayer,” Mwiza said. “Being a part of that makes me feel like although I'm not making the decisions, I am part of the decision. I love being welcomed to the table in that way.”
