My name is Telesphore Ntashimikiro, I was born in the small city called “Shanga” in the country of Burundi, East –Central Africa. I grew up in a family of 10 children. I remember my siblings were fighting like cats and dogs. I grew up surrounded by the old people, there were not many children in my area. Because of this, I never really knew what it means to be a kid since I was sitting around the old people telling history. It was hard for me to know how to relate with other kids. At school (elementary school) I was always more mature than the other children compared to the way I was behaving.

I went to a public elementary school that was far away from my home where I made 22 km a day by foot. I couldn’t go to the private school which was approximately 1 mile due the lack of school fees. I can say I had some sad days or depressed days but that is okay, I got a lot of experience.

During my childhood, my hobbies or favorite places were to go to church many times and also liked to visit the old people to learn from them.

I graduated from the University of Rubumbashi with a Bachelor’s degree in Community Development and Master’s degree in Divinity.

At only 23 years of age, I was ordained as a pastor and after my degrees, I was consecrated as a Bishop in 2004.

My achievements:

I am called to support communities physically, emotionally and spiritually.

1. Physically: I organized many workshops with community leaders on how to work together to combat poverty, community development and peace building in their communities through programs that address to empower women, children in public health, education, micro-enterprise. To concretize this, we built primary schools, clinics, orphan children, we provided clean water and gave loans money to our creditors for small business.
2. Emotionally: The country of Burundi and some parts of Africa went through hardship due the war, massacre, and displacing, unstable political situation, lost their beloved ones and belongings, so they are emotionally depressed, the counsellor is needed to help. So Burundi Torah Ministries is ready to do so.
3. Spiritually: Many Bishops, Pastors, deacons, evangelists and so on, are teaching their followers heresies. I learned from sightedmoon the truth of the Bible so I am busy teaching, preaching and training them how to keep the Sabbath and high Sabbath, the Feast of the Lord, Sabbatical Years and Jubilee Cycles.