From Barefoot to Bishop: A Rwandan Refugee's Journey

From Barefoot to Bishop is a compelling story of faith, from being saved to being of service. This memoir will inspie church leaders and laity alike, and it will appeal to those with a passion to living a life with a mission.

In November 1959, Ethnic tensions in the East African Nation of Rwanda ignited what would become the first wave of deadly organized masacres against the Tutsi in Rwanda and a precursor to the horrific Genocide of 1994 in which a million or more Rwandans were killed in a hundred days. But on that day in 1959, a five-year-old boy named Laurent Mbanda knew only three things: first, that the air was filled with smoke; second, that his father was missing; and third, that his frightened mother was telling him they had to run and hide. Soon, Mbanda would become one of tens of thousands of Rwandan children literally running for their lives, one of the many children who would grow up in refugee camps amid dire poverty and hunger.

From one refugee camp to another in Burundi, Mbanda and his family faced deprivation and near-constant discrimination because of their refugee status. Despite bitter hardships and setbacks, Mbanda never lost his faith.

Ph.D. , Rt. Rev. Laurent Mbanda

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Laurent Mbanda was born in Rwanda and spent his childhood years in Burundi; he has since lived in many countries. Today he serves as the Bishop of Shyira Diocese in the Anglican Church of Rwanda.

Bishop Mbanda joined the Compassion International family in 1993 as program director for Africa, and he has since held several different positions in the ministry including Vice President of African Region.

In 1994, during and immediately following the genocide in Rwanda, Bishop Mbanda was asked to serve as relief manager in Rwanda, rescuing children, providing relief to all who needed assistance, and establishing rehabilitation and development programs in the aftermath of this human tragedy. Mbanda then moved to the United States as a program development specialist, and in June 1996 he was promoted to Executive Director of Program Development, a global position in which he oversaw Compassion's involvement in twenty-three countries. In 1997, he became Vice President of program development, also a global position, and served on the organization's executive leadership team.

Mdanda later served as Compassion International's associate director for Africa, with responsibility for HIV/AIDS curriculum, and in 2005 became Africa director for Compassion, and then vice president for Africa in 2006. In March 2010, Mbanda was consecrated Bishop of Shyria Diocese in Rwanda's Northern Province, overseeing more than three hundred local Anglican congregations. He is a member of the board of Compassion International and has been Vice Chairman of the Board since 2012.