About us

NDA is an international partnership that aims at providing high-quality professional services in a variety of fields that are second to none in Rwanda and its neighbors. We are a pioneer in new responsible approaches to tourism, and combine this work with consultancy, business development and event management services.

Vision:
NDA's tourism activities are life-enriching for the participating visitors as well as their Rwandan hosts. We create culturally engaging, intellectually challenging and very intimate high-value experiences that offer unique insights, educate and provoke. We also provide numerous opportunities for meaningful empowerment, sustainable economic development, poverty reduction, reconciliation and enhanced cultural pride. Our vision is to make a meaningful difference that ensures that the new dawn is followed by a bright day.

Expertise:
Our international team does not only have expertise in the fields of educational and responsible tourism, hospitality management, nature conservation and community work, but also in development economics, political science, anthropology and social work. Our innovative approaches are based on extensive scientific research and correspond to current-day international best practice. We further collaborate with a range of local and international partners.

We welcome you to explore the professional but unconventional opportunities with us!

Our team:

Dr. Michael Grosspietsch, PhD (Director General)
Michael, a German national, has gained expertise in the areas of responsible tourism, development economics and sustainable development through his studies, his professional experiences and travels to more than 55 countries. His university background is in Law (Münster, Paris), International Relations (Toulouse), Responsible Tourism Management (London) and Pro-poor Tourism (Münster), and his Ph.D. thesis dealt with maximizing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction in Rwanda. He is occasionally lecturing at universities in Germany and Rwanda. As an independent consultant since 2003, Michael coordinated project teams in Rwanda and Ghana, and advised tourism operations in a variety of countries. As our Director General, he is responsible for the strategic visions and the overall coordination of all company activities.
Contact: michael@newdawnassociates.com, (+250) 05303527

Anny Batamuriza (Director of Event Management & Assistant Director General)
Anny is our expert for hospitality and event management. A Uganda-born Rwandese, she has studied at a hospitality school in Luzern (Switzerland), before engaging herself with Rwanda's tourism industry and the country's leading hotels. Among others, she is responsible for much of the training that the employees at the receptions of the Rwandan Serena hotels have enjoyed. She holds a position as Executive Director of Housekeeping at the Kigali Serena Hotel, and coordinates the event management activities of NDA.
Contact: anny@newdawnassociates.com, (+250) 08558880


Rica Rwigamba (Director of Projects & Managing Partner)
A political scientist who majored in International Relations at Makerere University (Uganda), Rica is supervising most of our projects as well as our professional volunteering and business services work. Her early professional career highlights include senior positions as Communication Coordinator and Product Manager of the American NGO Population Service International, and Executive Director of the Rwanda Tourism Agency within the Rwandan tourism board ORTPN. She currently serves as Director in charge of the Access to Finance and Access to Market Unit as well as the head of the Partnership Committee at the Rwandan SME support center CAPMER. Furthermore, she was recently appointed the Vice Chairperson of the Rwanda Commercial Registration Services Agency. With her knowledge, experience and contacts in the tourism and business development environments, Rica has both the public and private sector eyes for her work at NDA.
Contact: rica@newdawnassociates.com, (+250) 08513652


Susanne Munandi (Business Services Manager)
Susanne, a Kenyan national, is responsible for our administration. She holds a Diploma in Marketing Management from the Kenya Institute of Management (Nairobi) as well as an advanced certificate in F&B sales and service (Kenya Utalii College, Nairobi). She has vast professional experience in the hospitality industry and worked as Assistant Sales and Marketing Manager as well as Restaurant Manager at the world-famous Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi, one of the two best restaurants in Africa. Her greatest strength and passion is in managing and coordinating events, and in customer service management.
Contact: susanne@newdawnassociates.com, (+250) 05332003/03139161


Valence Mushimwe (Project Consultant & Research Team Leader)
Holding an MBA from Vellore University of Technology (India) and a Bachelor of Social Sciences from Makerere University (Uganda), Valence has gained diverse experience in consultancies, research and capacity building. His lecturing activities brought him to the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) as well as the Kigali-based School of Finance and Banking (SFB) where he mainly focused on entrepreneurship, development studies and strategic management. Previously a research officer and trainer, he gained wide-ranging experience in participatory rural appraisal techniques and engaged fervently in rural research and planning. Eager to learn, interested in uniqueness and novelty, he is stepping up efforts to engage productively in development activities. A former Vice Dean of SFB's Faculty of Management, he is currently serving as the Coordinator of SFB's Center for Entrepeneurship Development. This leaves him in a unique position to work on NDA's professional volunteering and business services activities.
Contact: valence@newdawnassociates.com, (+250) 08442875


Jean de Dieu Sebagabo (Project Coordinator & Tour Consultant)
Ngabo grew up at the northern tip of Lake Kivu, before becoming an expert in hospitality management and completing his studies at a hospitality school in Luzern (Switzerland). He has trained the front office employees at the then Intercontinental hotel (now Kigali Serena Hotel) and worked there as the Reservations Manager. He has gained professional experience in a range of leading hotels both in Europe and in Rwanda. Until 2007, he managed the Blue Sky Hotel in Nyagatare. A fervent friend of outdoor activities and nature, he currently specializes on ornithology, wildlife and adventures in nature.
Contact: ngabo@newdawnassociates.com, (+250) 08603897


Celia Umuhoza (Project Coordinator & Tour Consultant)
Celia grew up in Gisenyi and later followed the scientific option at the respected Lycee Amani in Goma, DR Congo. Studying at the National University of Rwanda in Butare, she obtained a Bachelor in Biology with a dissertation on mountain gorillas. As a zoologist, she has a great interest in endangered species, as well as the protection and conservation of biodiversity. Before joining NDA, she worked with ACNR (Association pour la Conservation de la Nature au Rwanda) as a volunteer, being an active member since 2006. She has also been an active member of the Rotaract Club in Butare since 2004, conducting fundraising activities, and assisting vulnerable inpatients at Butare Health Center as well as primary school students. Her main interests lie in areas that are rich in biodiversity as well as the surrounding populations that use these areas as a resource of revenue for sustainable development.
Contact: celia@newdawnassociates.com , (+250) 08800973


Edmond Ndungutse (Tour Consultant Trainee)
Born in Cyangugu at the southern tip of Lake Kivu, Edmond finished a 4-year course in mechanics at the Ecole Technique Officielle de Muhima in Kigali. He worked as a driver for the Dutch development agency SNV and, later, as a driver-guide for several Rwandan tour operators. In order to improve his English and to also gain experience with larger trucks, he spent 3 years in Kenya. After his return, he became a regular bus driver with Belvedere Lines and also continued to occasionally guide tourists.
Contact: edmond@newdawnassociates.com, (+250) 05152409


Michael Hartmann (Operations Consultant)
Michael, a German national, finished his studies in Business Administration (Münster, Germany) with a German diploma. Since then, he worked for UPS in controlling and accounting with a responsibility for a staff of 30. He visited more than 30 countries and advised projects in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Rwanda. Generally based in Germany, he frequently travels to Rwanda in order to support NDA's general operations. We particularly benefit from his desire to optimize processes and from his insatiable curiosity.
Contact: micha@newdawnassociates.com, (+49) 170-1865981


Alia Sunderji (Volunteer Projects Consultant)
Born in Canada, Alia currently pursues her studies in Arts and Science at McMaster University near Toronto. She has her own CBC radio show and engages herself in numerous social projects both in Canada and several African countries. Since her mother was born in Rwanda, Alia regularly spends time in the country. During her most recent stay in the summer of 2007, she initiated NDA's long-term volunteer programs with the Ministries of Education and of Health. She now coordinates the acquisition process for teachers and medical doctors who are willing to spend at least a year in Rwanda in order to contribute their knowledge and skills to the sustainable development of the country.
Contact: alia@newdawnassociates.com, (+1) 905-9621922


Nina Dohr (Volunteer Projects Consultant)
Nina, a German national, is currently finishing her studies in Geography with a special focus on Political Science in Münster (Germany) and Lyon (France). With additional classes in Sociology, Communications and Economics, she is acquiring further knowledge in multiple fields related to volunteering. In a more practical way, she has gained experiences in social volunteering in Nepal and in environmental projects in Australia. Furthermore, she is a member of Germany-based NGO "Sustainable Development through Tourism e.V.".
Contact: nina@newdawnassociates.com, (+49) 174-1911379