Future Vision

Updated August 12th, 2024

In our early days, our current property meets our operational needs. We also envision future growth to enhance our services and increase our impact on the local community.

A key goal is to bridge the gap between tourism and the local economy, ensuring that our neighbors and those most affected by regional growth are also directly benefiting.

This mission is incorporated in our plans.

Turabizo Campus

Fitness Center

We plan to build a state-of-the-art fitness center with a tennis court, basketball court, weightlifting gym, and a health food canteen with an indoor/outdoor cafeteria. This facility will host events, filling a gap in Musanze's current sports and fitness offerings, serving our mentorship program kids, lodging guests, and local residents.

Art Center

We plan to build a versatile, multi-story venue featuring a spacious workshop with volcano views for artists, art storage, a loading dock, and a gallery. This space will host international artist residencies, classes, and events like galas and performances.

The venue will also house KuZiko, divided into a coffee shop, restaurant and bar, and lounge, each offering specialized food and drinks. A central kitchen and bakery will serve all areas, and a larger organic garden will provide fresh ingredients. This expansion will diversify Musanze’s dining options.

Additionally, the building will include office spaces and street-facing shops for local vendors, including a zero-waste store and a 'Made in Rwanda' boutique. A separate building will house woodworking and metalworking.

House

We intend to keep the mentorship program in its current location, ensuring the kids feel a strong sense of belonging and ownership. By relocating the other studios, we can expand the space within the house for the program, adding features like more storage, a larger kitchen and dining area, and a computer lab. We plan to renovate the house with the intent to better support the daily needs of youth and mentors with specifically dedicated facilities and equipment.

We plan to add a second story to increase the number of guestrooms for high-end tourists, budget travelers, and international artist residencies. Hosting guests from various backgrounds will provide the kids with valuable global influences.

Public

We will provide a childcare center and playground for Turabizo staff with children. We will create a public green space with pathways, benches, and a fountain. Parking will also be available. We will host events, performances, tournaments, and other activities to engage our community. We want everyone to feel invited and welcome.

Venue

We plan to build a state-of-the-art performing arts center to host film screenings and events such as dance, music, and theater. This facility will fill a current gap in the city’s venue options and will be equipped to accommodate traveling shows with modern technical features.

Sketch

We envision expanding from our current location, though we recognize this may not be feasible.

The drafts below represent an ideal scenario. While specifics may evolve, our core intentions will remain.

Location

Our current space is conveniently located on a quiet, south-facing side street, with the main road to the north.

West: A 5-10 minute walk west along the main road leads to Bukane Primary School, where our kids attend. Continuing west, the road extends to Kinigi, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park, and Gisenyi, the first city stop on Lake Kivu.

East: A 5-10 minute ride east along the main road takes you to downtown Musanze.

Below is an overview of the block and a preliminary sketch of one possible campus formation.

Tennis court
Weightlifting gym & health food canteen
Basketball court
Organic food garden
Childcare center & playground
Woodworking and metalworking
Art center: workshop & event space, gallery, coffee shop, restaurant & bar, lounge, bakery, offices, vendor spaces
Home: youth mentorship & international artist residency lodging
Open green space and gardens
Public green space with pathways, benches, and a fountain
Open lot with available parking

*A performing arts center will be located off-site, either closer to downtown Musanze or further along the road to Kinigi.

Process

We are inspired by the Norrsken Kigali House, designed by MASS Design Group, for its sustainability and considered integration with its surroundings.

We have established connections with several students and professors at Ines University, the top architecture university in Rwanda, located 10 minutes to our west. We look forward to collaborating with them to design our new facilities and green spaces. Our goal is to create eco-friendly, sustainable spaces that enhance visitor experiences and benefit local residents.

Even though we are several years from finalizing our blueprints, regularly reviewing our expansion plans is both inspiring and a powerful reminder of the possibilities and direction we are pursuing.