As a native of Gitega, Burundi, Diomede learned early that hard work pays off – took responsibility for many household responsibilities to care for his eight younger siblings whilst his mum was away working in the fields.
Despite having no education of his own, Diomede’s dad still pushed him to excel and finish his studies. “Even though my dad never went to school, he knew the importance of education.” Although Diomede looked up to his dad, who cared and worked hard for his family, there were moments when too much alcohol led to verbal harshness towards him and his siblings.
As a young boy searching for meaning, Diomede was drawn to the idea of God, though faith still felt distant. In sixth grade, his father invited him to visit a nearby church he had recently started attending. For years, Diomede had heard that becoming a Christian was for people who were lost or unintelligent. But he agreed to go anyway, partly because his father promised to buy him new clothes!
That simple decision became the turning point of his life. “Going to that church with my dad was the best decision I’ve ever made. I met God that day, and I’ve never turned back.”
A Young Leader in the Making
From then on, his faith transformed from an idea to a personal conviction. Diomede immediately joined a student fellowship at his high school, soon taking on leadership responsibilities and helping to plant fellowships in neighbouring schools. His love for Scripture deepened as he immersed himself in God’s Word. More than anything, he longed to reach others who were searching, young people looking for purpose like he once was, unsure of God’s love.
His calling deepened at university, where he was chosen to lead student Bible unions, and later became the youth leader at his church. Teaching and guiding others felt natural. Seeing the need for education in his community, Diomede trained as a biology and chemistry teacher. While he loved teaching science, his passion for sharing the Gospel remained strong.
In 2013, his pastor encouraged him to attend a basic evangelism training hosted by Evangelism Explosion (EE). The training ignited something in Diomede, who began applying what he learned immediately, teaching and serving in different provinces. However, teaching was his only source of income, so stepping into full-time ministry seemed financially impossible.
Everything changed when EE leadership recognised his calling and invited him to join the EE movement more intentionally. “It was a tough decision for my wife and me to make. I had to leave a secure, full-time teaching job to join a small Christian organisation with no guaranteed stability.” This was a step of obedience that required faith over security.
Diomede moved to another province, coordinated teams, and for the next four years, he poured himself into serving across four provinces and dozens of churches. He gave his best to building a culture of evangelism.
Yet even while faithfully serving, he and his wife, Francine, faced a deeply personal trial: the longing for children. “This was my wife’s and my greatest trial.” They pressed through years of waiting, continuing to serve God wholeheartedly. Five years later, God blessed them with a son, Juste Alpha and three years after that, with a daughter, Juste Beta.
A Vision for a Nation
After nearly ten years of service and growth within EE, Diomede stepped into a new leadership role. He has been serving as the National Director of EE since June 2025.
Diomede has remained faithful and obedient through all the challenges he has faced. His vision is to strengthen the mission, igniting a nationwide movement of believers who confidently and faithfully share the Gospel. He sees EE as a tool God is using to equip ordinary Christians with clarity, courage, and compassion, enabling them to speak about Jesus in relational and culturally relevant ways.
Diomede’s passion is multiplication. He longs for people not simply to make decisions for Christ, but for their lives to be transformed. He hopes to see churches strengthened and sustainable evangelism rooted in local leadership. He envisions a Burundi where evangelism is not reserved for a few leaders, but becomes the lifestyle of every believer.
