Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Join us for Empowerment in Action on Feb 28, 2026 in Austin to celebrate and advance sustainable clean water in Burundi.
Gilbert Tuhabonye, Gazelle Foundation co-founder, and many luminaries from Austin’s running community share how Run For The Water got started 19 years ago and the impact it is making in rural Burundi.
The Gazelle Foundation is fortunate to once again participate in Austin Marathon Gives, the philanthropic program, which encourages runners to raise money for local charities. The results of this partnership have a clear and direct impact on our ability to provide clean, accessible water to people in Burundi. In 2025, the program will give 695 new people daily access to clean water.
Construction on the Murwindara-Mugano Water System #72 in Burundi began on September 1, 2024 and was completed in December 2024. This system was funded by our sustaining donor community AMAZI For Burundi. A contaminated water source several miles away is what the community is relying on for water. The new system will provide water to 1,300 residents.
Gilbert Tuhabonye was honored to represent Burundi by becoming the first torchbearer ahead of the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia. For a man nearly burned alive to bear a flame as a symbol of peace and friendship, it was a full-circle moment for Gilbert. In recognition of the Paris Games, we talked about this extraordinary experience with him.
Arianna B. is a third-year student at McGill University studying environment and international development. She grew up around the Austin area and is spending part of the summer in Bulgaria. Arianna is working with our communications, program services, and outreach teams to research water systems we’ve built.
We extend our deepest thanks to Arianna for interning with us this summer.
The Gazelle Foundation welcomes Mary Ann Frishman to the board. She is the president of Frishco, Ltd., an editorial development house she founded in 1995. She believes that the Gazelle Foundation’s focus on one issue—clean water—is key to its success and is foundational to the health and welfare of Burundians.
Austin High School Academy of Global Studies students fund clean water for an entire grade-level of students in Burundi.
For the eighth year in a row AGS Students donated and fundraised, and participated in a walk simulation all of which support our work of providing people in need daily access to clean water.
We are pleased to announce that construction on the Ryabitari-Gatoga water system began on May 1, 2024, and was completed on July 25, 2024. At the outset, there was no clean water located near the community. By abject necessity, the majority of the population relies on a primary water source that is several miles away from the community, and the water there is contaminated. The system now provides clean water to 1,000 residents.
