OUR STORY
Hope Fountains Care came about to bridge the gap between the much-needed care services to our elderly and individuals with disabilities and a great workforce of immigrants living here in the State of New Hampshire.
We, the immigrants, have a rich background in diverse areas of social life. We were raised by villages, literally speaking. This instilled a great sense of care and service, and a pure generosity, understanding, and acceptance of others as they are. Furthermore, to settle here in America, we have received enormous help from the different communities in which we have lived. The people and the State of New Hampshire have done wonders, and we are forever grateful. Thus, we want to do the same, because we care.
We want to Help, Serve, Educate, Coach, and Give Back. Who needs all of the above more than our aging and disabled individuals? Hope Fountains Care capitalizes on the work force of immigrants by providing in-house training and equipping our employees with the needed skills to have a long and lasting career in the healthcare industry.
We are here to do our part, contribute to providing honorable and second to none care services to our aging and disabled fellow Americans.
WHO WE ARE
CHARLES MAKOKO RUSHIMISHA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Born in DRC Congo, Charles grew up in DRC Congo, Rwanda, and the United States of America. He arrived in the USA in 2005 and first settled in Portland, Maine. During his first years in the States, as a first-generation immigrant, Charles learned English along the way and worked several jobs: meat factory worker, office cleaner, and Direct Support Professional (DSP).
Charles is no stranger to hard work and dreaming big. His goal was to one day graduate from college, and he went on to a six year college career from 2010 to 2016. He earned a master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Oklahoma (OU). During his college career, Charles worked as a residential counselor; tutored math and physics; and worked in three different labs for special projects. Charles then went from college to the corporate world, and has been working for several years as a Technical Professional for Halliburton Energy Services.
Due to the demanding nature of the job (always traveling and being away from his family) and the negative impact on the environment (extensive hydraulic fracturing operations), Charles decided to change to a more life altering career: helping the elderly and disabled individuals. From his experience as a DSP, working closely with elders and young adults with developmental and other disabilities, Charles created behavior plans, taught self-care and social skills, assisted with daily tasks like cooking and housekeeping, and worked with case managers to deliver the best quality of care and services. He found his passion in this work, and this passion is what has fueled his drive to continue helping people, all people, to live full lives with dignity and respect, regardless of their limitations.
CONTACT CHARLES:
207-409-2088
CLEMENT KIGUGU, OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY NETWORKING DIRECTOR
Clement Kigugu is the Executive Director at Overcomers Refugees Services. Mr. Kigugu has a broad range of experiences in the areas of social service, employment, medical interpretation, and case management.
Clement has diverse experiences supporting refugees, immigrants, and low-income families. Besides English, Mr. Kigugu speaks Kinyarwanda, French, Swahili, Kirundi, Lingala, and other Congolese languages.
Mr. Kigugu also has a decade worth of non-profit experiences in Rwanda, Africa. Mr. Kigugu has a degree in Management from University Libre de Kigali (ULK), Africa, and is a trained and certified medical interpreter.
CONTACT CLEMENT:
603-715-0844
JUDY WILLIAMS, MEd, CAGS: TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Judy has had a long career in mental health and human services. She received a Master’s degree in Special Education from Boston University, followed by a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Counseling Psychology from Lesley College in Cambridge, MA.
She has 14 years of experience in Special Education as a teacher and case manager for children with Autism. She has an additional 21 years of experience in Clinical Services and Administration: Therapist at an adolescent psychiatric residential program; Clinical Director at two alternative high schools; and Clinical Director of a Community Mental Health Center in NH.
As a teacher, she created a program to help children with autism and behavior disorders develop their executive function skills to improve social skills and self control. She also worked as an Adjunct Professor at Southern NH University teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in Special Education.
CONTACT JUDY:
603-731-6355
JENNIFER (CHATFIELD) MFURANZIMA, RN, BSN, OCN: THE NURSE
Jennifer (aka Jen) has always known that she would be a nurse one day. After working as a CNA from age 15, Jen took her skills and attended Simmons College in Boston and graduated in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Jen’s step-father developed life-threatening cancer, and she spent most of the first half of her career working with oncology patients, administering IV therapies in the home setting.
In 2005 Jen answered an ad for adjunct faculty and began teaching part-time for USM, SMCC as a clinical nursing instructor at Maine Medical Center. At this stage in her career, her passion for nursing had grown into teaching as well. The love for being a nurse and the privilege of having the opportunity to care for someone at a most vulnerable time in their life is what makes nurse Jen tick! As Nursing Director for New England Integrated Living Support, Jen was able to incorporate all her skills to deliver the best care in the community of residential care homes. To further her passion for teaching, Jen and her husband Cedric Mfuranzima started MFURANZIMA LEARNING INSTITUTE, where they teach and coach individuals for the residential care industry.
Jen has lived in Maine for 20 years, has two children; a son Nate who attends college in Toronto, and a daughter Sara who goes to Cape Elizabeth High School. Jen enjoys cooking, yoga, long walks-especially at the beach, and now weight lifting.
CONTACT JEN:
207-415-1351
INES KAGERUKA: HUMAN RESOURCES & ADMINISTRATION
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Simmons College | Boston, MA
Master of Science in Clinical Social Work, 2021 - Present
Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville, TN
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology, 2020
Ines is a driven and talented young woman who loves to work with people. She is passionate about making a positive impact in the community. She has five years of experience working with children and families as a preschool teacher and working with people from different backgrounds. Because of her approachable and trustworthy personality, she finds herself providing counseling for her peers concerning a multitude of issues.
Ines has worked for companies such as: Can-Talk as an interpreter, mostly for refugees regarding their immigration related affairs; Sitel as a sales associate, advertising and selling electronic products; and Lapetite Academy as a preschool teacher, preparing lesson plans, engaging children in educational activities such as art, crafts, games, etc. and implementing Applied Behavior Analysis as a behavior technician. In this role, she held one on one therapy with children and teenagers on the Autism spectrum and taught them basic social skills. Our organization will benefit from a future leader like Ines, mainly in the areas of counseling psychology and/or behavior therapist.
CONTACT INES:
405-779-9222
IRENE IREME: ADMINISTRATION & QUALITY ASSURANCE EMPLOYEE
EDUCATION & TRAINING
MSW-University of New England, School of Social Work | Portland, ME
Master of Science in Social Work, 2020 - 2021
Plymouth State University | Plymouth, NH
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Social Work and Minor in Global Health, 2015 – 2019
SUMMARY AND CREDENTIALS
Irene is a talented young lady with a bright future in the social work field. She spends most of her time either volunteering, working, or studying for more education in the field of social work. This is where her heart is. She has worked as a volunteer for a student support foundation food pantry and for an after-school program for low-income families helping 5th and 12th graders with their homework, as well as mentoring them.
In the summer, Irene works as a counselor for the Boys and Girls Club, planning, facilitating, and participating in group activities with children. Moreover, Irene has worked for Ascentria Care Alliance (Service for New Americans) to provide resources and assistance needed for newcomers. She was in charge of assuring that newcomer and established refugees were well settled into their new homes and with keeping up with their cases. She is equipped with skill, drive, and potential of greatness, which are attributes we seek for future leaders within our organization, especially in the areas of social work, human services, and quality assurance.
CONTACT IREME:
603-369-9941