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Justin is a local of Marunde. He grew up living in the forested mountains of Itombwe and working in the agricultural fields his ancestors had made by clearing areas of the forest. Now, intent on changing the traditional land-use paradigm, Justin is SAFECO’s Field Manager, overseeing its forest awareness, conservation and tree planting program.
 
Justin graduated from a Bukavu teacher training school in 1988. He moved to a neighboring country for work, serving in different positions, eventually becoming a district manager in charge of Gender, Social Affairs, and Literacy, where he was very involved in community development projects and activities. 
 
Justin joined SAFECO in Itombwe in 2013 as Community Mobilizer for our first tree planting project. Justin demonstrated a real passion and indigenous understanding of the Itombwe forest in the tree nursery development project, as well as a keen interest in working with and developing the knowledge and capacity of the local women to care for the nurseries and re-plant the forest. In 2014 he was made SAFECO’s Environmental Conservation Field Manager.