About ICC
Founded in 2014, empowering communities and transforming lives in the United States and Rwanda.
What We Do
The International Community Center (ICC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by Diana Uwera in Arizona, USA. What began as a response to the challenges faced by refugee and immigrant families in the United States has grown into an organization with a dual mission: empowering newcomers to thrive in America and uplifting vulnerable communities in Rwanda and across Africa.
In the United States, ICC provides essential resources to refugee and immigrant families, including language training, job placement assistance, legal support, and cultural integration programs. We help families build the skills and connections they need to achieve self-sufficiency and contribute to their new communities with dignity.
In Rwanda, our programs focus on supporting children with special needs, advancing education for underprivileged youth, and fostering economic independence for women. Through vocational training, mental health counseling, cooperative businesses, and community health initiatives in the Kamonyi District and beyond, we create pathways to independence and dignity for those who need it most.
Our Mission
The International Community Center is dedicated to empowering refugee and immigrant families by providing essential resources, education, and support to help them integrate and succeed in the United States. Additionally, we extend our mission globally by supporting special needs children, advancing education, and fostering economic independence for women in African countries.
Our Vision
To create a world where every refugee, immigrant, and vulnerable community member thrives with dignity and self-sufficiency, empowered by the resources and opportunities they need to build a brighter future.
Our Team
Meet the dedicated individuals leading ICC's mission to transform lives.
Diana Uwera
Founder & CEO
Ingabire Claire Deborah
Administrator USA Office
Laurence Umuhoza
Executive Director
ICC-Rwanda
Safari Emmy
Head of Education Department
ICC-Rwanda
A Message from The Founder and CEO to ICC-Rwanda
As a philanthropist, my lifelong dream has been simple: to share the little I have with those who need it most. I believe that true happiness is found in lifting others—seeing children in Rwanda receive an education, empowering women especially teen mothers to work and support their families, and ensuring that children with special needs are heard, valued, and seen.
My name is Diana Uwera, and this vision is the heart of the International Community Center (ICC). Together, we can create opportunities, restore hope, and transform lives.
I invite you to join ICC and be part of making a difference in someone's life.
— Diana Uwera, Founder & CEO
Our Impact
Measurable change in the lives of individuals and communities across our programs.
Women Empowered
Women empowered through vocational training and cooperative businesses
Students Supported
Students receiving quality education and IT skills training
Healthcare — Mutuelle
Community members supported with health insurance enrollment and medical care
Small Businesses Supported
Entrepreneurs supported with capital to start and grow their businesses
"Together, we can rewrite the stories of those who have been forgotten and give them the future they deserve."
Across the globe — from refugee families rebuilding their lives in the United States to teen mothers, women caring for children with disabilities, and families living in poverty in Rwanda — millions face overwhelming challenges every day. But within each of them lies incredible potential waiting to be unlocked.
Your support—whether through donations, partnerships, or spreading awareness—creates ripples of change that transform not just individual lives, but entire communities. Join us in building a more equitable world, one empowered life at a time.