From Struggle to Service: The Journey of Richard Ssali

Some leaders are shaped by opportunity.
Others, like Rtn. Richard Ssali, are shaped by survival — and rise to become the opportunity others desperately need.

Born to a Rwandan refugee mother and an absent father, Richard grew up in deep poverty, herding cattle instead of going to school, sleeping on bare floors, and relying on traditional herbs for illness. By the time he turned 15, both parents had died, leaving him to navigate life alone as a child head of household.

But where most would see hopelessness, Richard saw a reason to fight.

A turning point came when Catholic nuns admitted him into school. He walked 7 miles daily, worked through holidays to pay fees, and soon gained the support of a charity organization. Against all odds, he completed Primary, O’Level, and A’Level — becoming a top student and natural leader.

He carried one promise through it all:
“I will lift others the way I was lifted.”

At Kyambogo University, he worked full-time while attending evening classes, commuting 26 km a day. Exhausted but determined, he earned his degree in Education — a foundation that shaped his compassion, resilience, and belief in the power of opportunity.

In 2014, Richard founded RAVT (Rukundo African Volunteers Team) — named after his late mother, whose name means love. What began as a small volunteer initiative supporting orphans, refugees, and vulnerable youth has grown into RAVT Innovation Center, a thriving 2.5-acre community hub offering skills training, mental health support, gender programs, environmental action, youth leadership, and education for those society often forgets.

Alongside his wife Esther — now a pillar of RAVT — Richard has turned pain into purpose, struggle into service, and hope into action.

Today, thousands benefit from his vision.
Girls stay in school with dignity kits.
Youth gain skills and livelihoods.
Refugees find community and healing.
Families rebuild resilience.
And communities discover what transformation truly looks like.

Richard’s story is not simply about overcoming hardship.
It is about rewriting what is possible when compassion becomes a mission and lived experience becomes leadership.

RAVT Innovation Center stands as his legacy — a testament that the most powerful leaders are those who rise, then return to lift others.