it takes a village.

The Gazelle Foundation is made possible by the efforts of many. We have grown to include an active board of directors, advisory council, dedicated sponsors, partners and hundreds of volunteers, working together towards our mission to provide clean drinking water to the people that need it most, transforming thousands of lives in Burundi each year.

the source of our foundation

Each year, on the anniversary of his escape, Gilbert Tuhabonye walks to Austin's Capitol building carrying 50 lbs of water.

“I didn’t have my first sip of good clean water until I was in the first grade.” —Gilbert Tuhabonye

Our story began long before our official formation in 2006.
It started on October 21, 1993 with Gilbert Tuhabonye, a Burundi survivor of the Hutu/Tutsi civil upheaval of the 1980’s and 90’s. Gilbert was a national champion runner as an 11th grader, but on this day, he would literally run for his life. When the centuries-old war between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes erupted, some of Gilbert’s Hutu classmates, parents, teachers and other Hutu tribesmen forced more than a hundred Tutsi children and teachers into a room where they beat and burned them to death. Gilbert, on fire, ran to freedom, and survived this horrific event.

In 2006, Gilbert wrote This Voice in My Heart, an autobiographical account of his upbringing and his tale of survival. The response to this touching book was overwhelming, creating an outpouring of people who wanted to help. The solution is through the Gazelle Foundation where Gilbert, our dynamic board of directors, and hundreds of volunteers work tirelessly to bring awareness to the needs of the Burundian people while educating our local community about the importance of the global water crisis and the need for humanitarian aid in Burundi. And the story continues to this day.

Our people share our purpose.

For over a decade, our devoted staff, board of directors and volunteers have committed wholeheartedly to providing access to clean water for the people of Burundi. United in our mission, we work each day to provide access to this basic and crucial resource.

COURTNEY WALDREN Executive Director

Courtney brings more than 20 years of non-profit fundraising and strategy experience to the Gazelle Foundation.

Before joining the Gazelle Foundation she worked in the Austin non-profit sector at the Ransom Center at UT Austin, The Austin Project.

She became involved with the Foundation as a fundraising volunteer after training with Gilbert Tuhabonye’s running group. She credits that group with teaching her grit, sacrifice, and the pursuit of joy. Meeting Gilbert and learning his story expanded her perspective of the world and brought urgency to working towards making a difference in people’s lives.

She believes that as a community and as a city, when we reach out a hand to help people far away in Burundi, and provide access to clean water, we change lives, we make history.

A native of Colorado, she and her husband J.B. Bird have two children, Clarissa and Max.

As director of the Foundation, Courtney hopes to build on its momentum and help inspire people and organizations to be the best possible versions of themselves. Courtney wants people to join the Gazelle Foundation in this long-term effort. She believes that by helping others, we help ourselves and that together we can change thousands of lives for the better, in Texas and Burundi. Courtney can be reached at courtney@gazellefoundation.org

TESSA MADISON Run For The Water Development Manager & Special Projects

Tessa Madison is taking the reins of race development manager this year. Tessa has been a key member of the Gazelle Foundation and Run For The Water for more than a decade, her tenure includes working to make the Foundation’s mission, special events, and philanthropy accessible to children and families. She brings 15 years of non-profit experience managing a statewide certification program for the municipal courts of Texas. She attended the University of Texas (Hook ‘Em!) and graduated with a degree in political science. She spends her spare time running, teaching yoga, and enjoying life with her family.

She became involved with the Gazelle Foundation after joining Gilbert’s Gazelle’s in 2008. She traveled to Burundi in 2011, 2012 and 2023 where she fell in love with the people of Burundi and their culture. She is also involved with two orphanages in Burundi through their supporting organization, Burundi Youth for Christ. She is passionate about giving back to Burundi, a country that showed her the beauty of living simply, and the meaning of real joy. Tessa can be reached at Tessa@gazellefoundation.org

TIFFANY PETERS Administrative Development & Operations Support

Tiffany is originally from Alaska, she provides part-time administrative support to the Gazelle Foundation. She brings thirty-four-plus years of public administration experience to the team. When she retired from the state (Texas) in 2021, she had been a personnel director. She fills her spare time running, volunteering, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Tiffany has been a member of Gilbert’s Gazelle’s since 2010, where she has received the gift of wonderful and caring new friends. Gilbert has demonstrated a strong gift of forgiveness, compassion, and strength, which inspires her to aim to be a better human. Tiffany is passionate about bringing awareness of water scarcity to those around her. She is full of energy and optimism for empowering future generations in Burundi to grow and thrive. Tiffany can be reached at admin@gazellefoundation.org