Gazelle Foundation’s Mission

The Gazelle Foundation knows that clean water is the key to life. But no one knows this better than the people of Burundi. For more than 13.2 million people, access to clean water means access to better health, stronger community, jobs, education, and most of all: hope.

Spread Peace Through Clean Water

*Gilbert Tuhabonye high-fives Peter Rauch, Board President and co-founder of the Gazelle Foundation.*

Spring For The Water is one of the signature events for the Gazelle Foundation in its mission to bring more clean water to rural Burundi, East Africa. Co-founded by award-winning professional runner, coach and genocide survivor Gilbert Tuhabonye wanted to share forgiveness and bring hope to his birth country where more than 85% of Burundians live in the countryside with little access to clean water.

Gilbert’s Story Inspires

Gilbert Tuhabonye is a beloved role model, coach and an inspiration to people all over the world. He is also a genocide survivor.

On October 21, 1993, Gilbert, then a high school junior with a promising running career, narrowly escaped a massacre at his school during Burundi’s civil war. He endured unbearable torture, witnessed mass murder, and literally ran from that horror into a new life.

Today, more than 8,000 miles from Burundi, Gilbert is a retired professional runner and former NCAA All American, as well as a philanthropist, author, and community leader in Austin, where his lives with his wife and daughters. In additional to co-founding the Gazelle Foundation, Gilbert is owner and founder of Gilbert’s Gazelles, one of Austin’s foremost running training groups, and head cross-country and track coach at St. Andrew’s High School.

While Gilbert’s story includes great tragedy, it is also one of hope and resilience. His story of suffering and faith, his incredible work ethic, and infectious enthusiasm have inspired countless individuals to be the best possible versions of themselves. He is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit, and living proof that one person can make the world a better, more compassionate place. Learn more about Gilbert’s story: