Niheza Deborah

Deborah Niheza is a young, passionate guide born and raised in Rwanda, where her love for nature and guiding first began. From a very young age, she was drawn to the small wonders of the natural world - the colors of plants, the songs of birds, the details others might overlook. That innate curiosity eventually led her to make a life-changing decision: at her earlier twenties, despite having studied Business Management at university, she set aside her career path to pursue her true passion - guiding safaris.

One of the people who most inspired her was Kamugisha Kirenga, an experienced birder whom she came to see as a father figure. He was the one who taught her that the birds she had always found fascinating actually had names - and the very first names she learned were thanks to him. He had a deep love for nature, and Deborah found herself deeply inspired every time they were together. Despite their significant age difference, a shared passion for birds and the natural world formed a strong bond between them. What she loved most was simply sitting beside him and learning. Even after he passed away recently, his voice has stayed in her mind. His lessons, his passion - they became part of her.

Today, there’s nothing Deborah enjoys more than sharing the beauty of Rwanda’s landscapes and wildlife with others - though her guiding has also taken her to other countries across Africa. Her favorite place is Akagera National Park, in eastern Rwanda. It is the country’s only savanna ecosystem. There, she has learned to track animals like lions and rhinos, interpret elephants’ body language, and identify dozens of bird species. She also enjoys guiding in Rwanda’s lush forests, where she leads guests in search of gorillas and chimpanzees.

Despite her youth, Deborah has quickly earned a reputation as one of Rwanda’s most respected safari guides - and one of the few women in this profession, not only in Rwanda but across East Africa.

She continues to guide today, while also pursuing advanced training through the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA), one of the continent’s most rigorous professional qualifications for nature guides. Deborah is working toward becoming a qualified FGASA Trails Guide, which will allow her to lead walking safaris - bringing guests even closer to nature through a slower, more immersive experience. Her goal is to become one of the most well-rounded and highly trained guides in East Africa.

To do that, she is currently studying and receiving field-based training in Botswana. This experience has not only deepened her knowledge but has also exposed her to different guiding styles and safari traditions - from East to Southern Africa, where training standards and professionalism are held to the highest level.

Deborah is fluent in both English and Kinyarwanda, her native language.

Home location: Rwanda

Guides in: Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania

Languages: English

Daily rate: $$