Archip faced immeasurable trauma as a young man, witnessing atrocities committed by an armed group against his family members. Archip was greatly affected by these tragedies and they catalyzed his passion to seek the healing and renewal of his country. He pressed on with resilience and found hope by being equipped to “be the change” in Congo through his studies and engagement with the community at UCBC. He shares, “I was lost when I was young. I didn’t have any hope for the future that the DRC could change one day. But when I came to UCBC, I started to have hope, new skills, and I can see that the DRC can change and we can develop this country…[To do so], we need strong leaders who are transformed [themselves] and are not corrupted.”

Archip studied Organizational Communication at UCBC and graduated in 2014. About his UCBC experience, he shares that “UCBC did a strong work in terms of providing the right skills for my current job–putting together the academic skills with creativity and problem-solving skills to prepare us to be strong leaders and also to be transformed so that we can transform our community.”

Archip is now the co-founder of Nuru, a scaling solar mini grid company in Congo. With less than 20% of the DRC’s population having access to energy, Nuru’s innovative approach aims at connecting millions to power. Nuru launched Congo’s first mini grid in 2017 and now owns a 1.3 MW solar hybrid site in Goma, the largest such site in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022, Nuru won the Africa Solar Industry Association’s (AFSIA) “Mini-grid Project of the Year” award. In 2023, Nuru secured $40 million to expand its metrogrids in eastern Congo and is collaborating with UCBC to update the campus solar panel system, ensuring students have access to reliable and sustainable power as they pursue their education.