Our Team
Our Team

Robert & Elizabeth Vanman
Called to Give
Robert Vanman, the Chairman and primary funder of Amazi Water, tells us why he and his wife Elizabeth decided to make a large scale clean water project their core mission.
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As a successful technology entrepreneur and a passionate Christ-follower, I have a deep desire to be a great steward of the resources that God has entrusted to me. To do this, I believe we must find ways to make the most significant social and eternal impact possible from our finite resources.
Bringing clean water to areas that do not have it transforms those communities and fundamentally changes the lives of those who live there. Communities without safe drinking water can have child mortality rates above 20%, ongoing health problems, reduced productivity and stressed family dynamics. Education is hampered because the children are often responsible for collecting water from distant sources.
Providing these communities with a freshwater well that supplies reliable water year-round can reduce the child mortality rates to single digits, greatly improve overall health and free up time, which increases productivity and learning.
Clean water is the foundational building block that helps communities rise above abject poverty. Until access to clean water is addressed, nothing else can be effective.
Densely-populated Burundi is sometimes called “The Forgotten Country .” Years of civil war have decimated infrastructure and the economy, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. A large percentage of the population lacks access to clean water even though there is extensive underground water. This makes water wells particularly cost-effective when measured by “cost per person served.”
After learning that the major international water charities were not working in Burundi as there were no effective in-country water partners, we decided to create Burundi’s first and only in-country, dedicated water organization – now called Amazi Water.
We have purchased our own drilling rigs, hired GIS engineers, hydrogeologists, construction teams, community workers, extensive staff, and have made it our mission to bring clean water to the entire country. Today Amazi Water is the de facto, in-country water partner for many other organizations, including UNICEF and World Vision.
When I added everything up – the critical need, the cost-effectiveness, and the massive impact of these water projects – I concluded that building water wells in Burundi, Africa has the most social and eternal impact I can make with my resources.
That is why I’m all in.
John & Caelene Peake
Called to Go
John and Caelene Peake currently live in Burundi and have devoted their lives to bringing clean, safe water to the people of Burundi.
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John, who is from Texas, married South African Caelene in Cape Town in 2004. A growing number of connections and conversations about Burundi inspired the family to visit. During one of their first trips to the tiny, landlocked African country, they realized there was a serious lack of access to clean water. They felt called to take action and started a small water project in 2015.
By 2016, the family had decided to move to Burundi. They completed a valuable missionary training course at Missions Resource Network and moved to Burundi for a long-term mission in August 2017.
As committed Christians, the Peakes recognize the hand of God in their daily lives and experience His grace and guidance in this challenging endeavor. Their dream is not only that everyone in Burundi has access to safe water; serving the Body of Christ and spreading the Gospel is as important. This is achieved by working with churches, encouraging church leaders, preaching, and distributing Bibles in Kirundi, the local language.
For the three Peake children, life can be challenging as well as fun. They get to experience new languages and cultures and, when the Peakes are not working or studying, they are usually active – hiking, biking, swimming, or dancing in their living room.

The Board
The Board

Robert Vanman
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CELESTIN MUSEKURA
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John Peake
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Caelene Peake
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Nathan Sheets
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The Senior Leadership Team
John Peake
Founder & President
Caelene Peake
Founder, Social Work, Communications
Bob Thorp
Senior Programs Director
Jacob McKee
Director of Finance
Jake Kidane
Director of Operations
Shaun O’Donnell
Director of Operations Support
Jonny Harris
Engineering Manager
Join Our Team
Are you looking for an exciting challenge in the heart of Africa, working with a dynamic team?
Amazi Water is looking for smart, energetic and professional people to help us fulfill our mission.