The idea of DBFA (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Friedensarbeit) was born in 2013, after many years of discussions and studies on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theology and ethics in the context of Europe and Africa. Touched by the potential and challenges of young people in Rwanda, we began supporting young students in Rwanda through personal and collective sponsorships in collaboration with German and Rwandan friends and partners. Since 2015, the support became more organized. Several German families and friends joined in, forming a growing support network for practical educational projects for young people.

Since 2016, regular contact was established in Germany to build a network for collecting support in that way. It emphasized the vision of empowering young Rwandans through professional education, focusing on long-term and equal partnerships. This led to the commitment of other people to support and help fund the program of professional education for several talented young students.

By 2017, DBFA operated with clearer structures and a selection process. Rwandan youth were selected based on motivation and willingness to be trained, and a joint team in Rwanda and Germany supported the progress of sponsored students. The objective was also to find among those supported young people the new supporters and sponsors for others in need in the future.

Between 2018 and 2020, DBFA gradually transitioned responsibility to a local Rwandan team. This was seen not as a withdrawal of German support, but as a conscious step toward taking responsibility, ownership, and sustainability. German supporters remained involved not as decision-makers, but as partners and encouragers and all actions and projects were supported through joint collaboration and efforts.

During that time, many seminars and regular trainings were held in Rwanda to analyze the context and challenges and try to find solutions — but also to empower the supported young students in order to fit into the needs of society. It was also an opportunity to see how the idea was really put into action and what results it brought. At the same time, it was a chance to evaluate — with the involvement of the supported youth — the impact of DBFA's work. Testimonials from supported students, coordinators, and supporters reaffirmed the value of the initiative, its positive impact, and the importance of equal and continual collaboration

In 2023, a strategic decision was made to expand the DBFA concept, program, and actions. While continuing to support young students through scholarships and mentorship, a new flagship program was prepared: the Apprenticeship Program. The assessment had shown that the supported young students were at the international level in terms of experience and skills, so the new idea was to build a bridge between Rwanda and Germany to face the current challenges of generations and the labor market by providing solutions through DBFA's program of equipping and facilitating supported young people to fit into the workforce in Germany and prepare them for this purpose.

In 2025, DBFA launched the Apprenticeship Program, offering Rwandan youth the chance to be trained and work in Germany in the fields of nursing and special care education (Heilerziehungspflege). This program blends vocational education, cultural exchange, and long-term career development.

Although led by Rwandan team coordination, German partners continue to support DBFA in various ways through funding, expertise, and mentoring upholding the spirit of shared responsibility and partnership. It is a kind of caring and sharing together. This is also connected to the German language course at the levels A1, A2, B1, and B2, in relation to the procedures of the DBFA - Diaco-Care program and strategies.