MBUYU - Unlock AfricaDonate

Our mission is to help you find your past
by opening up the archives of the world.

“Mbuyu” means “baobab” in Swahili, also known as the “tree of life”

MBUYU.org finds, preserves, digitizes, and shares family histories from underserved communities, connecting people with their ancestors.

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Baobab tree

Our story

Meeting ABADBU

Matt Allen Ellsworth is an international genealogical facilitator who has traveled the world, learning languages and following his passion for preserving and sharing family histories. Over the past 10 years, Matt has personally collected over 100,000 images of unique documents from Nigeria, the Congo, Cuba, Burma, Cyprus, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Burundi.

While on a work assignment in Burundi in 2021, Matt met with Vianney Nshimirimana and Jean Bosco Ntungirimana (ABADBU). Together they forged a plan to work with the National Archives of Burundi to share Burundi’s neglected records with the world.

Starting MBUYU

In 2022, Matt created MBUYU with his son, Pace Ellsworth, and Pace’s friend, BJ Hamaker, to raise awareness and get donations to speed up the work.

We hope to inspire millions to connect with their ancestors, their family and national histories, and their cultural heritage. All art on the site was painted by Burundi artist Audrick Manirambona.

Vianney Nshimirimana
Vianney Nshimirimana
Jean Bosco Ntungirimana
Jean Bosco Ntungirimana
Matt and Pace Ellsworth
Matt and Pace Ellsworth
Audrick Manirambona
Audrick Manirambona
Painting of a child by Audrick Manirambona