Feeding & Educating 50,000 Orphans in Rwanda

Mugisha has had to overcome more than most in his first five years. Born prematurely and with special needs, he spent the first two months of his life in the hospital fighting to survive. His mother died during childbirth, leaving him and his older sister orphaned. His closest relative, his aunt Providence, was only able to provide for his sister so he was sent to an orphanage when he was two months old.

At that time, orphanages were seen as better places for babies like Mugisha – a place to receive the food, clothes, and specialized medical care they required. Most people were not aware of what these children lose by not being in a family environment. Providence believed she had made the best decision for Mugisha until social workers from the orphanage reached out to her.

That was when she learned that children raised in orphanages often have physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral development delays. She was invited to visit Mugisha at the orphanage. When she saw him, she knew he needed to come home.

The social worker prepared Providence and Mugisha for his transition to his new home by connecting her with services provided by Global Communities. Providence was connected with a savings and lending group as a way to help with the extra costs. And, they were welcomed into a playgroup in the community for preschoolers.

A year and a half later, Mugisha is flourishing. “Mugisha is really happy and no longer shy,” Providence says. “What I can see is that he has really changed since he started coming here. He learns new things and then he is excited to come home and teach them to the other children…He used to be fearful of other children, but now he can play and communicate with them.”

At the same time, Providence is working with the savings and lending group to build a better future for their entire family. She bought a small piece of land and built a foundation on it. She sees this as her future. The place where one day she will build a home and raise her children.

Playgroups and savings and lending groups are just two examples of how Global Communities is working with communities to give the next generation a better future. But we don’t do it alone.

We work with the local governments to identify families in need. We have families who are passionate about helping their children thrive. And we have a strong network of donors like you who believe in our mission to help people help themselves. Thank you for making a difference.

Links:

• Global Communities Homepage
• Global Communities - Rwanda