Social Economic Empowerment
Did you know that nearly half of the people in Rwanda, about 6.5 million, are considered multidimensionally poor? This means they face overlapping hardships in health, education, and standard of living. Another 3 million people are on the brink of falling into the same situation.
The story of Samuel
One evening, one of our founders (George) was at the groceries store, and was approached by a child.
He looked thin and dirty, and starved. At that moment George knew he was a street child.
He approached him and asked if he could give him one coin of 100 Rwandan France. George asked him why, cause he wanted to create a conversation with him.
So he told George, that if he got that coin and then adds on two other coins he had, then he can go back home, and buy at least something small for his family.
George was moved and broken by seeing a nine years old child being in such situation of carrying the burden of his family.
Then, George gave him 1,000 Rwandan Francs and his personal contact, and asked him to have an adult reach out to him.
Three days later, Samuel's mother called. Then George met them that evening and learned they lived in a tiny, mud house, unable to afford rent or food after their father abandoned them.
The children were out of school with no school fees, medical care, or any other support. The mother expressed her deep desire for her children to get an education.
Moved by their plight, the founder began paying school fees for Samuel and his sister, covering their rent, providing household necessities, and supplying monthly food.
Seeing Samuel in such a poor state was heartbreaking, and this is how Ishimwe Initiative was born.
Ishimwe (Thanksgiving) Childcare
Ishimwe Childcare initiative started in 2022 when we noticed the rising numbers of street children in our neighborhood, Ruyenzi. We decided to start an initiative that will help get these children off the street.
Samuel was the one who inspired this initiative. He was the first child we supported. We were able to get him off the street, put him back in school and also support his other siblings and mother. There are they estimated 230kids living on streets here in Ruyenzi.
The root of the problem
The root cause of street children is;
- Unemployment
- Generational poverty
- Family conflicts
- Marital conflict
These issues have crippled children's families. To solve this problem we have to attend the root cause of it.
The solution
To address generational poverty, we are helping their street children's families by;
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Providing basic needs like beds, mattresses, and food.
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Helping them start small businesses
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Empowering them with technical skills to find jobs
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Provide emotional support and family counseling
