Help orphans in Africa

Alexis Nadin is a student at American University and former intern at GlobalGiving. This summer, she is travelling through Africa and visiting a number of GlobalGiving projects. Alexis visited this project on June 3, 2009. She writes:

Feeding and Educating 50,000 Orphans in Rwanda, run by CHF International, empowers Rwanda’s unsung heroes, the men and women that better the lives of the country’s many orphaned and vulnerable children, by providing them with financial resources and skills training. Theogere, a 26-year old, who has been caring for his two younger brothers since his parents passed away almost a decade ago, is one of these unsung heroes. Because of the free vocational training he received (now funded by CHF), Theogere and seven other child heads of households now run a restaurant and catering business. Prior to receiving skills training, Theogere, like his fellow business-owners, was barely scraping by, doing any odd job to pay rent and send his siblings to school. Today, having been empowered by CHF, and its local partner, AEE (one of twelve partner organizations), this already amazing older brother can be a superhero for Eric and Jean-Paul, his two little brothers. Aside from helping their older brother, Eric and Jean-Paul benefit from CHF’s school sponsorship program, making it possible for them to buy school uniforms and scholastic materials.

During our visit to CHF we met another unsung hero, this compassionate woman runs an orphanage called Village of Peace, for 88 children, ages 1 day old to 18 years. CHF supports her mission to improve the lives of these children by sponsoring each to go to school. Village of Peace had been struggling to provide milk for its babies and pay for cooking feul. They approached CHF with a very innovative solution: cows. With the financial support of CHF, and the technical help of a local university, Village of Peace purchased 4 cows (which have now multiplied into 14), whose milk feeds the babies and whose dung (that’s right, poop!), now fuels the stoves to cook the children’s meals, using a sanitary, cutting edge biogas system.

It is because of these unsung heroes, and the support of GlobalGiving donors, that CHF is able to assist 43,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda, each year.

Alexis said she would tell her friends this project was: "Incredible: You need to see this!"

GlobalGiving is committed to incorporating many viewpoints on our 600+ projects. We feel that more information, especially from eyewitnesses helps donors like you continue to support organizations doing great work in the community.

Links:

• Brian and Alexis in the Field

Pictures:

• Alexis at CHF International (JPG)