Rwaza Orphanage in Rwanda

I will be visiting Rwanda again this summer in order to bring the money that I have raised from my photos to an orphanage that I visited on my previous trip. I still have a little more than two months to collect money for the children, so anyone interested in buying prints or framed photographs from Rwanda, I am selling them for 50$ (prints) and 120$ (framed photographs) plus shipping, unless you live close to me in which case I will deliver. I will donate all profits, as well as donations, to the orphanage.

Before I leave I would like to collect clothes for the kids in the orphanage. So, if you have any extra children's clothes, please contact me and I will be happy to take them off your hands : )

A bit about the orphanage ... courtesy of my friend Akim, a Rwandan native who works with the Thousand Hills Expeditions:

"The orphanage was founded by some Catholic sisters just after the 1994 genocide. Due to the severity of the tragedy, it left many orphans, widows and victims of HIV (women) in an "open wind blow"! This was horrible to see and to understand. The sisters never closed their arms. They did the most that they could do, and tried to collect kids from everywhere."

AT PRESENT :

As of now, the sisters have 51 kids, the majority of which are little girls. They hope for an "open heaven" for their future. The youngest child is almost one, while the rest of the children are a mix of ages (mostly minors).

NEEDS :

1. Primarily, the kids need food, which is a serious problem. They are experiencing a severe shortage of food. The sister that looks after the children is attempting to find alternative hosts for the children because she cannot feed them.

2. The structure of the orphanage is too small. They need more space for housing the orphans as well as class rooms.

3. Water pumps and power generators would be a great idea. The orphanage has no electricity and water is not an easy resource.

4. Education is another important matter in the lives of the children. Many of the kids are of age to begin their education, but they lack funding and the educational background to enter the school systems like the rest of the children in the area.

5. Clothes, tools and any other materials would be greatly appreciated!

My goal is to collect money to bring to the orphanage. I will work directly with Akim and the sisters in order to help them develop a plan of expenditure that will improve the lives of the children in the best possible way. Right now, I am looking into my options for purchasing livestock in the country. Then, I plan on working with the organizers of the orphanage to try and utilize whatever money is left to address some of their other needs.

***Any donations in the form of clothing, money, tools or toiletries will be very much appreciated.

I plan on recording my trip. I will report back to all of you when I return, via photographs, writing and perhaps a video as well.



Thanks for your help!

All of the pictures on this site are available for purchase, as well as pictures from my other photo blog from Rwanda: http://www.rwandagorillas .blogspot.com/

Thanks,
Alex Rivest

a rivest @ gmail.com

The pictures on this page are from the orphanage only, but can still be ordered. Please email me the description (or filename) of the picture(s) you are interested in and whether you want them to be framed or not.

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Labels: rwaza orphanage rwanda AIDS genocide survivors children photography Africa travel