Child Sponsorship Program

Care for Children - Rwanda is a child sponsorship program set up 4 years ago in 2021.  A collaboration between African Evangelical Enterprise Rwanda and Jubilee Cares of Hong Kong.  Donors from Hong Kong sponsor children in Rwanda, helping them to stay and do better in school.  Primary education (ages 6-12) are free and compulsory in Rwanda.  However, parents are responsible for uniform, books, supplies, school lunch, medical insurance, etc. Students often find it difficult to stay in school because of financial difficulties.  Or being discriminated against, bullied for related issues, e.g., wearing tattered clothes, not having shoes, being hungry or sick, etc.  The sponsorship helps the children and their family overcome many of these challenges.  It also helps them generate a little income, by acquiring some farm animals such as chicken, rabbits, goats, pigs, etc., or setting up some small business in fruits, vegetables, etc. The sponsorship helps to keep them in school, a priority of AEE Rwanda in poverty relief.  In many countries, poverty is an undesirable inheritance passed from generation to generation. Education is seen as the most effective strategy to break that cycle. 

Since the program’s setup, thanks to AEE’s arrangement, I make an effort to visit some of the children whenever I am in Rwanda - once a year since 2023.  It was in July 2022 that I met C and her mother for the first time.  In 3 years, I can see very encouraging changes in C and her family.  

When I met C for the first time, She and her other were renting a small room in someone’s house. There were hardly any room to stand in besides their bed. Now they are renting a much bigger house. They have even purchased a piece of land and are making the mud bricks to build their own house. Also purchased another piece of land to farm. They still need to find the money to hire the workers to build their house.  But prospects are much better.

When I met them 3 years ago, I thought mother was a single parent. Turned out she was not formally married, so the husband lived apart. Now they are formally married. Father buys and sells milk.  Mom is quite a remarkable woman. Step by step, she is realising her dream for the family. 

What is most pleasing to me are the changes in Clementine.  She was fearful of meeting strangers, even her sponsor.  She couldn’t speak English and didn’t say much  She is now taller, stronger, more confident, and doing better in school.  She is also able to converse a bit in English.  Her prospects are certainly looking much better.