 We’re getting closer to our Giving Tuesday goal of building a meeting room, a space for soap and purse making, an office, and a shop! These buildings will be where women gather to learn valuable trade skills, receive training on money management, conflict resolution, and access vital health education, including puberty and menstruation. The shop will allow women to sell their handmade products—clothes, beaded bags, soaps, lotions, eggs, and vegetables—helping create sustainable income for their families. And I’m excited to share—we now have a design for what these spaces will look like! We are just $5,976 away from turning this design into reality for the community of Rugarika.  Don’t forget, everyone who donates $1,000 or more will have their name added to a plaque in the women’s meeting room. Here’s a sneak peek of what the plaque will look like...  You can learn more about our plans from Brigitte, our GIFTS Rwanda Director, and from Paterne, our GIFTS Rwanda Project Manager, below.
This is your chance to TRIPLE your impact on education, housing, and community development. Will you stand with us? Donate now and be part of this life-changing work!  P.S. Remember, your donation is TRIPLE matched for a limited time! Every dollar you give goes three times as far in helping women and their families build brighter futures. Don’t miss this opportunity to make an even bigger impact—donate today and share this email with others who want to help create real change!
0 Comments
 Yesterday, our Project Manager, Paterne, interviewed two incredible women whose lives will be directly transformed by your Giving Tuesday donations. Their stories are a powerful reminder of the impact your generosity can make.  Meet Seraphine: “I’m ICYITEGETSE Seraphine, a mother of eight from the Rugarika Sector. My husband works as a digger, and I earn money by crushing stones for construction. We don’t have land for agriculture, but thanks to GIFTS Rwanda, my children are able to attend school. Though my husband and I struggle to make ends meet, this project has given us hope. We are deeply grateful for your support. May God bless you."  Meet Françoise: “My name is KAMAGAJU Françoise. I have two children, and we live with my younger sister and her two children. Our mother left us, and we’ve faced many challenges, including unplanned pregnancies. But through GIFTS Rwanda, my children now have their school fees paid, and they receive school materials. Your generosity has changed our lives, and I pray for all of you. Thank you so much.” These are the families you are supporting. While we may not be able to solve every problem, we can provide food, education, and hope for a better future. Remember, your gift will be TRIPLE matched for a limited time—every dollar you donate has 3X the power to uplift families from extreme poverty. This is your chance to make an even greater difference! We’ve raised $11,955 so far, and we need your help to reach our $20,000 goal. With your donation today, we can make sure families like Seraphine’s and Françoise’s continue to receive the life-changing support they need to thrive. Click HERE to donate now and help us reach our $20,000 goal! Your contribution will support families like these by providing education, food, and essential supplies, empowering them to build more joyful and abundant lives. Together, we can create lasting change.  P.S. Will you help us spread the word? Share this blog with your friends, family, and colleagues so they can also be part of this incredible movement. Your support means the world to us!
 Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, but why wait when you can make a difference right now? After days like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is all about giving back. By donating today, you’ll be fueling real, sustainable change for families in Rugarika. And the best part? Every dollar you give will be TRIPLE matched, thanks to our generous matching donors—meaning your gift will go 3X as far! We’ve raised $5,188 so far, but we need your help to reach our $20,000 goal. Your early donation sets the stage, inspiring others to join this movement of generosity. Don’t wait until tomorrow—give now and help us empower women and their families to build brighter, thriving futures. Together, we can make a lasting impact.  P.S. Remember, your donation will be TRIPLE matched for a limited time! Don’t miss this chance to make 3X the impact. Give now and share this email with friends, family, and colleagues so they can also be part of the incredible change we're making together. Thank you for your support!
 As we approach Giving Tuesday, I want to introduce you to one of the families your donation will directly impact. Pelagie Mukansanga, a mother of two daughters, shares a heartfelt story below about the challenges her family has faced. Due to financial hardship, her daughters were forced to leave school. Thanks to the support of GIFTS Rwanda, one of her daughters is learning to sew through our New Mom Sewing Group. Her other daughter has trained as a hairdresser but lacks the essential tools to begin working and supporting their family. You can hear more from Pelagie in her own words below, where she talks about their journey and how your contribution can help provide the materials needed for her daughter to start earning an income. With your help, they can begin rebuilding their lives and creating a brighter future. Today through Giving Tuesday, your donation will be matched 300%, meaning your gift can have 3X the impact for families like Pelagie’s. Together, we can give women and their families the opportunity to thrive. Thank you for being part of this life-changing mission. Your generosity truly makes a difference.  Anitha Uwimpuhwe, a member of the women's group in Rugarika, shares a powerful story about how GIFTS Rwanda has transformed not only her life but the lives of many women in her community. Through creating beaded bags, soaps, and lotions, and gaining essential life skills, these women are working together to achieve self-sufficiency. But they need your support to take the next step. By contributing to GIFTS Rwanda now, you can amplify your impact by 300% through our TRIPLE match Giving Tuesday 2024 campaign. And as a special recognition, any donor who gives $1,000 or more will have their name featured on a plaque in the women's meeting room, leaving a lasting legacy in the community. We’re raising funds to build a dedicated meeting room—a safe space where women can come together for training in money management, conflict resolution, and health education. It will also serve as a workshop and storefront for their products, empowering these women to create brighter futures for themselves and their families. Learn more about how your support will directly impact these initiatives in our latest blog post HERE. Your generosity can make this vision a reality. Watch Anitha’s story and discover how you can be a part of this life-changing mission. Together, we can triple the impact on education, housing, and community development. Thank you for helping us get closer to our goal and for sharing this blog with others. We couldn’t do this without you!  P.S. Will you help us spread the word? Share this blog with your friends, family, and colleagues to let them know what GIFTS Rwanda is up to and what an enormous impact they have the opportunity to be a part of, too! Thank you so much!
 GIFTS Rwanda is gearing up for Giving Tuesday 2024, and we’re calling on YOU to make a powerful difference! While Boeing has cut their matching program this year, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve secured TWO $10k matching donations from generous anonymous donors. This means that every donation you make will be TRIPLE MATCHED, tripling your impact! Starting NOW, if we collectively raise $20,000 by the end of Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, the matching donations will bring us to a grand total of $40,000!  Here’s how your support will help us make a lasting difference:
As a special thank you, any donor who gives $1,000 or more will have their name added to a plaque in the women’s meeting room, honoring your contribution and creating a lasting legacy in the community! Together, we can TRIPLE the impact on education, housing, and community development. Will you give today? Click HERE to learn more and to donate!  P.S. Will you help us spread the word? Share this blog with your friends, family, and colleagues to let them know what GIFTS Rwanda is up to and what an enormous impact they have the opportunity to be a part of, too! Thank you so much!
 What an incredible week it has been for GIFTS Rwanda! I couldn’t be more grateful for your unwavering support and I am so excited to fill you in on what we've been up to. This week, Brigitte, our dedicated Director, has been on the ground in Rugarika, visiting some of the most vulnerable families we serve. Thanks to your generosity, she was able to deliver essential food, supplies, and heartfelt compassion to those in need. In the photo above, you’ll see Brigitte handing reusable sanitary pads, made by our amazing New Mom Sewing Group, to Nyirangendahayo Esperance. Esperance, who is battling uterine cancer, shared how deeply grateful she is for this gift. Something as simple as reusable sanitary pads makes a world of difference in her daily life, and it’s all thanks to your support. Below, you'll see another touching moment: Brigitte and Esperance standing outside her home, built by GIFTS Rwanda. Behind her, in the doorway, is her grandson—a symbol of resilience and hope for the future.  Another family deeply impacted by your kindness is that of Mukabasinga Xavera, a survivor of unimaginable hardship. After enduring assault, she contracted HIV/AIDS and is now raising her children on her own. When Brigitte visited, her children were in school—an invaluable opportunity made possible by GIFTS Rwanda. Thanks to your generosity, Xavera's children not only have access to education but also receive essential food and supplies, giving them the chance to build brighter futures.   You see, these are not just abstract statistics. These are real lives being transformed—one family, one story at a time. Your contributions are tangible, life-changing acts of kindness that ripple across generations. From educational support to healthcare supplies, you are providing a sense of hope and dignity to families who have endured tremendous hardships. As we reflect on these accomplishments, I am reminded of the power of collective compassion. Together, we’re not only providing immediate aid but also empowering individuals and families to rebuild their lives. Your generosity is the fuel that keeps this work going, and I am beyond excited for what we can continue to achieve as a community. Let’s keep moving forward on this incredible journey of changing lives. Together, we can uplift even more families, one step at a time. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing with us and making such a profound difference.   We’re thrilled to share a beautiful, full-circle story of resilience and community—a story you made possible through your support of GIFTS Rwanda. Meet Royce Nyirabishingwe, a grandmother raising three young children on her own. Their mother is currently imprisoned for illegal activity at the border, leaving her children heartbroken and longing to see her. Unfortunately, they had neither the means nor the opportunity to visit her in prison. But, thanks to your generosity, something incredible happened. Our New Moms Sewing Group, made up of young single mothers learning to sew as a means to uplift themselves out of extreme poverty, came together to help. With the fabric your donations provided, they crafted new clothes for the children, preparing them for the special moment they could reunite with their mother. And there’s more--Brigitte, the Director of GIFTS Rwanda, arranged for transportation, making it possible for the children to visit their mother in prison. What a powerful, heartwarming moment for this family! For the women in our sewing group, this was more than just an act of kindness. It was a deeply meaningful experience—a full-circle moment of mothers supporting other mothers, lifting each other up in the face of hardship. You made this possible. The people of Rugarika are transforming their lives and helping others, all because of opportunities you helped create and continue to fund. Take a moment to watch this heartfelt video from Royce, the grandmother who cares for these children, and hear the gratitude in her words. We’ve also included some beautiful photos below, capturing the children in their new clothes, lovingly crafted by the New Moms Sewing Group. You’ll also see Brigitte visiting the family in the home that GIFTS Rwanda, thanks to your support, built for them, along with an image showing them receiving the food and supplies your donations have made possible.
You are changing lives—one family, one story at a time. Let’s continue this journey together.  One year ago today I took this video of Chantel and her children living in dirt. This past Sunday, I had the privilege of sharing Chantel's remarkable story with the congregation at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (begins at 23:25). That morning, I received a photo of Chantel at a sewing machine, her face radiating pride as she looked at her daughter wearing a dress she had sewn. The joy and pride in both their faces are beyond words. This is the work of GIFTS Rwanda. This is the work of YOU. I am thrilled to update you on Chantel's incredible progress. Thanks to the funds raised by your support, Chantel and her children now have a safe and comfortable home. Chantel is now employed by GIFTS Rwanda, working as our cleaner. She helps maintain our chicken farm, which provides her family with fresh chickens and eggs. Additionally, she cleans our Multi-Purpose Center and has learned the valuable skill of sewing through our programs. Seeing Chantel transform her life and that of her children through the opportunities you helped create and you fund is profoundly moving. Please take a moment to view the photos below that capture the positive changes in Chantel's life.  Chantel and her children outside the Multi-Purpose Center, where she works and has learned how to sew.
 Chantel and her six children's new home funded by YOU.  This is my absolute favorite picture showing Chantel (on the left) smiling as her daughter beams with pride and joy in a dress that Chantel made for her. Your generosity made this transformation possible, and we are deeply grateful for your continued support. Thank you for being the reason this beautiful success story is able to be told.  I recently had the privilege of speaking with the West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, where I shared our mission and the latest updates about our mission, along with the exciting updates I shared with you a couple weeks ago about our new team in Rwanda. I’m excited to announce that I presented at their service again yesterday and will do so next month. Additionally, they are generously donating the contributions from their giving basket during each of the three services to GIFTS Rwanda! The chance to present our mission is incredibly meaningful to me, and we are deeply grateful for this opportunity. We would be honored to speak with your friends and family in person as well. Whether in a community room, church, or the comfort of your home, we can offer a presentation about our recent trip last summer and the impactful work being done since. I'll bring along soap, lotion, beaded bags, and tailoring items from our various GIFTS Rwandan projects, so you can see and feel the beautiful creations made by the people we serve. Thank you for your continued support and belief in our mission. As Isabel Allende once said, “We only have what we give." |
