 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. 
0 Comments
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."  We have recently hired the GIFTS Rwanda Board and Support Staff, who are diligently working to ensure the safety and security of our chicken farm, the new mom sewing building, community center grounds, and our office for the staff. Thanks to our newly hired Rwandan team, I'm excited to share that our chicken farm is thriving! It is crucial to guard our resources. Protecting our assets not only ensures the sustainability of our projects but also provides a stable foundation for the community’s growth and development. This vigilance helps us maximize the impact of our efforts and secure a better future for everyone involved. Please meet our new dedicated Rwandan team below!
Please join me in giving our Rwandan team a warm and enthusiastic welcome! Add a comment below and send your best wishes. I’ll gather them all and pass them on to our amazing team in Rwanda. Let's show them how excited we are to have them on board!   Our second group of the New Mom Sewing Co-Op is up and running beautifully! The young mothers are learning to sew school uniforms, skirts to sell in the markets, and reusable sanitary napkins for students, enabling them to stay in school during their menstrual cycles. We are collaborating with the Rwanda Energy Group to secure electricity for two electronic sewing machines. Please enjoy these photos from the ladies and a testimonial from one of the new moms below.    Our Project Manager in Rugarika, Brigitte, recently met with our secondary students along with Peninah, one of the university students we sponsor. They discussed the importance of hard work, using Peninah's story to inspire hope and demonstrate that university or trade school is within their reach. Here are some pictures from their talk.    Brigitte met a young man who had dropped out of school due to lack of funds. After speaking with him, we were able to provide him with a backpack, sports uniform, and shoes. He committed to returning to school and has been attending regularly for the past month. We are so proud of him!  GIFTS Rwanda held its first General Assembly meeting with the new Rwandan board, alongside our team members Brigitte and Paterne! We have prepared and submitted our signed By-Laws to the Rwanda Governance Board and are now awaiting the Operational Certificate. We hope to hear back in the next couple of weeks. Exciting times ahead! Here is a pic from the first General Assembly meeting.  Thank you for making these BIG dreams possible!! Because of your generous support, the futures of those we serve are infinitely brighter. Your contributions are not just gifts; they are seeds of hope, growth, and transformation for the entire community. We deeply appreciate your commitment to our mission and your belief in the potential of every individual we support. Together, we are creating lasting change and opening doors to new opportunities. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey.  I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge an important period that begins today, one that holds great significance for Rwanda and the world. Today marks the start of the 100 Days of Mourning, a time when we remember the genocide that took place against the Tutsi community in Rwanda.  The genocide, which occurred in 1994, was a dark chapter in human history, resulting in the loss of an estimated one million lives. It is crucial that we honor the memory of those who perished, pay tribute to the survivors, and reflect upon the lessons learned from this tragedy. As supporters of GIFTS Rwanda, we work to help the people of Rwanda rebuild their lives and communities, and it is essential that we stand together during this period of mourning. This is an opportune time for us to reaffirm our commitment to promoting healing, reconciliation, and sustainable development in Rwanda. Over the years, our organization has worked closely with local partners and communities to provide essential support and resources to those affected by the genocide. Through our collective efforts, we have witnessed remarkable resilience and progress in Rwanda, but we must continue to support and uplift the survivors and their families. During these 100 Days of Mourning, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the immense loss endured by the Tutsi community and the impact it has had on Rwanda as a whole. Let us remember the lives that were taken too soon and the strength of those who survived. This is also an opportunity for us to recommit ourselves to the cause of justice, peace, and reconciliation.  Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our cause. By standing together, we can make a difference in the lives of those affected by the genocide and contribute to a brighter future for Rwanda.    I'm thrilled to share some exciting updates from GIFTS Rwanda! To start, I'm delighted to announce that the first building at our Multi-Activity Community Center is now COMPLETE! This marks a significant milestone in our journey. To celebrate, we've welcomed our second cohort of participants into our New Mom Sewing Co-Op, warmly embracing 15 new mothers into the program!
Our Project Manager in Rugarika, Brigitte, played a pivotal role in welcoming the new moms to the facility. They engaged in various activities, fostering teamwork and building strong relationships. Additionally, we've added security measures by hiring two dedicated security guards to ensure the safety of our premises and the valuable sewing machines housed within. Furthermore, I'm thrilled to share that we're on the brink of completing our Action Plan and submitting it to the Rwandan Government for NGO (Nonprofit Government Organization) application. The final steps involve submitting our Bylaws, Job Descriptions, and the list of Board members for our new Rwandan team. Brigitte, Paterne, and I are diligently working on this, and we anticipate completing the application by the end of this month. Thank you for your unwavering support, which has been instrumental in achieving these milestones. Together, we're making a tangible difference in the lives of the community members in Rugarika.  This Valentine's Day marked a unique endeavor for GIFTS Rwanda. Our dedicated team member, Brigitte, accompanied by our head seamstress from the New Mom Sewing Cohort, Claudine, journeyed to Uganda to collaborate with Phoebe Nabwami, the Coordinator of The MoonCatcher Project in Uganda. Their mission? To acquire the skills needed to sew The MoonCatcher Kit and produce bar soap. GIFTS Rwanda has joined forces with The MoonCatcher Project to establish a reusable menstrual pad program for school-age girls in Rugarika. Our New Mom Sewing Co-Op will spearhead the production of these pads, introducing them as a new line of sewing business. The pads will be sold in local markets and distributed free of charge to schoolgirls, ensuring they can continue their education uninterrupted during their menstrual cycles. The MoonCatcher Project graciously covered all associated costs, with GIFTS Rwanda only responsible for travel expenses and materials necessary to kickstart the project. We extend our deepest gratitude to Ellie, Phoebe, and the entire team at The MoonCatcher Project for equipping GIFTS Rwanda with invaluable skills that will empower our community members to support their families and pursue their dreams. Enjoy these photos and videos from their time together...
We are incredibly grateful to you, our donors, for enabling us to expand our reach and impact on girls and women. Your support means the world to us!   Celebrate GIFTS Rwanda's Year of Progress As we reflect on the past year, our hearts are filled with gratitude for your support. It is because of you that our work at GIFTS Rwanda has been made possible. Together, we have accomplished significant milestones, and we take pride in the meaningful progress that has been achieved. We invite you to unwrap the impact you've helped create in 2023—your generosity and dedication have played a vital role in shaping our journey. Thank you for being an essential part of GIFTS Rwanda's mission. Here is Your 2023 Impact Unwrapped.  For the first time, two board members, Karina and Albert Alvarez, along with myself, journeyed to the village we support in Rugarika, Rwanda. I documented each day of our trip in the "Rugarika Trip 2023" category on our website. You can find it HERE. We accomplished the following on our trip:
 Together we ran our Giving Tuesday 2023 Put People First campaign and you raised $36,276.02 for the following:
 All projects done in Rugarika 2023 because of you:
 Fun Facts...You helped bring in $110,791 so far in 2023!! Here's how that compares to past years:
WAY TO GO!!!!!!! Exciting Next Steps...We are continuing to build the Multi Activity Community Center—a project made possible by your generous support! The additions will include a dedicated space for our soap and bag making projects, eliminating the need for outdoor work and costly storage solutions at the school. Additionally, we're creating a small stockroom, meeting room, and a space for community talks, covering vital topics such as malnutrition and reproductive health for young girls and their mothers. Adjacent to the building, we're reserving an area for gardens and expanding the chicken farm to process meat. A small on-site store will showcase and sell the items crafted, grown, and produced on the grounds. For a more in-depth look at our plans, check out the videos from Paterne, Brigitte, and myself below.
Testimonials...Have you had a chance to visit our YouTube page lately? It's filled with heartfelt testimonials we've gathered from the incredible people in Rugarika this year. Take a moment to immerse yourself in these stories—they beautifully capture the real impact of GIFTS Rwanda in the lives of those we serve. To watch these testimonials and explore our other videos, simply click here. We believe these videos offer a genuine insight into the positive transformations happening in Rugarika, all thanks to your support and the work of GIFTS Rwanda. Below is one of my favorites from Alice. If you made it down this far THANK YOU! You are a world changer and a crucial part of making these initiatives a reality. Your ongoing support is truly transforming lives and empowering communities. Remember, the year is not over. You can still make a difference with your tax-deductible gift for a family in Rugarika that can change everything for them. Thank you for being a vital part of our journey, and we hope you enjoy witnessing the meaningful change you've helped make possible. Thank you for being that person. This year's Giving Tuesday campaign was a HUGE success! Your support for the people of Rugarika made a significant impact, tripling the support for educational initiatives, housing, community development, and more, improving the lives of the people of Rugarika. We're excited to announce that with our triple match, we raised a total of $36,140. THANK YOU for being a part of an incredible campaign of giving and for changing so many lives with your generosity.  By joining forces, you are allowing the following to happen: • $5,000 to launch MoonCatcher Project in Rugarika to support our New Mom Sewing Co-op and local schoolgirls sponsored by GIFTS Rwanda. Our lead seamstress and team member, Brigitte, will travel to Uganda to collaborate with MoonCatcher project manager. She will accommodate them, provide training, assist with vendor visits, and guide them in sourcing materials. This partnership aims to establish a new line of sewing business for our New Mom Sewing Co-Op, selling MoonCatchers in markets and providing them at no cost to schoolgirls, ensuring they stay in school during their menstrual cycles. The MoonCatcher Project generously covers all efforts without charge; we only need to cover travel expenses and materials to get the project off the ground. • $2,700 to launch New Mom Sewing Coop. Initiate a second cohort of young single mothers to join our New Mom Sewing Co-op. Offer training and supplies to 20 pregnant, unwed mothers in a tailoring co-op, providing a six-month education and a pathway to sustainable livelihoods. • $6,140 of domestic animals and vegetable gardens. Create large vegetable gardens on our community center property and provide domestic animals to families, including those of new students we sponsor and survivors of the genocide who no longer receive government support. • $16,300 for home construction. Fund home construction for house to shelter homeless single mother and her children, as well as complete a partially built home currently housing a grandmother with her daughters and their four children. • $8,000 for community center construction. Construct a dedicated space on our community center property for our beaded bags and soap making group, offering a versatile area for group activities, meetings, and community talks. The space will also serve as a platform for educating the community on topics like combating malnutrition and promoting reproductive health among young girls and their mothers. None of this would be possible without you and we are so grateful for you. As we celebrate, we know there are many more who still need our support. You can join the fight and send real, sustainable change, freedom, and hope to the people of Rugarika today. THANK YOU for your help. We appreciate YOU so much! |
