 In honor of International Women's Day, let's salute the impact women have made all across the world and celebrate the progress of all women. Let's also join in the mission to fuel more progress for women and girls everywhere. One way to do this is to give a pregnant, single mother an opportunity to join a tailoring co-op to receive education and a means to make a living. This includes a sewing machine, training, and supplies. Simply click HERE and select "Sponsor New Mother Tailoring Education" from the drop down. Here's to progress, equality, and lifting one another up. Happy International Women's Day! 
0 Comments
  Because of YOU, we reached our goal! Thank you for giving and supporting the New Moms and Farmers campaign this Giving Tuesday! You raised $10,804, and with our $10,000 match, you helped make the massive impact of $20,804!!! This money is going to equip single mothers in Rwanda with a sustainable career in sewing through our GIFTS Rwanda's Sewing Project. Being a single mother in Rwanda is especially difficult as job opportunities are few and many stigmas remain. But with your help, we will be offering them a safe and secure building as well as sewing machines, supplies, and training. The ripple effects of this moment will be generational and were made possible by YOU. Here are details regarding how the funds will be used:
We can now build these women a safe space to learn, teach, and grow their sewing business for countless groups of women to use moving forward. Our new graduates are excited for the opportunity to help mentor and train our next group of new moms who will be going through the sewing co-op training program in the new year!  Exciting Next Steps... We are not stopping with a one room building for the sewing co-op... Our long term goal for this building is to work up to having four rooms! There will be a room for the sewing co-op business and sewing trainings (that we now have the money to build!!), a room for our soap making project, a room for making bags using beads, a small room for stock, and a room for meetings as well as for giving talks to the community teaching them various things such as how to fight malnutrition and reproductive health with young girls and their mothers. Near this building will be a place reserved for farming activities as well as the chicken house we raised money for last Giving Tuesday! Coffee Time... But that's not all. GIFTS Rwanda is donating approximately $500 directly to everyone working so hard to produce our new coffee Rwanda Nyakarenzo! This is to cover the bags of coffee produced for those of you who donated $100 or more to the campaign (we had well over 20 households give over $100!). Your coffee was roasted on Friday December 2nd and is being packaged now. It will be shipped out to you this Friday December 9th. We would LOVE to hear your feedback on the coffee after you try it. Remember, this is a bag of whole bean coffee so if you are like me and do not have a coffee grinder you can find a reasonably priced one here. Board member Darla Bauer and I got the opportunity to try it last month and we are SOLD. It's a lighter roast that is delicate and bright almost like a tea. Darla could smell citrus lime notes and red currant and reported it is very smooth and pairs superbly with a buttery crisp and brown sugar cookie. We can't wait to hear what you think!  Holiday Gift Idea! Our coffee is now available for SALE! This coffee is considered a Single Origin and from a small farm in Rwanda custom roasted by Top of the Lake Coffee. Employees in Rwanda work on the farm, harvesting and washing the coffee beans. We have partnered with Nyakarenzo Coffee Washing Station/Rwacof (approximately 70% of their employees are women), whose focus is on improving the financial situation of the local farmers. This makes for a perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life while knowing your money is going to the incredible people of Rwanda. THANK YOU for your help. We appreciate YOU so much!   The world doesn’t have to be what it is; let's change the story.  On November 29th, people all over the world will come together and harness the power of human connection. GIFTS Rwanda is participating in Giving Tuesday 2022, and we have an exciting opportunity for you!  Partner with us as we equip single mothers in Rwanda for a sustainable career in sewing! Being a single mother in Rwanda is especially difficult as job opportunities are few and many stigmas remain. But with your help, we can offer the education, supplies, and location needed for the village of Rugarika. Our goal is to build a safe and secure building as well as provide sewing machines, supplies, and training. The ripple effects of this moment will be generational. To help meet this goal, we are kicking off the launch of our coffee, Rwanda Nyakarenzo, in partnership with Top of the Lake Coffee. Everyone who donates $100 or more HERE will get a FREE bag of our new coffee! Proceeds of the coffee purchases go toward GIFTS Rwanda’s sewing project, as well as directly to the employees in Rwanda working on the farms, harvesting and washing the coffee beans. We are partnering with Nyakarenzo Coffee Washing Station/Rwacof (approximately 70% of their employees are women), whose focus is on improving the financial situation of the local farmers. Oh, and did I mention we have a goal of raising $30k AND we have a $10k MATCH to help us get there?!?! Starting NOW through Giving Tuesday (November 29th) get your donation MATCHED up to $10k! Give $100 or more and you will be one of the first to receive our brand new coffee, Rwanda Nyakarenzo. Keep it for yourself or use as a beautiful holiday gift for the coffee lover in your life. This is ONLY for this campaign so donate now to take part. The women and girls of Rwanda are brilliant, compassionate, resilient, and brave. This Giving Tuesday, join GIFTS Rwanda in helping create gender-equitable job and leadership opportunities. Your donation dollars have never reached so far. This opportunity will change the lives of these young mothers and only lasts until November 29th. Are you in?  An opportunity is coming that will change the trajectory of the women and children in Rugarika11/16/2022  At this time of year, we could all use a reminder of the good in the world. You’ve been part of some incredible work this year, including giving 16 single new moms the skills to begin their own sewing business when they were looking at a future with very little options open to them. We want to celebrate the good you’ve made possible already and invite you to participate in a new opportunity to make an even larger impact this giving season.  More details are coming soon! Make sure to stay tuned for the exciting news and how you can join in! Add us to your email contacts and follow us on FB, IG and Twitter so you don't miss a thing!  As we move through election day in the US, we want to offer you an opportunity to vote for independence and joy for the wonderful women of Rugarika, Rwanda and their precious children.
Have you seen our New Mothers Sewing Co-Op graduates?
As part of their graduation the ladies requested uniforms with GIFTS Rwanda across them. The uniforms create a sense of belonging and teamwork for those who have gone through so much. They are single moms who have very little options open to them in the culture they are in and they have bonded and encouraged each other greatly. Your vote of confidence in this project is something they are very grateful for, and they are proud to show everyone in their community the new skills they have acquired. You can see in these pictures the joy and confidence gained by these beautiful women. We are so happy for each of them and the bright futures they hold!
Every dollar you give is a vote for the women of Rugarika, Rwanda. 
STAY TUNED...
Coming soon we will have an incredible opportunity to help these and many more new moms in Rugarika. I am so excited to share how you will have a chance to make an enormous impact!! Don't miss the exciting news by signing up for our emails below and follow us on FB, IG and Twitter so you don't miss a thing! 
 Check out what GIFTS Rwanda is up to... The team has been busy this past month and we are so excited to update you! We finished up our TRIPLE Your Donation with Boeing Match for Education campaign last month and because of YOU $12,088.16 was raised. With the $10,000 matching donation from a Boeing employee and the $10,000 matching donation from Boeing the final total is $32,088.16.... over $2,000 past our goal! THANK YOU!! With your donations the following projects have begun:
We were able to get the money sent out to Rugarika two weeks ago and already health care has been given to 400 people and the first of three distributions of staple foods and supplies has been made. Check out these beautiful pictures of them receiving the goods earlier this week: The 70 students YOU raised money to go to school this year will be enrolled into school mid August. The tailoring group is hard at work making the students school uniforms as the teachers are preparing for the new school year. Animals are being distributed this week and we will have more photos and updates for you shortly. More information is coming on these projects so stay tuned! Did You Know... You can now donate DIRECTLY into any project that you choose right off the donate page! Simply click the 'Select A Campaign' drop down under the Donate Now title and select the project you would like your donation to go into. If you do not have a preference GIFTS Rwanda is preselected and your donation will go into the general fund.  It is exciting to see the increase in outreach for so many of GIFTS Rwanda's current sustainable projects. It's people like YOU that are helping the people in Rugarika make real sustainable change, and it couldn't be done without you. THANK YOU for being a part of our team!    Because of YOU we have SURPASSED our goal of $10,000 and raised a total of $12,088 which unlocked Boeing's $10,000 MATCHING donation as well as an employee's $10,000 MATCHING donation equaling a whooping $32,088!! The COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine has made food and supply prices skyrocket in Rugarika. I am so excited to announce with YOUR donations the Boeing Triple Match Campaign will almost entirely cover the costs of the following projects we can now implement in July:
Keep an eye out for updates on the impact of your Boeing Triple Match Campaign donation in the coming months!  The work to defeat poverty by creating sustainable development is made possible because of you and from the bottom of our hearts we want to say thank you. Thank you for your donations and thank you for helping us share the mission of GIFTS Rwanda with your friends and family. Thank you for giving so generously. Thank you. The passion and care of people like you keeps us going, and we hope to make you proud with how we pay these funds forward to create sustainable change for the people of Rugarika, Rwanda. Thank you again for your generous support. YOU are the reason people in this community are getting an education, food, animals, health insurance and the supplies they so desperately need!  P.S. Looking for more ways to make an impact? Become a Monthly Giver! Simply click Recurring under Frequency on this Giving Page. Monthly Giving is the most effective way to allow us to continue our work serving this vulnerable community and creating sustainable change to raise the village of Rugarika out of poverty. No amount is too small!!
 We are SOOOOO close to meeting our Boeing TRIPLE match goal, but we still need your help to change lives in Rugarika, Rwanda! Please give your friends and family the opportunity to TRIPLE their donation by sharing this incredible triple campaign opportunity with them. You can share this email, share GIFTS Rwanda's website, and share our social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! All gifts are tax-deductible, and we will email you a receipt immediately! Who wouldn't want their donation to go THREE times as far to students in need?! Don't wait. Triple your gift now and help open up vital funds so we can help more children like these Rugarika Primary School students below!  There are so many different ways YOU can help. If donating is not something you are able to do right now, that's okay! You can help the people in Rugarika, Rwanda by sharing the incredible Boeing TRIPLE match campaign details with your friends and family giving THEM the opportunity to triple their impact and be apart of the change they want to see. We thank you again for your partnership and support. YOU are the reason these kids are getting the education, food, animals, and supplies they so desperately need!   During difficult times, we know it can be challenging to consider another financial contribution. That is why our Boeing TRIPLE match is so special. Your gift today will go further than ever before helping Rwandan students succeed by being TRIPLED. Do you know if your employer matches your donation contributions like Boeing does?! Many employers will match gifts for employees, employees' spouses, or retired employees. Simply contact your employer to see if they participate in corporate matching opportunities and find GIFTS Rwanda on their list. Just like the Boeing employee has done for us!  Are you ready to go 3 times as far with your donation to help students like these in need?! We are just over three thousand away from our goal. With only a week left in the campaign let's all work together and spread the word so we can take advantage of every dollar of this triple match opportunity! Don't wait. Triple your gift now and help open up vital funds so we can help more children like these Rugarika Primary School students below! Please help spread the word about this incredible triple campaign opportunity by sharing this email, GIFTS Rwanda's website and social media platforms (links below) with your friends and family! Can you help us take advantage of ALL of the $10,000 matching donation available making our total $30,000?!  We thank you again for your partnership and support. None of this could be done without you!!  We are one week in to our Boeing TRIPLE Match Campaign and already almost half way to our goal!6/17/2022 That means there's just over $5,000 out there with the ability to be TRIPLED!   In case you have not heard, Boeing has offered us a MATCHING donation up to $10,000. Not only that, but one of their employees has agreed to give us a $10,000 check to gain this match IF WE can come together to raise ANOTHER $10,000 by June 30th to equal $30,000. We only have $5,242 to raise for this triple match to happen. Can we count on your support? Let's keep donations rolling in so we can take advantage of ALL of the $10,000 matching donation available making our total $30,000!  This is Umukunzi. She is one of the 35 students GIFTS Rwanda currently sponsors to go to school. This includes receiving food and supplies throughout the year for her and her family. If we are able to make our goal of $10,000 we will be able to DOUBLE the amount of children we sponsor. Together we will add 29 secondary students (GIFTS Rwanda currently sponsors 21) and 6 primary students (GIFTS Rwanda currently sponsors 14) making a total of 70 students who will get to go to school as well as give their families food and supplies for an entire year. Please help spread the word about this incredible triple campaign opportunity by sharing this email, GIFTS Rwanda's website and social media platforms with your friends and family! NOW is the time to make a difference. Be apart of the change YOU want to see by sharing this email with your family and friends and GIVING today TRIPLING your impact up to $10,000!!  |
