How 11 Girls in Oregon Helped Create a Whole Soccer Team in Rwanda

As we continue our Giving Tuesday campaign, I want to share something that filled my heart during my trip to Rwanda in August — a moment of pure joy that reminded me how even the smallest gifts can create something extraordinary.

When my daughter Payton’s soccer team transitioned from Albion to CVSC this year, her team donated their Albion gear — socks, shorts, shirts, jackets, and even soccer backpacks — so we could bring them to the kids in Rugarika. We also brought soccer balls donated and purchased by YOU, our generous supporters.

What happened next still makes me smile.

Paterne, one of our GIFTS Rwanda team members, used the donated gear to create a real soccer team in the village.

Children who had never owned their own ball…
kids who play barefoot in the dirt…
now had matching uniforms, bags, jerseys, and a team to belong to.

When the kids put on their new gear for the first time, the pride on their faces was unforgettable. They stood taller. They smiled bigger. They felt seen — and they felt like athletes.

And then the field came alive.

Dozens of children laughing, running, chasing balls, shouting each other’s names. Joy in motion. Community in motion. Hope in motion. All because a group of 11-year-old girls in Oregon decided to give generously.

All because people like you believe in lifting others up.

Your support turns moments like this into chapters — and chapters into change.

GIVE TODAY FOR 2X THE IMPACT

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Giving Tuesday Update — 19 Early Champions!
Our Wall of Champions continues to grow, and your early gifts are fueling incredible momentum.

Please join me in celebrating and thanking our 19 Early Champions:

• Barbara W.
• Stan M.
• Will J.
• Barbie K.
• Brian and Darla B.
• Norman S.
• Jonathan and Joy M.
• Carolyn D.
• Aaron M.
• Matthew B.
• Laura and Ben S.
• Charles and Karon S.
• Karen S.
• Michael P.
• Anonymous
• Anonymous
• Anonymous
• Anonymous
• Anonymous
  
  

If you prefer to remain anonymous, we will list you as “Anonymous” with gratitude.

Why this matters
Sports build confidence, teamwork, discipline, and joy.

But in Rugarika, they also build something even more powerful:
A sense of possibility.
When children feel supported, their dreams expand.
When a village feels seen, its strength grows.

​This is what your Giving Tuesday support makes possible.

GIVE TODAY FOR 2X THE IMPACT

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Help us continue this momentum
Your gift — in any amount — helps us continue supporting kids like these with:

• access to education
• food support
• safe homes
• women’s programs
• and community-building efforts that uplift the entire village

Every donation brings us closer to our Giving Tuesday goal and strengthens our work for the year ahead.

GIVE TODAY FOR 2X THE IMPACT

Thank you for sharing your heart with Rugarika.
Thank you for believing in joy, dignity, and opportunity.
And thank you for being a Champion for this community.