We are just ONE WEEK AWAY!!!

Can you believe it?! In just one short week, we are traveling to Rwanda to visit the village we are serving, Rugarika! We are incredibly excited to meet the people of Rugarika and to be in Rwanda for the first time since Shari and Karina's initial trip in 2014. But the part we're MOST excited about? Witnessing firsthand the extraordinary impact you've made as a donor and supporter! 

Why We Are Going:  Being physically removed from a situation can make it difficult to visualize and connect with one’s impact, and that is a large reason as to why we are going. As part of our work to support you and help make your impact more tangible, we will be documenting our trip through photo, video, and blog to capture the real lives that you’ve helped transform. We can’t wait to share these photo's, videos and stories from GIFTS Rwanda with you in the next few months!

Guess What Has Begun?!?!....
We have broken ground for the community center!!! This center will provide a safe space for our new mother tailoring co-op to learn, teach, and grow their sewing business. Our long-term goal for this building is to have four rooms! There will be a room for the sewing co-op business and sewing trainings (which is already underway!), a room for our soap making project, a room for making bags using beads, a small room for stock, and a room for meetings and educational talks for the community, including topics such as fighting malnutrition and promoting reproductive health for young girls and their mothers. We also have plans for farming activities and the chicken house that we raised money for in 2021!

​We are SO EXCITED to see and document the land and progress for you in the upcoming weeks!! Below is a small preview...

The purpose of this trip is to achieve the following goals:

• Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and pay our respects.
• Conduct video interviews with the villagers about their experiences with GIFTS Rwanda and the different projects they are involved in, which we will share with you once we are back home.
• Initiate a trial reusable menstrual pad program with 20 school-age girls, which we will evaluate during our visit to see if we can expand it to all individuals at the school who need them.
• Visit and document all of GIFTS Rwanda's projects including:
  
  • Animals received by the villagers (goats, chickens, and cows)
    
  • Gardens built by the villagers
    
  • Homes constructed by the villagers
    
  • Students attending the primary and secondary school
    
  • Soap Making Group: Meet the participants, observe their current meeting place, assess the progress of their soap making business, and explore ways to further assist them.
    
  • Beading Group: Meet the participants, observe their current meeting place, assess the progress of their beading business, and deliver additional beads to them.
    
  • New Mom Sewing Group: Meet the participants, observe their current meeting space, assess the progress of their sewing business, and discuss the continuation of the program with a new group of moms.
    
  • Progress made on Community Center 
    
  • Progress made on the chicken project
    
  • Water tanks 
    
  • Medical center, which serves as the facility for those with medical insurance provided by GIFTS Rwanda.
    

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROJECTS HERE

Please continue to share your suggestions on what you would like us to see and do while we are in Rugarika, documenting the progress and impact of your generous donations. Your input is invaluable in ensuring that we make the most of our time there and serve you in the best possible way.​

Additionally, please continue to send us any tips and advice you have for our safe travels. It is important to us to take all necessary precautions and ensure a smooth and secure trip. Your guidance will be highly valued in making our journey a successful one.

We are eagerly looking forward to meeting the individuals we have the privilege of serving and witnessing the communities progress in taking collective ownership and responsibility for the projects we have started together.