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For Virginie, a single mother of seven in Kigali, Rwanda, life often seemed hopeless. With little income and no family support, Virginie could only imagine small dreams for her children. For most low-income children in Rwanda education ends at grade six, so Virginie’s hopes for her children ended there. “I was young and alone in caring for my children and struggling for life,” she says. “I thought, if my children could read and write, then that would be enough for them.”
That all changed in 2007 when Virginie learned of a school sponsorship program at YFC’s newly founded Kigali Christian School (KCS). Since Virginie couldn’t afford adequate education, she quickly applied for her eight year old son, Sédrique. He was accepted, and eventually three more of Virginie’s children followed, inspiring bigger dreams and a new story for the whole family. Since the school also provided a daily hot lunch, it also meant her children didn’t have to go days without food, and could focus their minds on learning.
KCS was established by Youth for Christ Rwanda in 2006 to help bring quality education to a society mourning a horrific genocide. It also brought opportunity to Rwandan youth experiencing poverty, while sharing the love of Jesus to youth of all backgrounds. KCS is flourishing, with over 1,800 students across two campuses, including hundreds of sponsored students. |
In addition to the schools, YFC Rwanda ministers to children living on the streets and is working to build a teenage pregnancy crisis center, supporting sexually abused teens near the Congo border. YFC also runs a discipleship gap year program, developing future Rwandan leaders.
While it’s now obvious Sédrique is one of those future leaders, it wasn’t always as evident. “He was very hard to deal with at a young age,” Virginie says, “but the school leaders helped him”. With mentors and teachers working with him in a positive environment, Sédrique began to thrive to the point of getting top marks, engaging in prayer and worship times, and even becoming a prominent member of the school soccer team.
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When it came time for graduation and Rwanda’s national exams, Sédrique scored a perfect 70/70 and was accepted into a Rwandan Government Institution to study law. Sédrique’s younger siblings, Serge, Pascifique, and Sandrine, are following their brother’s lead, achieving high grades and working towards graduation and beyond. For Virginie and her family, the impact of sponsorship has been life-changing.
Sédrique was so transformed by the care he received from his teachers and sponsors that he also wanted to make an impact. “I learned so much,” he says, “and because I was sponsored, I learned that in the little I have, I can also help others.” So, after graduation, Sédrique founded “Live for Love”, a group of Rwandan youth collectively contributing what they can to sponsor children to attend KCS.
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including two students who entered education late, completing kindergarten at the age of ten.
Virginie, like all the parents of sponsored kids, couldn’t be more thankful for her family’s future. “YFC is a good family,” she says. “When you don’t have hope, they help you find hope. I am so grateful my children are in the sponsorship program.”
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Students hard at work at KCS, Kigali Campus
Each student gets a hot, nutritious meal daily
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I love coffee. It all started when I was 15 years old working with autistic children in a summer program. The staff room had free drip coffee with unlimited creamers and sugar packs. My enjoyment of coffee grew when Winnipeg got its first Starbucks inside a Chapters book store. Moving to Vancouver introduced me to a whole coffee culture world with cafés as ubiquitous as water. I soon replaced my drip coffee with americanos, cappuccinos and double espressos. My first Father’s Day gift was an espresso machine which I used everyday for 13 years. Since then I have upgraded my machines twice. Coffee is expensive, but it also adds a measure of value to my life, it might even be a passion of mine. I find it interesting how passions (some might say addictions) develop, and consequently, how much money and time we will devote to them without giving it much thought. Back in 2008, my ministry with Youth Unlimited gave me the opportunity to connect with YFC Rwanda. On my first Rwanda trip, I got into a big coffee conversation with my colleagues and our new Rwandan friends. I was informed that one of Rwanda’s main exports is coffee and that the average farmer makes about $1/day. On average, I likely spend about $3/day on coffee or close to $100/month. That’s more than three times the farmers entire monthly wage, just on coffee! The conversation soon shifted to Rwanda’s greatest need: quality education. Soon after, our Executive Director at the time and the leadership of YFC Rwanda determined that it would cost $50/month per student to provide a high standard of education including a healthy lunch. That means I could support the education and nutritional needs of two Rwandan children for the amount of money I spend on coffee. WOW! In 2008, our sponsorship program was launched, and since then 472 Rwandan children and youth have been given the gift of a life changing education; all for the price of a month of coffee. In this edition of Connections, you will see just how transformational our sponsorship program is for Rwandan youth. God’s power and goodness is on display as God shapes these young future leaders of Rwanda. If you are currently a sponsor, thank you! You are truly an agent of hope. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please reach out to us at chrishege@youthunlimited.com and we will connect you with a child who is waiting to begin their life changing educational journey. With deep gratitude, Mark Koop
Executive Director |
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