We unite individuals, churches, governments, NGOs, education, trade, healthcare and business professionals to offer practical solutions to a country devastated by war, genocide and poverty. By developing local relationships, we empower people to bring reconciliation and restore hope and dignity.
Hope Rwanda was launched in April 2006 with a three-month event called “Hope Rwanda: 100 Days of Hopeâ€.
It was the idea of Australian couple Mark and Darlene Zschech, who were impacted by Rwanda’s plight while visiting their sponsored children in 2004. They were faced with the brutal reality of what took place in 1994, and were deeply moved by how badly the nation was still suffering from the after-effects. It was clear the nation was struggling to overcome the horror of 100 days of genocide. Mark and Darlene felt a responsibility to do something about the ignorance and inaction previously shown by the world to these people. From this began an idea to bring healing and hope and restore dignity to a people once forgotten. The worldwide response to this idea was overwhelming, with many humanitarian organisations, churches and individuals, including former US President Bill Clinton, voicing their support and offering to get involved. The idea to replace 100 days of horror with 100 days of hope began to take shape. Mark Zschech and Bishop John Rucyahana invited other Rwandan church leaders to form the Hope Rwanda Governing Board, a steering committee focused on turning the dream into a reality.
The message to the world was clear: “It’s true that we cannot undo history, but we can influence the present and help shape the future. The Rwandan people need us and God requires it of us. We failed Rwanda in the past, but the opportunity to serve Rwandan people is not lost forever. Our effort, together, can make a whole world of difference.â€
“Restoring Hope and Justice to Rwanda†The reality is overwhelming. Too often, too many nations suffer the indescribable horrors of war and genocide, and the devastating impact of poverty. Every single day at least 30,000 sons and daughters die as the result of preventable causes. Every day families are devastated, children orphaned, mothers infected and babies abandoned. Because the need continues, Hope Rwanda is committed to the ongoing vision of bringing hope and justice to the people of Rwanda.
Today, more than ever, we have the chance to unite in bringing support to the area of resourcing poverty reduction, and providing relief to widows and orphans. We have the opportunity to create a world where people are changed eternally and for the better. An opportunity to bring hope.
"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of the mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunilty and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."
Bono - 2006 National Prayer Breakfast
2006
100 days of hope….
2007
Hope Continues…
THE VILLAGE OF HOPE...
Hope Rwanda believes that the development and maintenance of safe and structurally sound homes for widows and orphans is an important ingredient for sustained economic growth and poverty reduction. Where appropriate, Hope Rwanda provides targeted funding for training and upskilling for locals, building or upgrading homes, and providing utilities and resources for widows and orphans. Genocide, poverty and disease have resulted in countless abandoned and orphaned Rwandan children. Thousands of women have been left in hopelessness and despair. With a million lives lost in 100 days of genocide, children were orphaned or abandoned and wives lost their husbands, and in many cases, their livelihood. Entire families were wiped out. Increasing health challenges, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and malnutrition, have caused the number of orphans and widows in Rwanda to reach unacceptable proportions. By 2001, there were more than 613,000 orphans living in Rwanda, which has one of the world's largest proportions of child-headed homes. An estimated 101,000 children live in 42,000 such households.
Despite these hardships, there is hope for the orphans and widows of Rwanda. One of Hope Rwanda’s most powerful initiatives is the VILLAGE OF HOPE. This is a purpose-built community for widows and orphans, providing much-needed housing for the most vulnerable. Each home accommodates one widow and up to eight orphans, giving them structurally sound houses that will stand the test of time. The project was launched in 2006, and many widows and orphans have already been given a new chance at life. Our vision is to acquire a further 50 acres of land and build many more homes, a community centre and a skills training centre – equipping the local population with much-needed life skills. Today, we are even more committed to reducing poverty and providing relief for widows and orphans. One way of getting involved is to raise enough funds to build a house in the Village of Hope, then travel to Rwanda to help with the actual construction, and meet some of the widows and orphans whose lives have been dramatically changed through the Village of Hope.
HOPE EDUCATION...
Hope Rwanda believes education provides the foundation for economic growth and self-reliance. It brings additional benefits in health, governance, gender equality, stability and security. Millennium Development Goals include specific targets for achieving universal primary education and gender parity at all levels of education. Hope Rwanda will partner with the Rwandan Education System and the Rwandan Christian Teachers’ Association to improve their education systems and provide ongoing teacher training and mentoring. All programs are closely aligned with the Rwandan government’s education plans, systems and processes. The objective of the Rwandan Ministry of Education is to increase the level of general knowledge and to promote universal primary education, reduce the rate of class repeating, school dropouts, as well as improve technical training. Our aim is to upgrade the skills of Rwandan teachers, thereby helping the nation increase the number of children attending school and to improve the quality of education. Hope Rwanda is supporting the technical upskilling of hundreds of primary and secondary school teachers in both the city and regional areas. Teachers will be identified for ongoing individual mentoring from skilled professionals in the Australian education system. Hundreds of Rwandan nursery, primary and secondary teachers have already benefited from the expertise of international teams that continue to travel to Rwanda to work alongside local government.
Hope Education works closely with the Rwandan Government in its strategic plan for poverty reduction and on the role education plays in the improvement of the welfare of the population. It is also in conformity with the United Nations Declarations and Millennium Goals Objectives, which emphasise the importance of Universal Primary Education for all and the rectification of gender-based disparities, in particular.
HOPE HEALTHCARE...
“I only half survived. I am still carrying death in me; not only the death that AIDS will bring. Others say they escaped from the sword, but the sword is still in my heart. “(Anne Maree - Genocide survivor)
Hope Rwanda believes investment in healthcare is essential to ensure that the poor have better choices, improve their productivity and participate more fully in society. Hope Healthcare addresses access to medical services including life-saving surgery, health education and hospital refurbishment. It currently operates in Rwanda, but its vision is to expand into more nations. Because of Hope Healthcare’s initiatives, many Rwandans can look forward to longer, healthier lives. Hope Rwanda currently runs a program in conjunction with Operation Open Heart to offer surgery by a volunteer team to those suffering health problems that cannot be treated locally.