Make a Difference
We've got our land, our architects, our vision. Now let's get the funds!
We've always had the dream, the vision for a Village of Hope. Almost as long as we have been caring for the children of Rwanda, we have envisioned our own space to provide the kind of heart work that is essential for kids from hard places to begin to heal. Now our dream for our own trauma informed school, foster care homes, community center and health clinic are becoming a reality! We own the land, we have the architects and the engineers ready. Our Headmaster is formulating the school. The plans have been made.
Phase One
8 classrooms, opened in September, 2022. We currently have 60+ sponsored Imana Kids students and almost 200 children from the community attending our school.
Phase Two
Phase Two is a dental clinic, and we are approximately 7% funded. A dental clinic was selected as our next most urgent need because of the risk factors associated with poor oral hygiene, the quality of well water our students have access to and the access to public health already available to our community.
Phase Three
Phase Three will be an additional 8 classrooms as we continue to expand beyond preschool and primary to include secondary students.
Hope Village is unique in the fact that we are diligent about our spaces for learning to also include healing. The learning, sensory and emotional needs of children who have experienced trauma are unlike those kids who have been born into a stable, nurturing and save environment.
April News From Hope Village!
- Our Sparrow's Nest has officially closed. We have reevaluated the need for the transition home & made the decision that many of our kids needed to be living independently together, as a "next step." This saves money, motivates kids to behave in school and frees our newlyweds, James & Benitha, to only housing around 10 kids during the holidays.
- 200+ letters were delivered this week.
- Some of our primary students are still struggling to "catch up" since the pandemic. Peter is working hard to tutor them, but we are also exploring transfers to other programs.
- Our Director, Kara, was able to give an information session on The Church's role in caring for orphans to Gospel Community Church, a healthy & thriving local church with many families located near Hope Village.
- We are launching a mentorship program in Rwanda for our older students and those who have graduated.
In 2020, Dr Brent Rising was excited to sign up to travel with an Imana Kids Team. That trip was cancelled because of the pandemic, and our fundraising efforts, as well as travel, was put on pause.
This April, our team, staff and kids were excited to welcome Dr Rising to our Imana Kids family in Rwanda. Dr Rising was able to spend time with our staff and students, visit local dental clinics and familiarize himself with the people and country.
Next steps are to get an updated projection of building costs, then apply for a permit to get construction moving.
Kara Higgins was on site to provide training for our staff, as well as some guests from a nearby program on TBRI (trust based relational interventions) through Cultivate Connection.
Staff were excited to understand more the impact that trauma has on a child's brain development and were encouraged to have the tools and approaches to help their students overcome these specific challenges.