Yasseli Nizeyimana

Yasseli is a charming boy born in 2005 who currently lives with his elder sister and her husband in a small house with limited electricity in a village called Munini. He more recently lived with his mother, 4 brothers and 2 sisters, but his mother had to move up country because she couldn't afford to live in the city (Kigali). She now operates a small business there, selling charcoal and vegetables but can still provide very little to support Yasseli in the city.

Living with his sister, Yasseli is able to go to school in Kigali and to get his basic needs covered by Hope Shines. Also, his family life is more stable so even though he misses his family, he is better on track for a brighter future..

Yasseli likes to study and he is attending primary school regularly with his favorite subject being English. Unfortunately for Yasseli, he is not able to attend the after-school program 4 days a week because of the distance he must travel is just too far and he can't afford the transportation. He is only able now to come one day a week, Saturdays, where he participates in the traditional dance practice and arts section of the program. Yasseli is a very talented dancer who is one of the main soloists among the Hope Shines dance team when they perform for groups. He loves to meet and play with the other kids at Hope Shines and he likes to play football (soccer) with them. When he grows up, Yasseli’s dream is to become a child sponsor of Hope Shines because he believes it has already given him so much!