Sponsor a Boy

Jean's story is just one story about a boy in Hope Shines' Programs. However, Jean story is representative of a lot of the boys in our programs.

Jean is 13 years old. He was abandoned by his mother and father who separated and went to on to remarry. He was since adopted by an elderly blind man, Mr Radiki, who heard his story from a member of his church.

Before turning blind, Mr Radiki was a teacher in Burundi and the Congo. He knows the value of education and that is what compelled him to take in Jean and try to provide for his school needs. Mr Radiki was very happy Jean will be getting support from Hope Shines, especially with providing for Jean’s basic needs for school. Some members that attend Mr Radiki’s church were kind enough to help them with change that they can spare but Mr Radiki is getting old and he will soon not be able to attend church. His worry is that when that happens, he may not be able to support Jean even with the basics. “Jean is a bright young man who was born in unfortunate circumstances. He has the capability to fend for himself if he gets the chance to go to school”, says Mr Radiki. Hope Shines is giving this bright young man hope for a better tomorrow.

Rwanda’s recent history has led to an unprecedented number of orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC). The generational impacts of the genocide means that many OVC will pass their vulnerability on to a new generation of children.

The Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) reported approximately 30% of male OVC have cared for a dying adult or relative and that two-thirds (66.5%) of all OVC caregiving households are male-headed. Health issues remain a challenge to ensuring that OVC stay in school. This burden on young boys can have a detrimental impact on the future course of that child. Boys face tremendous pressure to care for a family and to perform well in school. Advancing to Secondary School is mainly limited to the struggles boys face through Primary School.

Almost 50% of caregivers in Rwanda have had no education at all and therefore can't offer the needed support to their children or defendants. The families of boys like Jean in our program live on only $17 per month!

What Your Donation Supports: Hope Shines learning center promises to be a haven, a place where he can be safe, do his homework, learn new curriculum in new ways, interact with other children and build life-long friendships and most of all enjoy being a child. The after-school program he attends offers life-skills training as well as academics workshops. Also offered is a hot nutritionally balanced meal and clean water every day he is at the center!

• Individual children are not paired with individual sponsors. Our model is of group sponsorship and invite you to learn more about individual boys through newsletters, videos, and other sources. We thank you for understanding.