Noel Orphanage, Rwanda

This was the most disturbing orphanage we have come across and where we have concentrated much of our fundraising efforts. The Noel is home to over 650 children, ranging from a day old to 18 years. The children live in the most appalling conditions and are desperate for help, since their major sponsor pulled out of Rwanda, leaving the orphanage to fend for itself.

The children are well cared for and loved by the volunteer mothers who come in from the local villages but they live in very cramped, smelly and extremely hot conditions with four children sharing a single mattress in non ventilated dormitories housing up to 70 children.

They survive on one meal of low grade maize per day and their only possessions are the clothes they wear. Babies as young as a day old are often left at the gates for the orphanage to take in and they can stay in the institution until they have to leave once they reach 18.

There are around 40 children living in a separate block who are either physically or severely mentally disabled and they are the result of the horrendous genocide years in the mid 1990’s when families turned on each other and in which millions lost their lives. We have been working with the Noel for two years now and we are pleased that during this time we have made a massive difference to their young lives.

We now employ our own envoy locally, who is able to help manage the projects and monies locally, as well as liaise directly with the French speaking management team on site. In 2009 we will fund around £100,000 of building work, that will see the boys and girls kitchens, the refectories and dormitories totally refurbished. We are rebuilding the toilet and shower blocks and introducing the children to the joys of toilet paper and soap!! We have built a rain water collection system in order to collect fresh water and installed two new heat ranges for cooking thus removing the oil drums and open fires.

We also help with funding for their daily needs including basic foods, medicines, clothing, shoes and bedding as well as helping to fund sports programmes. 

We have had great support from individual donors, sponsors and alliances with other charities within Africa including Seeds for Africa who have helped us to implement basic farming techniques and provide funding to buy seeds. We have helped purchase additional land to turn over to the growing of a wide range of vegetables and through this initiative we hope that one day the orphanage will become fully self sufficient for the majority of their  food requirements.  

We also focus on education and together with volunteers from the UK are helping with schooling and with a funding programme for University fees for those lucky enough to attend Kigali University.