Just over 2 decades on from the horrors of the Rwandan genocide, GNPDR works for restoration and development in a nation that was crippled by tragedy, and continues to recover. Their work positively impacts a number of marginalised groups such as young people in prisons, street kids and young adults orphaned by the genocide.
Rwanda still lives under the shadow of the genocide that happened in 1994. Even though the country is now one of the most developed in Africa, big challenges remain. The legacy of trauma affecting the majority of the population and the ongoing issue of orphans and street children still remains. Everyone was affected, and everybody has a story to tell.
GNPDR first started by establishing pastoral care in the prisons of Rwanda, but soon realised that the problems they encountered were inherently linked with the effects of the genocide. It now works in all of the prisons in Rwanda conducting youth-work, educational support, counselling and adult literacy classes.
GNPDR quickly saw that the need for community reconciliation and development had to become a priority and they subsequently ran community reconciliation workshops and continue to work with genocide orphan communities.
One of their other projects was to establish the Street Kids Catch-Up School which enabled young people trapped in street life to catch up on the education that they’ve missed whilst being on the streets. Once they’d caught up, GNPDR sought to reintegrate these young people back into the mainstream Rwandan school.
However, the reduction in numbers of street children in Kigali, and the need for a community-based primary school that accepts children from any tribal background, and any income level, means that GNPDR are currently registering the Catch Up school as a mainstream school to allow children from all walks of life to attend.
Two other projects that GNPDR are running are:
- Mercy Mattresses: genocide victims are employed to make mattresses for the prisoners, many of whom are genocide perpetrators
- Chickens for the widows: an income-generating scheme to help widows of the genocide earn some money through poultry farming and work their way out of poverty
Latest News
GNPDR starts new street kids outreach site 18 Dec 2024 Supporting children who are living and begging on the streets of Kigali has always been one of the core pillars of GNPDR’s work. Where possible they seek to help the children to return home, or be placed in foster care, and to re-engage with education. But sadly, despite the number…
Gilbert’s story – GNPDR 16 Oct 2024 written by Pius Nyakayiro Gilbert is grateful for the street children programme – Here is his story. Gilbert was a street kid for 4 years, taking drugs, hopeless, and at risk of anything… Angelique and Jeremiah spent time helping him to change his mind and go back home and eventually…