Widows and Orphans Rebuild in Rwanda

Through a Rwandan student in Canada, John Jordan, an active Victoria retiree, heard a compelling story of struggling widows and orphans in rural Rwanda.  Touched that this first-hand story had arrived so powerfully on his doorstep, he went to Rwanda to see if sustainable difference could be achieved among the poorest in Africa.  Two years later, the project born from that story rehabilitates 10 dilapidated houses a month and, in fact, does make life sustainable for widow households.
Rwanda has rebuilt itself since the genocide into the most secure and corruption-free country in Sub-Saharan Africa. They have the highest percentage of women in parliament and cabinet positions in the world.  Widows and orphans, however, often lead subsistence lives with few resources to build on.  John found in the rural township of Kibogora two bright, compassionate Rwandans capable of  rebuilding houses of the poor to improve their nutrition, health and quality of life.  The rehab included:

• Enough metal roof to protect sleeping quarters and to capture clean rainwater into a 60 litre storage tank, eliminating the arduous hauling of dirty river water.
• Fuel-efficient, smoke-free stoves, which cut epidemic respiratory sickness and require 60 per cent less wood.
• Creating raised-bed gardens which allow the families to grow vegetables year-round, as well as enables the families to purchase National health insurance and acquire necessities like blankets, cooking pots and hoes.

In Rwanda, the investments are not only sustainable; they are often compounded with the benefits being doubled by the beneficiaries

$40 will buy a widow a double cage and breeding rabbits.  She can raise 36 rabbits a year, and give 2 back for another poor family, sell 17 at $3 each for $51.  She can eat 17, tripling her family’s meat intake.  She will also have manure for her garden, money for food, medicine, and probably a blanket - from now on.

$40 will buy an orphan a pig, which he or she can breed for 6-8 piglets in a year.  One piglet worth $40 can be paid back for another kid.  The others are sold to pay $200 for boarding high school.  The sow will produce 6-8 young year after year.  Graduation triples expected lifetime income.