The 1994 genocide in Rwanda left many hundreds of thousands of children orphaned and thousands more separated from their families.  Seeing them lost, homeless and hungry, Eugene Rudasingwa (right) opened the doors of his home to provide food and shelter. 

“Nobody was taking care [of the children] because here they were fighting, there they were looking for food for survival.”

Finding a safe house, Eugene was able to shield over 70 children from the continuing violence in Kigali and started to address their basic needs.  He found milk and sugar for malnourished orphans, taught classes in the evenings and offered counselling to those who had witnessed the genocide’s full brutality.

Over the years, Eugene worked tirelessly to support the young victims and to help them rebuild their lives.  Believing children to be better raised in homes than institutions, the Rwandan government subsequently placed many of his orphans into foster families.  However, they still needed help.  Beds were replaced with desks and the orphanage transformed into the Girubuntu school. 

“I called the school 'Girubuntu' meaning 'compassion'…because I wanted to teach the children how to be compassionate.  Even though there is war and terrible situations, we still have to help the innocent ones, the children.”

Many of the children faced continuing difficulties, from the mental scars of severe trauma to the effects of the increasing prevalence of HIV and AIDS.  A free education at Girubuntu proved the only chance for countless disadvantaged children to go to school and work towards a better future.

Today, Eugene and a small but dedicated team provide education for over 300 children.  Orphans and former pupils have become teachers and management staff, who have built their own community of support and inter-reliance.  Centred around the core value of compassion, they continue to help vulnerable children and to pass on the opportunities that they once received. 

As a young teenager, Martine (right) lost her parents and twin sister during the 1994 genocide.  Their killers found her hiding under a bush, seemingly dying from malaria, and left her there to perish.  Instead, she regained some strength and found her way to Kigali.  Martine was raised in Girubuntu and now works as its president to help similarly deprived children.

However, while their commitment and perseverance are astounding, the challenges are also great.  The classrooms are cramped, with roofs that leak whenever it rains.  Teachers lack books and lesson materials and there is nowhere safe for the children to play.  With no running water, the school lacks even basic sanitation.  Consequently the local authorities have deemed the current premises unfit and decided to close the school. 

Without Girubuntu, many of the children would struggle to find the same quality of education elsewhere – in many cases they would struggle to find alternative schooling at all.  With the future of so many bright faces at stake, APIE committed to help their plight.