When you hear the word “orphanage,” what do you picture? For
many of us, it brings to mind babies sleeping in cribs lined up against a wall,
or perhaps small children chasing a soccer ball across a play yard. Many
visitors to Imbabazi are surprised to learn that we, in fact, don’t have any of
the babies or small children they imagined they would see within the walls of a
Rwandan orphanage. Although we do have several young children and primary school-aged
boys, we also have several older children who, in other cultures, would be
considered “adults” ready for independent living.
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| Bakunzi making pizzas at Volcana Lounge in Musanze |
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However, because of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, many
children experienced interruptions in their education and personal development.
This has resulted in a generation of young men and women who are a little
behind in terms of their ability to live healthy and successful independent lives
– for example, it’s not that uncommon to find “children” between the ages of
18-21 in Rwanda who are still in middle or high school. That is why our care and
support don’t end just because a child reaches a certain age; rather, they extend
until their education is complete and they are ready to stand on their own two
feet.
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| Mbabazi & Devota working at La Palme Hotel in Gisenyi |
We continue to care for children within the orphanage as
long as they are in school and continuing their education. Once their education
is complete, they enter into a one-year program we established called Gucutsa
(meaning “to be ready to live on one’s own” in Kinyarwanda) designed to support
our children as they adapt to life outside of the orphanage and transition to
independence. The program includes help finding an internship and/or job,
advice from our coordinators and financial assistance to get them up and running
on their own. Gucutsa is a huge part of our commitment to the kids of Imbabazi –
not only do we provide them with material needs such as food and shelter as they grow up, but
we aim to prepare them for meaningful lives as citizens of Rwanda and of the
world.
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| Haruna & Djafari at a mechanics' internship in Musanze |
Today we are happy to say that many young adults from the
Imbabazi family are leading successful lives outside of the orphanage – some are
going to university, some are working in the tourism industry at hotels and
restaurants while others have gone on to start their own businesses and/or
their own families. These young adults in turn serve as role models and
inspiration to our younger kids still here at the orphanage. Similarly, the continued support of friends and sponsors worldwide allows Imbabazi in turn to continue supporting our children as they pursue their studies and transition from Imbabazi to Independence!
