Student Sponsorships. Round 4.

Tash, our favorite videographer is back in town and, this morning, we woke up way too early and headed to the school to get some footage of the morning routine. Morning starts at the crack of crazy for the cooks, as they arrive at 6am to begin to prepare the food. All the students filter in around 6:30, gathering on the sports court to pray, sing the National Anthem, and listen to the day's announcements. Tash was down on one end of the court recording and Jean d'Amour (our Project Manager) and I were on the other. JD grabbed my arm and said, "Eh, Tella, No.41 feeds many people." He said it with such pride and I teared up as we both stood there taking it all in; this thing we have worked so hard on, and get so wrapped up in, and so frustrated by, this thing is real. And so much bigger than we ever dared to dream.

So much has happened over the course of two years, but there is still so much more to do. This feeding program is changing lives and growing like a weed. JD is approached all the time by the other schools in our area, asking when we will come to feed their students. The answer is, as soon as we can. 

It costs just $5/month or $60 for the full year to feed a child a hot, healthy lunch every day at school. So far, we have introduced you to 26 students and 16 have been sponsored! Today we have 10 more.  If you would like to sponsor one, (one-time or recurring) you can do that here.

These are not just "students" to us. These are real people, with real stories. They are being affected by real change, lasting change. We want to make that real for you, too. Please make a note on your donation form on the students name you would like to sponsor. They have each hand-written a thank note for you. 

This is how you change the world for one.

Name: UMUTONI Denyse
Age: 16
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: English
Favorite food: Potatoes
Denyse has a younger sister of 8 years, she loves basketball and plays during any spare time she has. Denyse dreams of becoming a journalist.

Name: MUKAMDAHIRO Bellinide
Age: 18
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: English
Favorite food: Fruits
Bellinide would love to work in the tourism industry, and dreams of travelling around America.

Name: MUKESHIMANA Mediatrice
Age: 19
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: English
Favorite food: Omelette
Mediatrice dreams of becoming a journalist in America. She also loves to dance, especially to Rihanna!

Name:NYIRAMUTUZU Hortance
Age:19
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: English, Swahili and KinyaRwanda
Favorite food: Chicken
Hortance aspires to become a minister in Rwanda, and would love to eventually live in America.

Name: HABIMANA Patrick
Age:18
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: English, Swahili and KinyaRwanda
Favorite food: Chicken
Patrick is one of five siblings and hopes to graduate school and become an entrepreneur.

Name: MURURUNEKWERE Giselle
Age:18
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: English, Swahili and KinyaRwanda
Favorite food: Chicken
Giselle would like to work as an aeronautical engineer once she has graduated high school. She enjoys listening to music, especially Rihanna.

Name: DUSLTIME Jean deDier
Age: 18
Grade: Senior 5
Favorite subject: English
Favorite food: Beef
Jean deDier aspires to become the ‘best journalist’ once he has graduated high school. He has 3 siblings who he loves dearly and enjoys praying in his spare time.

Name: INGABIRE Vestine
Age: 18
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: English, Swahili and KinyaRwanda
Favorite food: Kaunga and Rice
Vestine loves music, dancing and Jay Polly! She aspires to become a journalist in the future.

Name: NSABIMANAJI CLAUDE Syekk
Age: 19
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: English
Favorite food: Bananas
Syekk aspires to become a lawyer after completing school and university. In her spare time she enjoys playing football and supports Manchester United!

Name: MUHIRE Charlotte
Age: 17
Grade: Senior 4
Favorite subject: KinyaRwanda
Favorite food: Rice
Charlotte hopes to become a journalist so that people can become aware of events around the world. She enjoys playing with friends at the weekend, and her favorite color is white.

If you would like to sponsor one of these students, for $5/month or $60/year, you can do that here. Please make sure and make note of which student you would like to sponsor. Thank you SO much!

Student Sponsorships. Round 3.

It's Round 3.

And we are sitting at about 10% on our goal to 50 students sponsored this week.

"You know the drill. Get going." -Megan

(and just in case you don't know the drill yet, it's just $5 a month to provide a student with a school lunch every day and a solid education. Donate here and don't forget to tell us who you would like to sponsor. They have a hand written thank you for you.)

Name: ITANGIWIBHBITH Emma

Age: 22
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: Mathematics
Favorite food: Potatoes
Emma dreams of finishing school and becoming a doctor.

Name: ICYIMANIZANYE Charlotte
Age: 21
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: Biology
Favorite food: Kaunga
Charlotte would love to study at university in Kigali, and one day dreams of becoming a doctor.

Name: UMUTONI Monique
Age: 20
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: Chemistry
Favorite food: Rice
When she has finished school, Monique hopes to work in medicine.

Name: MUSHIMIYIMANA Hadidja
Age: 20
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: Chemistry
Favorite food: Rice
At the end of this academic year Hadidja hopes to graduate school and start training to become a doctor.

Name: MUMEZTZRO J.M.V
Age: 21
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: Economics
Favorite food: Potatoes
J.M.V has a passion for economics and can not wait to graduate school and become an entrepreneur.

Name: TUYIZERE Jules
Age:22
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: History
Favorite food: Sweet Potatoes
Jules dreams of moving to Kigali and becoming an entrepreneur.

Name: BITEGETSIMANA Edmond
Age: 22
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: History
Favorite food: Kaunga
Edmond aspires to become a solider once he has finished his studies, he wants to make his country proud.

Name: NZAMBAZIMANA Innocent
Age:24
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: Chemistry
Favorite food: Kaunga
Innocent adores a Rwandan music group called Dream Boyz, he hopes that one day he will be able to see them in concert. When he finishes school, Innocent hopes to become a solider.

Name: TURIKUMWENIMANA Appolinaire
Age: 20
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: Geography
Favorite food: Potatoes
Appolinaire would love to pursue his passion for geography and become a geography analyst upon completion of school. Appolinaire is outgoing and loves to dance, especially to Chris Brown!

Name:IUBAHA-MAPENDO Lydia
Age: 22
Grade: Senior 6
Favorite subject: History
Favorite food: All kinds of vegetables
Lydia hopes to study law at university, and one day dreams of becoming a judge. She loves to sing, especially in the school choir, and her favorite music artist is Miss JoJo.

SPONSOR HERE. THANK YOU!!

Student Sponsorships. Round 2.

Here we go with round two of student sponsorships! 

All of the interviews are being done by our intern extraordinaire, Megan. Megs is from the UK, in case you couldn't tell, yesterday, from some of my missed spelling changes: programme. whilst, favourite... :) Anyway, this was such a fun day! During lunchtime, the kids wandered in slowly, at first, not sure what was going to be asked of them. I took their photos and they giggled as I tried to make them smile. (Smiling for photos or even looking at the camera it not really a thing here.) After photos, they lined up with Megan. She keeps pretty much everything light and fun and it was so cool to see the students open up and relax. It appeared that they had never been asked such simple questions before, they laughed as they thought carefully about each one. 

Maybe I'm one to make things flowery, or imagine a moment in my own head, but I will remember this day forever. I will remember that it's in the tiniest of gestures that we have the ability to make another person feel known. Appreciated. Seen. We talk a ton about the students in our feeding program, but it's rare to get the opportunity to really talk to them. 

Starting the feeding program was really birthed as a way for the women at No.41 to give back to their community; to know that their life had worth, meaning, and purpose, but I had no idea the blessings that would come as a result of a $0.25 meal received by the students. I wish there was some other way to say it, that wasn't so cliche, but their. world. is. changing. And the joy and hope is contagious.

It's just $5/MONTH to sponsor one student for a hot, healthy meal every day! Just $5! And you can do that quickly and painlessly here. Let us know who you would like to sponsor, we have a handwritten thank you from the student to send you.

Thank you for changing our world!

Name: MANIRITO Jeanne

Age: 21

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: Mathematics

Favorite food: Chapatti

Jeanne wants to work in medicine and find cured for bad diseases.

Name: HAKIZIMANA Patrick

Age: 22

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: Biology

Favorite food: Rice

Patrick loves biology and hopes to inspire others, through teaching, so that they love biology as much as he does.

Name: NZABONIMANA Jean Pierre

Age: 20

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: Geography

Favorite food: Potatoes

Jean Pierre is the youngest of 9 siblings and hopes to become a professional solider.

"I want to thank the program as it helps us to increase our standard of living and learning."

Name: MUSHIMIYIMANA Christian

Age: 17

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: Biology

Favorite food: Rice

Christian is serious and determined and dreams of becoming a doctor so that he can save others.

Name: TUYIZERE Amani

Age: 18

Grade: Senior 5 (11th grade)

Favorite subject: Geography

Favorite food: Kaunga (corn maize)

Amani lives over 50km from school, but during term time he rents a floor space near by so he can eat a hot lunch, enabling him to study successfully.

Name: BIZIMANA Osward

Age: 19

Grade: Senior 5 (11th grade)

Favorite subject: English, Swahili and Kinyarwanda

Favorite food: Meat

Osward’s favorite sport is football, he plays as often as he can. Not only does he love English football teams but he also dreams of visiting England one day as a tour guide!


There are still several students from yesterday's post available for sponsorship, as well. Don't forget to leave a note with the students name that you would like to sponsor, they have a little something to send you. Donate here. 

Student Sponsorships

I feel like I have said this before, but it bears repeating, when the No.41 feeding program started we thought there were 250 students. That felt huge! At that time, we only sold Signature Bags (that feed one student for one year) so, once we had sold 250 we went to the school to get started on preparing for the new year. At that meeting, I was informed that the school had recently added on and there would be 650 students. The Headmaster was so happy to learn that we would follow through on our promise to feed all of the students and our faith walk began. We didn't have the money, yet, but we trusted that as the school year went on, the money would come. We moved forward on building out the kitchen and buying the necessary supplies. One month out from the first day of school, we got word that there were another 100 students enrolled, because they heard about the chance to eat lunch. At this point, I (not so graciously) informed the Headmaster that, if he wanted us to feed all of the students, we would have to cap the number. 750 had to be it. The month was gone in a flash and on the first day of school we arrived to feed 870 students!!

As January of 2014 rolled around, and our second year of feeding kicked off, we were (and still are) feeding 1,200 teachers and students. The need is so great and I never want to be that girl who limits the blessings of God because we have certainly seen them poured out around here. As long as there are mouths to feed we want to, faithfully, do what we can to provide food and, in turn, a solid education. But, can I just be honest and say that, feeding 1,200 people every day is a true test of faith. We are nothing but thankful for all of the blessing we have been given and this week YOU have a chance to be a blessing to one of our students. To change their whole world, for just $5 a month.

Every day this week, I'm going to introduce you to ten of our students who are in need of sponsorship. They aren't just numbers, they aren't just meals fed. They are people with lives, new-found hope, and aspirations for the future. Please take a minute to read through and see who's world you could change by providing them with a hot, healthy school lunch, every day, for $60/year or just $5/month. Donate here.

Name: TUYISENGE Peter

Age: 21

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: English, Swahili and Kinyarwanda

Favorite food: Kaunga (corn maize)

Peter dreams of becoming an English teacher in the future.

Name: IS-HAQ Mutabazi

Age: 19

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: English and Swahili

Favorite food: Chicken and Chips

After completing his studies, Mutabazi aspires to become a journalist.

Name: NGOGA Pascal

Age: 20

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: History

Favorite food: EVERY type of food

Pascal wants to finish school, and travel the world whilst being a member of the international police.

"Some people are poor and do not have much money, this project is very important because all rich and poor can study and perform well together."

Name: MBARUSHIMANA Jean Damascene

Age: 22

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favourite subject: English

Favourite food: Kaunga (corn maize)

Jean Damascene loves practising English and one day dreams of traveling the world as a journalist.

Name: UMUBYEYI Diana

Age: 20

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favourite subject: English

Favourite food: Kaunga (corn maize)

Diana hopes that once this school year is complete she’ll be able to move to Kigali and become a business woman.

Name: BARIKUNDA Benjamin

Age: 19

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: Chemistry

Favorite food: Potatoes

Benjamin dreams of finishing school and becoming a doctor.

Name: TURATSINZE Jean d’Amour

Age: 22

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: Swahili

Favorite food: Corn

Jean d’Amour’s big dream is to become a journalist.

Name: HWIMANA Jean Didiu

Age: 21

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: Biology and Chemistry

Favorite food: Potatoes

Jean Didiu loves school and hopes to work in medicine one day.

Name: UWIMBABAZI Honorette

Age: 21

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: English and Swahili

Favorite food: Rice and meat

Honorette hopes that one day she will become the top journalist in Rwanda.

Name: NSENGIMANA Theogene

Age: 21

Grade: Senior 6 (12th grade)

Favorite subject: Mathematics

Favorite food: Rice

Theogene loves football and is fiercely determined to become a solider to protect his country.

So, you ready?? Our goal is 10 sponsored students, each day. Y'all, it's less than one Starbucks drink a month, 50 students this week and 50 next, we can do this. GO! Donate here.