Coloring Rwanda with Hope

Coloring Book Helps Fund Education For Children Of Rwandan Genocide

Human Rights – During the 1994 Rwanda genocide it is estimated that over 800,000 people were killed and between 250,000 – 500,000 women were raped over the course of 100 days. Nearly 20,000 children were born from the rapes, and the mothers, many of whom contracted HIV/AIDS from the encounters, have been shunned by their families and society due to the stigma attached to rape.

Forced into poverty, the mothers can’t afford to pay the fee for their children to attend school, let alone buy the necessary materials and uniforms for the schooling.

Because there are currently no government or private NGO programs dedicated to helping children born of rape, Foundation Rwanda, a non-profit organization, dedicated to providing support and funds to these families, recently travelled to Rwanda with acrylic paints and museum-style paper and asked the children that they sponsor to “paint their dreams for the future.”

From the wonderfully imaginative and creative pictures the children drew, some of homes and some of doctors or pyramids, the organization created “Color Rwanda with Hope,” a book containing all the hopes and dreams of the children for their future. Each book sold helps one of these amazing children achieve their dreams of going to school.

Support Foundation Rwanda and purchase a book here.

Learn more about how to get involved here.