As we reflect on our Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States, feasts filled with turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and more, let us take time to remember the less fortunate around the world. I personally know what it’s like to be hungry. After losing my parents, there were times I went for days without food. Since founding Rising Above the Storms, it is critical and our top priority that there is always food for every child that visits our Center in Rwanda. Even when they show up unannounced, they can count on the Center for something to eat. If a hot meal is the deciding factor between going to school and quitting on themselves, I want to do something about it. 

Many of our youth come from poor, single-parent households struggling with food security. Hunger is one of the main reasons why our youth drop out of school. Our youth end up in the streets in search of food, often begging and committing acts of desperation. How can a child hope to graduate high school when their basic needs aren’t even being met?

Food provides energy and fuel for growth. With counseling and an action plan to finish their education, a child can grow to be many things. They can grow beyond their current circumstances to be leaders, inspirations, and catalysts of change in their communities. They can rise above the storms. A plate of food can make all the difference in their journey.

The Center is their place of refuge, their lighthouse. We host regular activities for the children. Soccer has become one of our core counseling tools to help transform their behaviors and build better lives. We plan to expand and include more extracurricular activities. We encourage them to make their way to the Center for food and temporary shelter. We continue to show our youth an alternative to the street. Our Center fosters a loving environment inspiring our youth to learn, grow, and achieve; all starting with something as simple as a plate of food.

We invite you to join in to commit a $50/month recurring donation that ensures that a hot meal (and other necessities) will be available for each child as they visit the center.

If you are a Cisco employee, I encourage you to give on Bright Funds and Cisco will match your donation up to $25,000 a year. A lighthouse is a beacon of strength, a symbol of hope. These children need a lighthouse. We can be their beacon of strength!