Last month we introduced our soccer club program and some of our older children who are going to the pros. This month we are excited to highlight our scholarship program.

Education is one of the most important tenets we teach our children at Rising Above the Storms; however not all of our street children excel in school or have college aspirations.   At the same time, there are many vulnerable children who are bright but come from families that can’t afford their education.  This particular group of children is college bound!

The staff recruited the first 30 students for our first cohort last Fall, representing a range of grades from primary to secondary schools (Grade 1 – 12).  We fund their tuition, uniforms, materials, and other school-related expenses.  Interest in the program has been incredible, and we already have a long waitlist for the next cohort.

This past July, 5 children in our scholarship program (all girls) took standardized tests this year to advance to the next grade. Rwanda tests children in grades 6, 9 & 12.  3 received perfect scores and 2 earned 83 percentile. We are very proud of them. Your donation makes it possible for children like these to continue pursuing their education.  You go girls!

The scholarship program was partially inspired by Idrissa Dusengimana, the first street child to graduate high school in 2020 – and in the top of his class. He also received a scholarship to engineering school.  You can read his story here.  Idrissa wouldn’t have had this opportunity if not for our generous donors who help us make this happen.

The Future

Our current website is undergoing changes that will soon allow donors to directly sponsor students from our site.  You’ll be able to sponsor a child in primary school for $38 a month or secondary school for $55 a month.  Stay tuned for updates!  In the meantime, you can sponsor a child now on our website. Simply enter the amount ($38 or $55), and select recurring for a monthly donation. Our team will reach out to you with details about the students in our program from which you can select to sponsor.

We’re also investing in our students’ futures in college and beyond through financial aid and by approaching businesses about mentorship and internship opportunities. We look forward to sharing more as this program expands and more are added.