Category: What’s New

The original kids in the street child program during my first visit in 2018

May 9, 2024 | by Matt Anderson

By nature, I wasn’t born an empathetic person.  It takes effort to put myself in the shoes of other people.  I wasn’t as bad as Sheldon Cooper on the Big Bang Theory, for those who know the sitcom.  But sometimes loved ones had to point out to me when I was being insensitive.  And while I grew up knowing the virtue of generosity, I never really understood that it could be personally rewarding.  Then I met Alphonsine and learned about her story and I started to change.  It didn’t take long after we started dating for me realize that I found a keeper. 

One time we had a conversation while we were dating about supporting family.  I held the opinion that you teach a man to fish rather than give him a fish as the saying goes.  She told me a story about how helpless she felt after being orphaned during the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.  Her dad appeared to her in a dream in a white robe and smiling.  She promised him that she would take care of his 3 surviving kids like he would.  When she awoke, she felt reassured and at peace.  She was only 13 years old at the time.  It started to sink in that some people are helpless or come from an extreme disadvantage. 

Alphonsine’s 2 sisters in the middle and brother on the right

My first trip to Rwanda was in November 2018.  This was the first time I met her younger siblings who were already adults.  They were throwing an engagement party for us.  They were all close and laughed a lot, not what I imagined after hearing the heart wrenching story she told me about how they barely survived the genocide as children and endured mistreatment from their foster family afterwards.  Alphonsine calls them her kids and they respect her like a mother, even though they are close friends.  With her help (and the hand of their Maker) they had finished their degrees and started careers and businesses.

When I visited Alphonsine’s charity for the first time, they were still in the original building.  There were 15-20 younger children playing and laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world.  I couldn’t communicate with most of them, but some spoke broken English.  As soon as I started kicking a soccer ball around with them, they lit up and let me join their group.  When the staff assembled them inside and Alphonsine gave them a pep talk, I could see they respected her.  She inspired them that they could be like her and make it in this world, even though they come from extreme poverty. 

Many of these kids had single mothers who resorted to prostitution to put food on the table.  Their living conditions at home are squalor.  They dropped out of school, ran away from home, and lived on the streets, begging and stealing for food.  Some took drugs.  Many of these kids weren’t even teenagers which is so sad.  Alphonsine told me there was a period during her youth when she was hungry, didn’t have a bed to sleep on and was encouraged to prostitute herself (which she didn’t) to support her siblings and pay for school.  She said this is why she started RAS, so she could give these kids hope.  Saddened by the plight of these kids, I started to realize that I have some empathy.

View of Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda

Now I don’t want readers to get the wrong impression of Rwanda.  It’s a beautiful country, its green and mountainous, everything was clean and orderly, and I felt safe.  I stood out like a sore thumb and got some odd looks when I said hi to strangers on the streets (something common in the Midwest where I grew up).  I learned that the government requires citizens to clean their neighborhoods once a month.  Our HOA should hire them to manage our community 😉  It’s also amazing to seen how they’ve rebuilt Rwanda into a nation that’s setting an example for other African nations (so I’m told by Africans from other nations) after the devastation only 30 years ago. 

Fast forward 5 years.  Now it’s my 5^th time to Rwanda.  As usual I really look forward to the trip, seeing her family and soaking in the beauty of Rwanda.  Now RAS is in a bigger facility which it’s quickly outgrowing with over 60 kids in the street child program.  The original kids I met 5 years ago are older, but I can still recognize their boyish faces in growing bodies.  One of them named Idrissa who went through RAS’s program came back to visit.  He graduated high school and received a scholarship to attend engineering school at a local university.  He’s become a role model.  It’s great to see kids like Idrissa follow in Alphonsine’s footsteps.

Idrissa chatting with Alphonsine

This time I also got to meet 30 kids who joined our new child scholarship program in 2022.  That brings are total kids served to about 100 and growing.  These kids weren’t rescued from the streets.  They are doing well at school and come from caring families.  However, their families are very poor and can’t afford their education expenses.  Schools withhold report cards for children who can’t pay tuition, so they can’t advance with their peers.  It’s unfortunate because they’re scoring at the top of their class.  These kids were exceptionally articulate and ambitious about their futures.  They especially admire Alphonsine as role model because they share a passion for education and that she’s successful. 

After encountering these kids and the stories of people like my wife who went through hardship, I’ve been developing more compassion and challenging the way I think.  For example, when the topic of immigration came up in the past, I defended the law without regard to the situations from which immigrants might be coming.  Now knowing that my wife was a helpless refugee during the genocide helps me reframe the issue with more mercy.  Furthermore, I still believe you should teach a man to fish.  However, now I realize he still needs to eat in the meantime while he’s learning.  Generosity is personally rewarding when you see the impact, and I believe a legacy worth leaving behind.

I came to the US almost nine years ago with a working permit, my family and tons of dreams and excitement of a new cool job and new adventures ahead. Six months later I was rocked by the news of an impending layoff, leaving me with just three months to find new employment before my work permit expired. I was facing challenges that I never experienced before, I was totally unsure on how everything was going to work out. The clock was “ticking”.

At the end, things worked out. I secured a job and a new visa, and I was embarking again into new adventures.  One day I learned about this non-profit, “Rising Above the Storms” dedicated to helping children live their happiest lives. It was founded by Alphonsine Anderson, and it struck me how someone can go through life changing situations and then find a passion in helping kids to be happy. To be kids.

This organization reminded me of the joy I saw in my son’s everyday life while going to school, playing soccer and just being a kid. That also made me reflect on some of the things I learned while the clock was “ticking”. Things that I wanted my son to learn since they will help him through life.

• You have to overcome challenges in life and enjoy the ride.
• Small actions can significantly impact the world.
• The world is filled with good people ready to extend their help.

I realized I wanted to contribute to a cause for children lacking the opportunities my son has and, probably, without someone guiding them through their lives. I decided to become a sponsor with “Rising Above the Storms” aiming to give back a portion of the good in my life. Remember, “small actions can significantly impact the world”.

After being a sponsor for more than 5 years, I’ve seen how “Rising Above the Storms” has grown and positively impacted so many kids in getting scholarships, counseling, and even soccer shoes to play football. Getting hope.

A couple of months ago, I received an invitation from Alphonsine to join her mission more closely. What a big honor! Now, I will be leading the marketing efforts for this incredible non-profit, and I’m excited to make a difference along with an amazing group of people. Remember, “the world is filled with good people ready to extend their help”.

As I embark on this new role, I invite you to reflect on your life’s challenging moments, how you overcome them and consider how you can bring hope to others so they can also enjoy the ride of their lives. If you want to learn more, you can comment on this blog or reach out to me directly. I’d love to share how even the smallest act can ripple through the world with immense force.

A simple donation means a lot. Please donate.

Sergio Licea, RAS Marketing Director

Brentwood, TN – Rising Above the Storms and Westcon-Comstor are thrilled to formalize a partnership to empower vulnerable communities in Africa.  The announcement extends Westcon-Comstor’s support from RAS’s programs for vulnerable children to young impoverished mothers supported by our local partner Amahoro Builders (AB).  Westcon-Comstor’s General Manager for Africa, Vincent Centonu, visited RAS and its partner in Kigali, Rwanda last month to personally give a twelve thousand dollars donation.  Last year Westcon-Comstor, a $3 billion global technology distribution company, gave about $17 thousand to RAS, bringing the total giving close to thirty thousand dollars to date.

Last year’s gift went to funding RAS’ street children program, focused on rescuing children from the street, rehabilitating them and nurturing them back to school.  This year, the lion’s share will go to Amahoro Builder’s program that helps young, single mothers with micro loans to start businesses to support their families.  This is critical to the welfare of RAS’ children, because many left their homes for the street because their single mothers couldn’t support them.  Alphonsine Anderson, RAS Founder and CEO says “We believe that supporting their mothers or custodians with a way to earn a living to support their families will break the cycle of children returning to the streets.”  

A smaller portion of the gift will go to supporting two individuals who went through the RAS’ program.  One is a high school student named Fabrice, who is an orphan who supports his grandmother and siblings.  He’s getting a micro loan to help him to start a business to support his family while he pursues higher education.  The other is Idrissa, who was one of the first street children to attend RAS’ program and the first to receive a scholarship to university, where he’s studying an engineering degree.  Until now he’s been living at home, where he doesn’t have an adequate place to study, nor electricity or Internet.  The gift will pay for his room and board on campus.  

“Teen mothers experienced rejection, depression, poverty, school dropout, lack of career developmental opportunities that affect the well-being of teen mothers’ children at a tender age. We are thankful to Comstor’s support that will empower 45 teen mothers, creating a viable environment for their babies, rehabilitating teen mothers’ dignity toward complete healing of their wounds. The financial support will assist to start small businesses generating income, pave a way to self-reliance and child protection”, said Appoline Kabera, AB Representative. 

“The partnership between RAS and Westcon-Comstor began in November 2021. Focus was on three areas: education, empowerment, and technology.  The November 2023 collaboration focuses on enabling and empowering young people to fulfill their potential (hence Education : Supporting 2 gifted students through University Education & Empowering Teen Mums through proving Trade skills Training & providing Small business Seed money” said Vincent Entonu.

“I extend my deepest gratitude to Vincent Centonu and the entire Westcon-Comstor team for not only their contributions the past two years, but their willingness to visit our facility in Rwanda twice,” said Alphonsine Anderson.  Two years ago she was introduced to Comstor, one of the largest distributors for Cisco Technologies, where she works full-time.  “The first time Vincent visited us he was moved by the work that Amahoro Builders was doing to support young impoverished mothers, many with recovering street children” said Apoline Kabera, Managing Director of Amahoro Builders.  “It means a lot to the mothers, their children and our staff that he personally took the time to meet with us,” she continued.  

About Rising Above the Storms 

RAS is on a mission to give vulnerable children a chance to succeed, one child at a time.  We support them through (3) three programs.  (1) Street child program: We rescue children from the street, rehabilitate them through counseling & nurture them back to school.  (2) Scholarship program: We provide scholarships & financial aid to high aptitude children from low income families.  (3) Soccer program: We provide a soccer club as an after school activity for street children who compete in local matches.  RAS operates in Rwanda through partner Amahoro Builders, who provides local oversight as well as focusing on its own mission to empower young impoverished families, primarily single mothers.

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.

We are excited to announce that one of our two soccer teams earned a spot to play in the Rwanda Football Federation League, the national soccer league. The team will play in the league’s newly established third division, which showcases the skills of lesser known yet promising teams. The League boasts three divisions with the Rwandan national team drawing its players from the top clubs in division 1.

Our Rwanda Learning Center currently has two soccer teams: one formed with children under 17 (U17) where most of our kids fall into, and a second team with children 17 and above (U23 or Under 23). The age requirement to join the National League is 17; this means that the U23 team has had to recruit additional players outside the program to fill the team, until our U17 children can reach 17. We currently have 4 children from our Street Children Program in the U23; the rest of the players come from broken homes, and were often spotted at the court as spectators of our matches.

The U23 team named after our local partner, Amahoro Builders Football Club, qualified to apply for the third division after the league took notice of its winning streaks in local friendly matches. However, the league put the team through a rigorous acceptance process that required our local partner to rent an acceptable field for home games, among other requisites. The team was accepted into the league in May 2023 and commenced its first game on June 24th.

RAS provides funds for jerseys, shoes, socks, and equipment for both teams, as well as a coach who also doubles as a counselor at the Center. One of RAS’ future fundraising goals is to purchase a new facility with land that can be converted into a soccer field.

In other soccer news, three other children from the Center are also on their way to the same national soccer league as professional referees. They’ve been part of a training program hosted by the league to recruit young referees as it expands. The trainees have been training alongside Federation referees at local youth matches and will be eligible to officiate division 3 matches when they graduate later this year.

“One of the things RAS encourages is for our children to think about what careers they want to pursue in the future, and we help set them up for success,” stated Alphonsine Anderson. When our Rwanda staff learned about the referee program, they shared it with our kids and enrolled those who were interested, paying all their fees. Once they graduate, they’ll have an opportunity to earn money doing something they love.

Rwanda has not been a stranger to the world of soccer. Those who watched the World Cup last year might recall the presence of a Rwandan woman named Salima Mukansanga among the referees.  Alphonsine expressed hope for the future of these aspiring referees, saying, “We hope these kids reach their dreams, maybe even joining the ranks of FIFA referees like Mukansanga someday.”

We find inspiration in the unwavering resilience of our children, who are actively shaping their own future. Soccer has become a powerful catalyst for our children, instilling in them confidence, hope, and the bravery to pursue their dreams. It fills our hearts with joy to watch them shine not only at the court but also in every aspect of their lives!

Will you join us as we continue to empower vulnerable children?