November 2020
BACK TO SCHOOL
On Monday, November 2, we welcomed back 88 students in fifth and sixth grade – praise God! These students are so happy to be back on campus, learning safely and in a socially-distant manner. If you’ve ever been to Hope Haven, you know that being socially distant is not the normal course of daily operations on campus; the kids love to hug each other and visitors as well as play and interact. However, they’re wearing masks and obeying the government’s directives in order to be able to resume their schooling.
We’re looking forward to welcoming back even more of our students later this month as we follow the government’s calendar for safely returning to school.
HOPE ANGEL LETTERS
Our CEO, Jason Peters, was recently in Rwanda and brought home letters from sponsored students for their Hope Angels! The teachers and staff went to each student’s home to deliver your letters, and to have them write a letter back. (While we obtained letters from most of the students, there were a few who we weren’t able to connect with.) Watch the mail for your letter soon.
KUGABA CHRISTMAS
Rwanda is known for its rainy seasons and during this time many students miss school because they have no covering to protect them as they walk to and from home. This year, for Christmas, your student will receive a high-quality rain poncho to shield them from the elements.
A $20 donation is appreciated by logging into your account and clicking on “My Account” > “Make a Donation”. Make sure to leave the Purpose equal to Christmas Gift. If you would like to give more, you are welcome to do so and trust that your gift will be given to a child that does not have a Hope Angel.
THANK YOU for being a Hope Angel and changing the life of your sponsored student(s) and their families forever!
In Christ,
Wendy Raffaeli
Director of Investor Relations, Hope Haven Rwanda
October 2020
In April 2019 we launched the Kugaba Initiative and the response we have received has been remarkable. We now have 251 students matched with a Hope Angel and we have seen firsthand the positive impact on both the students and their sponsors.
With nearly 500 students waiting to be sponsored, we are praying for 100 new Hope Angels by the end of the year. Please take a moment to share our latest Kugaba video with friends and family. Encourage them to be a part of this amazing program and to help transform the life of a student, their family, and the community.
Your most recent letters have arrived in Rwanda and should be delivered in the coming weeks. The reopening of schools has just been announced for students in Upper Primary and Secondary (grades 4-8 at Hope Haven) and we are excited to welcome these students back on campus by November 23. Lower Primary and Nursery (Baby Class – grade 3) will start at a later date, to be determined by the Ministry of Education.
Thank you for demonstrating love, commitment and hope to a child at Hope Haven Rwanda. Please continue to lift our community up in prayer as we restart the school year.
Sarah Damour
Operations Manager, Hope Haven Rwanda
September 2020
A Note from Our C.E.O.
In early September, I had a chance to catch up with one of our fantastic Hope Angels, Dr. Cary LaCouture, in his clinic in Parker, Colorado. When Dr. LaCouture and his team served at Hope Haven Rwanda—they did it with a smile!
For many in our community in Rwanda, this was the first time they had ever been in a dental chair. For some who had been struggling with chronic pain for years, this was a day filled with miracles!
When asked why he would travel halfway around the world to serve, Dr. LaCouture said, “We love mission work, we love healthcare, we love the people of Rwanda. It’s great working with Hope Haven and it’s great working with the patients and the staff here, so it’s very meaningful for us. It’s the currency of life—Service!”
Saint Paul wrote, “I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:8-9).
The sincerity of these dentists’ love for others was tested. They are rich, and yet they became poor, reflecting the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Their positive attitudes, incredible perseverance and obvious joy stood out as one of the best examples of authentic servanthood that we have seen in quite some time. By the end of the week, they had selflessly treated more than 800 patients!
And there was one especially unique case they will never forget. The LaCouture family has been sponsoring one special student, Emmanuel, as his Hope Angel. In one remarkable, joy-filled interaction, Emmanuel’s teachers bought him down to the dental clinic to meet Cary and Karen for the first time! They showed Emmanuel the picture he had recently sent them and his eyes widened with excitement as he realized they were the ones who he had been corresponding with—they were real people, who loved him and had come all the way from America to visit him! What an incredibly beautiful day for all of us!
Thanks so much for being a Hope Angel! Although many of us may never get to meet the student we sponsor in Rwanda, we know that one day we will see them face-to-face and will celebrate all that God has done through the special relationship that we have built together!
(You can receive more encouraging stories from the field like this each week, by subscribing to our blog at www.HopeHavenRwanda.org/blog).
In Christ,
Jason Peters
Chief Executive Officer, Hope Haven Rwanda
August 2020
Thank you for the investment and lasting connection you have established with a student (or students) at Hope Haven Rwanda. My prayer is you will see firsthand the powerful things God is doing in Rwanda and realize you play a critical part in the future of our community.
In just a few short weeks we will be welcoming our students back to campus! The Rwandan government and education board have been providing expectations to help ensure students coming to school are healthy and stay that way while at school. Temperatures will be checked, and handwashing stations will be installed at the entrance to every classroom. We are blessed to be able to provide these additional resources fairly easily because of our amazing campus and clean water from Hope Haven’s well. Our teachers have been working diligently for months, preparing for the students’ return.
Thank you to so many of you who wrote a letter to your Kugaba student! We are looking forward to seeing their faces when they receive the letters! Hearing from their Hope Angel is a tremendous blessing to the students and their families! If you haven’t written your letter yet, there are a few days left if you’d like to do so. You can log into your account by clicking here. From your home page click on My Sponsorships in the top menu and the New Message icon next to your child’s name.
Thank you for your ongoing support of these precious children.
In Christ,
Wendy Raffaeli
Director of Investor Relations, Hope Haven Rwanda
July 2020
Our Kugaba family is growing! Since the beginning of April, we matched 42 more students with Hope Angels. The challenge to find one for every student still remains, so please continue to share the program with friends and family.
School in Rwanda is planning to resume in September and we would like to welcome each student back with a letter from their Hope Angel. Please submit your letter by August 1 to allow time for our staff to print and organize each submission. You can log into your account by clicking here. From your home page click on My Sponsorships in the top menu and the New Message icon next to your child’s name. Letter writing tips can be found online.
**Reminder, the system will time out if you do not send your letter within 20-30 minutes and you will lose anything you have added. I suggest you type your letter in a word document and then copy and paste when ready to send. If you need help with this step please contact me at sarah@hopehavenrwanda.org.
We continue to monitor the situation in Rwanda closely and appreciate your prayers. Visit our pandemic page for recent updates.
Thank you for demonstrating love, commitment and hope to a child at Hope Haven Rwanda.
Sarah Damour
Operations Manager, Hope Haven Rwanda
June 2020
Letters and school photos were mailed recently. If you are new to the program or your child was absent when letters and photos were collected, we hope to send something your way when school resumes in September.
Additionally, the first issue of Hope Haven Rwanda magazine was sent at the end of May. If you did not receive a copy or would like extras to share with friends and family, please contact me at sarah@hopehavenrwanda.org. I hope the stories were inspiring and encouraging. God is doing great things at Hope Haven.
Our Letter Writing Day schedule has been adjusted to accommodate the new school year calendar. We would like to welcome each student back in September with a letter from their Hope Angel. Please submit your letter by August 1 to allow time for our staff to print and organize each submission. You can log into your account by clicking here. From your home page click on My Sponsorships in the top menu and the New Message icon next to your child’s name. Letter writing tips can be found online.
**Reminder, the system will time out if you do not send your letter within 20-30 minutes and you will lose anything you have added. I suggest you type your letter in a word document and then copy and paste when ready to send. If you need help with this step please contact me at sarah@hopehavenrwanda.org.
Our Hope Angel match is coming to an end on June 30. We are just 23 away from reaching our goal of 50 new sponsorships. Please invite someone you think has Hope Angel qualities to join you on this incredible journey. Thanks to a generous donor, we will receive a match up to $75,000 which will provide support for an additional 50 students while they wait for their Hope Angel.
We continue to monitor the situation in Rwanda closely and appreciate your prayers. Visit our pandemic page for recent updates.
Thank you for demonstrating love, commitment and hope to a child at Hope Haven Rwanda.
Sarah Damour
Operations Manager, Hope Haven Rwanda
May 2020
Good News: The letter your student wrote to you in March will arrive in the very near future! The government of Rwanda is allowing teachers to return to school for special projects. Our teachers will begin the process of scanning letters from the Term 1 Letter Writing Day, and we will send them to you soon. Be on the lookout for your letter in the weeks to come!
As of today, 216 students are sponsored! And thanks to a generous donor, all new sponsorships between April 1 and June 30 will be matched, up to $75,000! Our goal is to find Hope Angels for 50 students before the end of June and apply the match to support 50 additional students waiting for their Hope Angel. We currently have 20 out of our 50 and encourage you to invite your friends and family to join the Kugaba Initiative as the impact is literally doubled during this season!
The Rwandan government has also decided that school will resume, repeating the beginning of the 2020 school year, in September. This will move Rwanda’s school calendar to a September – June time frame, which had already been planned for the future. Please keep praying for your Kugaba child over this extended school break, as well as their family and friends in our community. Rest assured Hope Haven will continue to offer food and supply relief as long as it’s needed. We thank you for your involvement and prayers!
Thank you for your continued support!
Project Manager, The Kugaba Initiative
February 2020
You can access your account to write your letter here: Sponsorship Portal. First time users will have to reset their passwords. Once you are logged in, simply click on My Sponsorships in the menu and Send Message.
Thank you for your continued support!
Project Manager, The Kugaba Initiative
January 2020
You can access your account to write your letter here: Sponsorship Portal Log In. First time users will have to reset their passwords. Once you are logged in, simply click on My Sponsorships in the menu and Send Message.
Thank you for your continued support and we wish you every blessing in 2020!
Project Manager, The Kugaba Initiative
December 2019
I hope your holidays are off to a great start! Keep an eye on your mailbox this week, there should be a letter coming from your child!
If you have not had a chance to make your Christmas gift donation, please do so before Christmas day. This year, your child will receive two new school uniforms, one primary and one sport. Please make your $20 donation by logging into your sponsorship account and click on ‘My Donations’ > ‘Make a Donation’ > ‘Christmas Gift’ will default as the purpose. Additional gifts are appreciated and will help provide uniforms for children who are still waiting for their Hope Angels.
184 children are sponsored! Thank you to everyone who referred new Hope Angels and participated in the drawing for the trip for two to Hope Haven. Congratulations to our winners, Fraser and Kim Collins!
We wish you a Merry Christmas and are so grateful, as always, for the difference YOU are making!
Project Manager, The Kugaba Initiative
November 2019
Thank you so much for writing to your child, we had a successful letter writing day and the students loved reading what you wrote and responding! You may expect your response in December, just in time for Christmas.
November 8 was a uniquely special day for us at Hope Haven as we celebrated the last day of the 2019 school year. Parents, staff and students enjoyed a three-hour presentation where each class had a turn to perform a skit, dance, song, or combination. It was a time full of celebration and laughter in our little corner of Rwanda. School will start back up in mid-January, please remember to pray for your child during their break.
Hope Angels who have a child in Primary Six will be glad to know that we held a fun-filled Primary Six graduation party on Friday afternoon. Early last week, the P6 class took their National Exams over a three day period, which is a major milestone for students across Rwanda. We ask for you to join us in prayer that they did well! Last year’s class scored in the top 3% of the country and we will have this class’s results in January. We can’t wait to share the outcome of their hard work with you!
171 children are sponsored! On November 15th, we’ll be announcing the winner of our free trip for two to Hope Haven. Remember, the more referrals you send, the more your name will be entered into the drawing! Click here for further details.
Thank you so much, as always, for the difference YOU are making!
Project Manager, The Kugaba InitiativeNovember
October 2019
Thank you for your diligence in writing your letters and giving your Christmas gifts! You may expect your response in December, just in time for Christmas!
Christmas gifts may be received up until December 25th! This year, your student will receive two new school uniforms, one primary and one sport. Please make your $20 donation by logging into your account and click on ‘My Donations’ > ‘Make a Donation’ > ‘Christmas Gift’ will default as the purpose. If you would like to give more, you are welcome to do so and trust that your gift will be given to a child that does not have a Hope Angel.
166 children are sponsored! Keep the referrals coming and help more children find their Hope Angel! On November 15th, we’ll be announcing the winner of our free trip for two to Hope Haven. Remember, the more referrals you send, the more your name will be entered into the drawing! Click here for further details.
Thank you so much, as always, for the difference YOU are making!
Project Manager, The Kugaba Initiative
September 2019
Hopefully you have received your child’s letter and key ring in the mail. We ask that you submit your response letter by October 1st. To log in and write your letter, click here. You may expect your response in December, just in time for Christmas!
On the note of Christmas, it’s time to start giving for the Kugaba Christmas gift! This year, your student will receive two new school uniforms, one primary and one sport. Please make your $20 donation by logging into your account and click on ‘My Donations’ > ‘Make a Donation’ > and ensure that Christmas Gift is listed as the purpose. If you would like to give more, you are welcome to do so and trust that your gift will be given to a child that does not have a Hope Angel.
158 children are sponsored! Keep the referrals coming and help more children find their Hope Angel! On November 15th, we’ll be announcing the winner of our free trip for two to Hope Haven. Remember, the more referrals you send, the more your name will be entered into the drawing! Click here for further details.
Thank you so much, as always, for the difference YOU are making!
Project Manager, The Kugaba Initiative
August 2019
As summer winds to a close, we reflect back on what a great and blessed one it has been! All season long, numerous Hope Angels made appearances at Hope Haven and got the chance to know their children a little deeper. It has been incredible to watch the seeds of these new relationships sprout into friendships.
In addition to several Hope Angel visitors, we were blessed by multiple teams: Valor Christian High School, Colorado Christian University, Red Rocks Youth, Mission Hills Church and International Medical Relief, to name a few. We also had our very first group of interns and held a Hope Haven Youth Camp and Hope Haven Family Camp!
On June 28th, we had our very first Kugaba Letter Writing Day at Hope Haven! We’d like to extend a BIG thank you to all of our Hope Angels for writing such thoughtful letters to your children! It was a special time filled with expectation and joy. You may expect your response letter and a special surprise in the mail in the next few weeks!
We are currently up to 147 children sponsored! We are so amazed by the love and support that continues to pour in from you through the Kugaba Initiative.
Thank you so much for the difference you are making and enjoy the last days of summer!
Project Manager, The Kugaba Initiative
We ask that you send your letter to your child no later than June 1st. Have a case of writer’s block? Our Letter Writing Tips will help!
You can access your account to write your letter here: Sponsorship Portal Log In. First time users will have to reset their passwords. Once you are logged in, simply click on My Sponsorships in the menu and Send Message. Click here for more help.
The first Letter Writing Day at Hope Haven will be held on June 28th. Along with our committed Rwandan staff, we have several teams from the U.S. that will be there to help the kids receive your letters and write their responses. You can expect a letter from your sponsored child to arrive via mail sometime in August.
Project Manager, The Kugaba Initiative