Christ-Centered Education and Discipleship
Our Vision
To transform Rwanda through Christ-centered education and discipleship.
ENGAGING THE ENTIRE FAMILY
Extending Far Beyond The Classroom
Hope Haven Rwanda is a non-profit organization that delivers outstanding education and life-on-life discipleship to one of the most vulnerable communities in Rwanda. We operate with heartfelt compassion, high levels of competency and within a vibrant Christian community on 16 acres just outside of Kigali, Rwanda. We cultivate God-given purposes for entire families, offering them a brighter tomorrow with the hope of Christ and practical life skills. Hope Haven believes our investment in each child and family flows into the neighborhood and eventually transforms the nation. Christian world leaders and job creators are emerging from the halls of Hope Haven Rwanda!
INVESTING IN THE ENTIRE FAMILY
Delivering Opportunities
Hope Haven’s investments reach deeply into the community, delivering opportunities for families to flourish. When families work together to generate hope and pursue their dreams through our English classes, discipleship and vocational opportunities, they are able to break the cycle of poverty and deliver a transformational message to their children. This, in turn, produces a rich harvest of Christian job-creators and leaders in Rwanda.
LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION
Tracking Alongside Benevolent Leadership
Hope Haven is designed to track alongside the goals that President Kagame has for the Country of Rwanda. Some of the biggest hurdles that the country faces are with the lack of formal education. President Kagame strongly believes in education, but it is difficult to do an excellent job of educating nearly 12 million people living in rural Rwanda. The devastating genocide that many of these Rwandese experienced, left children raising children in many cases. Education offers hope for a brighter tomorrow!
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
Offering a Holistic "Hand-Up"
Hope Haven believes that the family is an essential component for each student’s motivation, vision, education, emotions and nutrition.
Lifting up the family is a core value for Hope Haven Rwanda. Dignity and advancement are never found in “hand-outs.” We prefer to offer a “hand-up.” We believe every family should pay a small amount to have their child attend school at Hope Haven. To help make this possible, we provide jobs on campus.
Parents are able to work just enough to cover their child’s fees, or work additional hours to earn a take-home income. Jobs available at Hope Haven include Agriculture, Teaching, Construction, Cleaning, and Kitchen staff.
Training available at Hope Haven includes, Savings Groups, whose leadership is being trained by Hope International, Men of Hope Discipleship which is also an Entrepreneurship opportunity, Vocational Training in partnership with EDC and USAID, and English Classes for adults
Most families in Murindi are farmers, yet their yields are very low due to poor farming practices. To remedy this issue, three acres of our campus has been designated for agriculture. Local workers on our land earn an income while also learning modern, marketable farming skills.
Construction projects on the Hope Haven campus employ up to 150 adults at a time. Workers learn the importance and value of quality construction practices while actively developing the Hope Haven campus.
When the parents and guardians of our children lack vision and ingenuity, because of abject poverty, this affects the goal of releasing our children from poverty. Parents that can encourage and provide proper nutrition for their children, through new job and career choices, will be able to witness the success of their children. In addition, the parents are fully capable of being engines of the economy in Rwanda.
EDUCATION
Academic and Biblical Education
We currently provide academic and biblical education for children from nursery school through 8th grade. Using a mix of East African and McGraw Hill curriculum, our focus is teaching children how to think and discover, rather than rote memorization. Local teachers who have been trained by qualified volunteers from the USA teach Hope Haven Rwanda classes. All classes are taught in both the local language of Kinyarwanda and English, Rwanda’s National language.
TECHNOLOGY
Integrated With Curriculum
Our incredible team of technology philanthropists and volunteers have come together to integrate technology with the curriculum. Projectors have been added to classrooms and document readers are in regular use. A team of teachers who have shown enthusiasm and aptitude have been certified and now have their own computers. They use these tools to demonstrate learning, keep track of grades and research new information for their classrooms.
All students have access to our Technology Program. Nursery, Kindergarten, and Primary 1 students each have their own Samsung tablet to use for educational games and interactive learning. 2nd – 8th grade students are engaged with Microsoft-based computer classes, typing programs and online search tool skills in our high-tech computer lab, one of the premier technology learning labs in the entire country. The students utilize Dell laptops and each has their own computer to learn on while in class.
NUTRITION AND HYGIENE
Ensuring Physical Needs are Met
All Hope Haven Rwanda students are served a morning meal of nutritious porridge. Students in 1st-8th grades who stay for afternoon classes are also fed a healthy lunch of rice, beans, and vegetables. All meals are prepared in Hope Haven’s new kitchen. Our water well, with a purification system from Healing Waters, supplies the entire campus with clean, safe water.
Chiggers and poor personal hygiene were initially major problems for families. Hope Haven’s rigorous health and hygiene training has dramatically improved the issue in the entire community. Families now understand the importance of cleaning themselves properly to avoid infections and parasites, and to protect their health.