Growing up in Karongi, Rwanda, I saw early on how different life can be for children who lack the support most of us take for granted. What many consider basic — a meal, a uniform, a steady place to sleep — can be a lifelong dream for others.
I met children who wanted nothing more than to be in a classroom alongside their peers. Their quiet determination, even in the hardest circumstances, stayed with me.
When I later came to study in the United States, I couldn't stop thinking about them. Through family back home, I learned that many were still in school, carried forward by small acts of kindness from people around them.
That is how Barere was founded: a space built to restore hope, and to make sure that — with the right support — every child can have a great future.
A child enrolled in school is only the beginning.
Children stay in school
The 23 children currently in our program remain enrolled, attend consistently, and feel supported by their families.
Families become self-sufficient
Households become more stable, reducing the likelihood that children return to the streets because of hunger or poverty.
Children imagine a future
Beyond survival — through mentorship, workshops, and the quiet confidence that comes from being believed in.
A replicable model
Education, family strengthening, mentorship, and income-generating resources, built to be repeated across vulnerable communities.