It's Hard to Learn When You're Hungry!

HATW has continued to support Muko school to provide much needed food to street children in Bugarama, Rwanda. This invaluable support is now providing 328 street children with two meals a day, seven days a week. This support enables these disadvantaged children to be fed, attend school and gain an education. The project has been a huge success and has expanded from originally supporting 150 children to 328 children by word of mouth, as more and more street children hear about the benefits of this project and turn up at the school.

The lunches provided at Muko school are nutritious and made using locally available produce, such as rice, maize flour, beans, cassava, cabbage, maize, and eggplant. The food is delivered regularly to the school and is stored on the premises with fresh meals cooked every day. The provision of meals to the 328 street children not only supports their nutritional health and wellbeing, but also prevents them from returning to the streets and having to beg, scavenge and revert to petty crime to feed themselves. Providing two meals a day has also increased school attendance and concentration levels among the children, leading to improved academic performance. Providing an education to these children also offers hope and a way out of poverty and exploitation. Your donation is enabling the school to provide invaluable support to these street children that also fosters a sense of ‘belonging’ for children without families or other support systems. This will help support their social development and provide a sense of normality.

Below is a story of a child who has benefitted from this project.

Sylvan was living on the streets before receiving help from Muko school. Life on the streets was difficult and he could only survive by turning to petty crime to survive. However, Sylvan is now receiving invaluable support from Muko School and is provided with two meals a day and an education. He does not have to worry about food and can now concentrate on his studies and this encourages him to work hard so he does not have to live on the streets again. Sylvan says, “I aspire to be the best leader for my country, to support others in the way I have been supported.”

Muko school has also established school gardens and is growing fresh and nutritious vegetables to supplement the meals. HATW is also promoting training in sustainable agriculture to project leaders. This year, HATW is supporting a teacher, Jean Damascene from Muko school to participate in a course delivered in partnership with Marshal Papworth in the UK. The course teaches sustainable farming practices, which will provide him with skills and knowledge to better develop the school garden.

Due to your generous support, these 328 children can now look forward to brighter future – thank you!