At-Risk Youth Education Sponsorship Program

Dear Friends and Supporters, I sincerely hope that you, your loved ones are keeping safe and healthy during this challenging time of Covid-19 across the globe.

No words are adequate to express the gratitude that we, Les Enfants de Dieu (EDD) family feel each time we see the impacts of your generosity  in lives of our beneficiaries, that show us how kind-hearted you are. You will always remain one of EDD’s dearest friends. Below are some of EDD activities that have been going on since May up to August2020.

Life at EDD during Covid-19

During this COVID-19 crisis, life at EDD has continued regardless the challenges, we have been making every necessary effort to make sure that all our kids are staying safe and in good health,essential staff like nurse, counselor, social workers and cooks have been on site with children while other were working remotely until the June.

Mindfulness, Meditation, and Relaxation Exercises: In order to help our kids stay psychologically healthy, we combined mindfulness practices and relaxation exercises just to help them increase their ability to regulate emotions, decrease stress, anxiety and depression especially in midst   this period of unprecedented corona pandemic.It have also helped them focus their attention, as well as to observe and value their thoughts and feelings.

Studying during covid-crisis: As school program have been closed due to covid-19, we alternatively helped our kids with ICT class, library activities and creative drawing which has been hobby and passion that has played a positive outlet for our kids especially in this period of covis-19, the colors to draw they used and the things they draw were a great way for them show how they think and feel thus making it easier for them to freely express their feelings, thoughts and their ambition for the future.

Daily conversion with Kids: During lockdown there were so much emotional disturbances going on for many, especially for young children whom their school closed with no hope of re-opening soon and restriction of movement etc, so the uncertainty associated with covid-19 generated so much fear and worries, therefore we  were required to be as close as possible with 26 children who were staying at the center and we enhance a daily conversion with these children so as to prevent them from feeling so lonely and desperate  in midst of unusual challenges of global pandemic ,it was really necessary to give them the shoulders to lean on ,thus we made every necessary effort to assure them that we were there to listen and give them emotional and moral support. During the daily conversions with kids we tried to help them regain a tranquil atmosphere that would enable them to restore and strengthen their hope with optimistic mindset about life.

Follow up and remote rehabilitation : Since the start of lockdown in our country,29 of the kids have been sent back into their families due to covid-19, therefore we were required to make to continue rehabilitation program remotely whereby we followed  up for those young kids we sent back into their families while they were still in our rehabilitation program, the follow up were basically to know how the kids are feeling and also encourage them to continue revising their school notes as well as following courses on Radios. And also we mobilized food support for these twenty nine kids.

Closed rehabilitation program and going to continue with sponsorship and follow up program: It is with great sadness that we, Les Enfants de Dieu, informs that by the end of August we are closing our rehabilitation program, the abrupt closure is due to the change in policy by the government with regards to the management of street children, We have been requested to reintegrate all children and not to recruit again. We respect the government decision and we hope that the new approach that has been taken shall be successful. As for us, les Enfants de Dieu (EDD) is going to continue helping vulnerable children with education and follow up in terms of sponsorship program whereby we will be paying their school fees, school materials and other school related needs.

We thank you for your continuous support, encouragement and contribution to our rehabilitation program over the 18 years, we have transformed many lives together and believe that we are going to continue making  a positive and lasting contribution to Rwandan society through sponsorship program.

 Thank you so much!

NZARAMBA Thaddée

Partnership Coordinator

Les Enfants de Dieu