Meet The Kids
Here are a few of the students that at one point were not able to attend school and had to drop out, however due to your support, they have been given a different story and renewed hope. Their stories are heartbreaking, yet powerful examples of redemption.
Esther
Esther is a sixteen year old girl was orphaned as a two year old. She had no money, no food, and no family left to take her in. Neighbors took her and left her at the steps of the church as they hoped that someone from the church would take care of her. In these villages, it is common for orphaned children to be left behind and they sleep at the church until someone can take them in. An elderly woman from the church welcomed her in and shared what she had with her, which was very little. The church that Basileia Mission works alongside has been providing food and schooling funds for Esther ever since. Thousands of children in these remote and rural villages in Rwanda are orphaned every year, and oftentimes they do not have someone who can take them in and a church to help pay their schooling costs and support their daily needs. Because of people like you, kids like Esther are given a new hope for their future.
Jeannine
Jeanine is a nineteen year old girl who was born out of incest and rape. As a child, her father abandoned the family and ran away, leaving Jeannine, her mother, and her siblings with nothing. Jeannine had to drop out of school after the third grade because her family could no longer afford it. After she left school, she got married as a thirteen year old, and after nine months, her husband left her because she could not bear a child. People believed that she was cursed due to the fact that she was born out of incest, so they shunned her. She ran away to a different village where she lived as a house girl, however the family she was working for eventually kicked her out as well. She was living on the streets of remote and poor villages and was without any money, education, or family. She eventually went back to her original village, but she was heartbroken from all of the rejection that she experienced. She started coming to church when she reached her lowest point of desperation and hopelessness to see if there is something that they can do. Basileia Mission is now able to support young women such as Jeannine because of people like you.
Diane
Diane is an eighteen year old girl who has lived with her single mom after her dad left when Diane was one month old. Many times as a child, Diane was either kicked out of the house because her mom and grandmother had nothing to provide and they could not afford food or schooling for Diane, or Diane would run away to the city because of the difficult life in the village. Diane would not eat for days. One of our church leaders in Rwanda, Mary, found Diane in a city that had taken her hours and hours to walk to, and Diane was so afraid to return home out of fear that she would be ostracized and kicked out once again. Mary took her and told her that they would enter the village together. Her family would not let her in the house, so she slept in the church for three years and the church supported her with food and schooling. Diane and her relationship with her family has been strained, but there are active steps towards reconciliation and healing on both sides. Diane’s joy has been restored, she is no longer driven by fear, and she has a future that she can look forward to.