Hope of Family is a non-profit organisation funded in 2018. Its mission is to reduce extreme poverty through strong and efficient children’s education in Rwanda.
The organisation focuses on several key social causes aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable families, particularly in rural communities. It focuses on two macro-areas: children’s education and youth empowerment.
In terms of children’s education, Hope of Family works on providing school materials by ensuring that children from vulnerable families have access to necessary school supplies, enabling them to attend and succeed in school. Hope of Family provided school materials to 950 children from vulnerable families this year. Another important activity is talent development; through the Talent Detection Program, Hope of Family helps children discover and develop their talents in drawing arts, storytelling, traditional and modern dances, and football. This year, 568 children attended and were supported in developing their talents.
Moreover, the organisation trains parents to participate actively in their children’s education, promoting a supportive home learning environment. 320 parents were trained in their involvement in children’s education.
The second area of work, youth empowerment, is important because youth unemployment stands at 34% in the local community. Out of this, 66% of youth didn’t complete high school, 29% graduated from high school, and 5% earned a university degree, all grappling with the harsh reality of unemployment.
Therefore, Hope of Family provides training for youth who have not completed secondary school and are unemployed. The Leadership Academy Programme offers entrepreneurship, reproductive health, leadership, and human rights education to equip youth with self-reliance and community leadership skills. Currently, more than 100 youth attend the Leadership Academy.
In addition, Hope of Family helps young people enrol in 1-year- TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) programmes to acquire practical skills and improve their employability. After completion, they return to the community with the right skills acquired from school and start their own businesses or be ready to compete in the job market. Today 49 youth from four subjects (carpentry, tailoring, welding, and masonry) graduated and are ready to create their businesses, others are still waiting to get employed. Another group of 51 students is now undertaking vocational training
Our Partnership
Hope of Family has been part of the Aflatoun partner network since 2020. They chose to partner with Aflatoun in order to share resources related to children’s education as well as youth training materials, and to connect to a wider network of organisations, donors, and institutions.
According to a survey in their community, 90% of households could not provide school materials to their children. In addition, 70% of parents did not engage in their children’s education also because 70.1% of parents had a low level of education and illiteracy themselves and the poverty rate in the community is at 46%. The survey also showed that 100% of parents did not know their children’s talents.
This is why Social and Financial Education is vital in the community as it empowers individuals, particularly vulnerable families, to break the cycle of poverty. Social education fosters stronger community bonds, promotes values like leadership, human rights, and reproductive health, and helps build resilient, informed citizens. Financial education equips people with essential budgeting, saving, and entrepreneurship skills, enabling them to manage resources effectively and achieve financial independence. In a country striving for economic growth and social stability, these forms of education enhance individual and collective progress, creating self-reliant families and stronger communities.
Hope of Family is proud of its Talent Detection Programme and Leadership Academy, both of which play a vital role in social and financial education. Through the Talent Detection Programme, 568 children discover and develop life skills, which help them grow in confidence and learn teamwork. The Leadership Academy, on the other hand, trains more than 100 unemployed youth in entrepreneurship, leadership, and financial literacy, empowering them to create sustainable livelihoods. By teaching financial management and social responsibility, these initiatives help young people contribute meaningfully to their communities while building paths toward financial independence and self-reliance.
Kazeneza, now a confident young storyteller
During the long holidays, Hope of Family provided 568 children from rural communities, where vulnerable families live, with a valuable recreational opportunity through its 2024 Talent Detection Programme. This initiative allows children to explore and develop their skills in various activities, such as football, drawing Arts, reading and storytelling, traditional dance, and modern dance. 211 boys and 277 girls participated, ensuring equal opportunities for all.
One remarkable story from the programme is that of KAZENEZA NTWARI Plamedi Krista, a Nursery student. Despite her young age, Kazeneza showed a natural talent for reading and storytelling, which she demonstrated confidently during the programme’s closing ceremony. Her performance captivated the audience, showcasing the growth and potential the programme helped unlock in her.
From being shy and hesitant initially, Kazeneza emerged as a confident young storyteller, inspiring her peers and the community. The Talent Detection Programme serves not just as a platform for talent development, but also as a means for children to engage in positive, structured recreational activities. For children like Kazeneza, it provides an outlet to develop cognitive, social, and creative skills, which are often difficult to nurture in challenging environments. Football taught teamwork and discipline, drawing arts encouraged creative thinking, and reading and storytelling fostered literacy and communication skills. This programme also had a broader impact, as it encouraged parental involvement in their children’s growth and fostered community pride in the achievements of these young participants.
Through this initiative, Hope of Family is helping to create brighter futures for vulnerable children by providing recreational and developmental opportunities that might otherwise be inaccessible in their rural communities.