Donate
Please consider a donation to The Rwanda Project - USVI.
The value of a young person being exposed to life in another culture, another continent, another world is immeasurable, which is why we knew even before we made our inaugural trip to Rwanda with 11 young people, that it could not end there. The 2008 trip was a smashing success – as the voices attached indicate. Seeds were planted that will continue to grow for a lifetime and as these young people go out into the world – changed – they will have the power to change others.
We now hear the voices of 15 youngsters who have applied to go this year to Rwanda, who dream the same dream of meeting young people in Rwanda, of giving in a way they can feel and touch, and of making friends across the globe – friends whose hearts beat the same way though their life experience has been entirely different.
It’s a big dream, but with your help it will come true again and again.
The seed we plant today can nourish the community forever.
It is with this heart and soul-expanding opportunity in mind that we ask you to make a contribution to send one young man or woman on this life-changing mission.
Rwanda Project USVI, a 501c3, covers the cost of airfare, accommodations and in-country travel for the applicants we accept on the trip. Chaperones pay for their own airfare, food and incidentals. The applicants are expected to raise their own funds to pay for food, side-trips and incidentals. They are also required to participate in fund raising activities and make presentations upon their return to schools, civic clubs and to appear on broadcasts in the territory to speak of their experience. Other monies raised go to funding the projects we work on in the country.
A similar idea about the importance of young people experiencing a different culture at about the same age as our young people has been touted by President Barak Obama. We are very proud to have seen the boundless good to be done in this way, and to have initiated the first trip two years ago.
We have some exciting plans for the coming year which involve the students living and working in a remote village on an important health and educational project. We also expect to coordinate with Rotary Sunrise to complete a water project in another village that we visited in 2008.
Though we have as our goal raising the consciousness of our young people, we also have made significant differences in the lives of people in Rwanda.
In 2008 we established new and meaningful connections that will last a lifetime and forged dynamic relationships between two cultures of striking similarity. We learned it is indeed a small world.
As part of our mission in 2008, we also brought a variety of supplies for orphaned children throughout the country, including mattresses, diapers, school uniforms and supplies and toys. We also refurbished orphanages by painting the facilities and by hauling rocks to improve the landscape and playgrounds; we served meals, and read and taught English to the impoverished Rwandan children. They taught us how to live happily with little.
The cost for one person to go on this trip is about $5000. The airfare alone is $2500. We have already raised most of that for each young person. In order to fulfill the dreams of this year’s applicants we need to raise an additional $50,000 over what we have so far raised. We, of course, hope you can make the difference for one young person, but are delighted to accept whatever tax free donation you are able to make.
Please make check or money order payable to: Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, and in the memo section note: Rwanda Project USVI. Please indicate if you wish to have your donation used only for in country projects in support of genocide survivors, children and orphans.
Please mail your check or money order to the following address:
Rwanda Project USVI,
P.O. Box 505,
St. Thomas, VI 00804
Thank you in advance for your generosity, your help is very much appreciated!
If you have any questions please call Shaun A. Pennington at 340-777-8144.
