Hope Haven Rwanda

I sure loved every opportunity to document in Haiti, but sadly, it’s not currently safe so I was thrilled to get the chance to help with photography in Rwanda! The goal was to help illustrate the wonderful impact that the non-profit Hope Haven is providing to the community:

Hope Haven has a 220,000 square foot campus housing 900 kids each night and educating 2,000 per day! There are 65 rooms for classrooms, labs and libraries!

One definitive highlight of each day, and of the trip, was the drop off and pickup action on the main road. Each day over 1,000 children travel to and from the property (but do not stay overnight), and they arrive a variety of ways. Some walk on their own, some are walked by family or friends, others bicycle, some are esorted on motorbikes (the most common taxi service in the area) and then there is one very packed school bus… The bicycles and motorbikes often had three or more kids on at a time! My pal Bill (talented videographer) and sure loved our time watching this street scene:

It is impossible to understate the job Susan is doing in Rwanda. She is truly making a significant difference. One example is that I met a young boy named Frank, who had an injury that was poorly treated and was covered with cardboard. When Susan learned of the problem, she immediately sent Frank to a reputable clinic for treatment (funding both the transportation and medical treatment) and now he has fully recovered. This was not a student at the school, just a child in a nearby village and to see her heart in action was inspiring!

Check out how awesome the sports complex looks:

During a few home visits of a few current students I was able to peek at the countryside:

An important component of the school is that it’s a Christian school and that is present in every aspect from school to mealtime to worship services:

One of the most fascinating elements the school/non-profit incorporates is parent involvement. Each family MUST contribute and many give through volunteer hours. It was really neat to see so many parents each day, and must share the love of the property and program with entire families, rather than just with the child participant:

I would be remiss if I didn’t share one more striking element… the feeding program… Hope Haven provides over ONE MILLION meals every year!!!!