Nsanginara

Nsanginara is an association that works to support over 150 children orphaned by AIDS in Rwanda, Africa. In Kinyarwanda 'nsanginara' means 'drawn near to me' this association draws near to children that have otherwise been forgotten to support and encourage them. All DFC proceeds help provide food, school fees and training for the children.

On Wednesday, August 1, 2007, Karen Tilli, Vice President of Drink for Charity arranged for the purchase of a 7-acre farm nestled deep in the hills of Rwanda with proceeds from DFC events. With the help of many committed friends and family in Rwanda and America DFC raised about $2,000 and was able to buy a large plot of land and all the things necessary to make an operational and sustainable farm that will support Nsanginara for years to come. Read Karen's own words as she describes this breath-taking moment.

Nestled deep in the hills of Rwanda lays a piece of land that now belongs to the Nsanganira AIDS Orphans association. With the help of many committed friends and family in America we raised about $1500 and were able to buy a 3 hectare plot of land and all the things necessary to make it operational and sustainable. After weeks of planning and detailing budgets we set out on our adventure early Monday morning with many surprises in store for us. It took three bank trips to find one to withdraw that much money from, one flat tire and me almost fainting of dehydration- but we made it. We hiked all the way around our very steep plot of land, measured it out with a tree one of the men had cut down and hand wrote a purchasing agreement for all parties and witnesses to sign. We needed a second copy of the agreement so he just wrote out another one. The woman we bought the land from is a widow with four children who couldn’t manage the land and desperately needed money. She asked us not to give her the money right away, but to drive her to the bank to deposit it. She was not familiar with the young men who helped us measure the land and was afraid they would try and take the money for her. It made for a bittersweet moment- knowing that the sale must have been so hard for her. But in the end she looked relieved and a bit happier, ready to take care of her kids and buy a more manageable plot of land for herself

In 1994, genocide in Rwanda left many families devastated and destroyed critical infrastructure in the country which fueled poverty and the spread of AIDS. The Peace-building Healing and Reconciliation Program (PHARP) which actively supports humanitarian efforts in Africa helped form Nsanginara to support the hundreds of children left orphaned in the aftermath and ensuing epidemic of AIDS across the country. The two principals of Nsanginara are Thierry and Jean who have dedicated their lives to the support of these children. While much progress has been made the organization is struggling to sustain itself financially and emotionally. Every dollar raised by Drink for Charity helps feed, educate or house a child orphaned by AIDS.

It’s really hard to describe how excited and full of joy everyone was on Monday. When I first told Thierry and Jean de Dieu that we raised money to buy a farm they said, “Oh, I have nothing to say, only to die because I am so happy”. I tried to reason with him that if he died no one would be there to take care of the children, but he was insistent saying “I have only to die of joy”. Thierry started the Association being trained by the Peace-building, Healing and Reconciliation Programme (PHARP), which is the group I work with. In 2005 he started the association to take care of the children affected and orphaned by AIDS in his community. Thierry and Jean de Dieu have small jobs on the side but work full time to support the children completely voluntarily. Everything extra they have goes back to the kids: time, money, food. Seeing them smile is such an amazing thing. I spend 2 to 3 days a week with them walking through these rural communities and visiting the children and it has been an incredible blessing to come to know them as friends and as brothers. They deserve so much, but the thing that makes them the most excited is knowing that the children will be taken care of. We still have so much to do to help these kids, but we’re making some good steps.