Nibakure Children’s Village (NCV) to Begin Providing Care for Orphans in 2008 

 “We cannot wait to help Rwanda’s children. We must do something now.” These were the thoughts of Nibakure Children’s Village Executive Director, Floriane Robins-Brown after her most recent visit to Rwanda in September.  Floriane met with a number of Rwandan orphans who are in the most dire circumstances.  “I met with orphaned children and widows.  I met children raising children, whose parents died either in the Rwandan genocide of 1994 or died of AIDS.”   

To fight the problems of orphan-led households, lack of education and security, Floriane founded Nibakure, which means “let them grow, give them hope.” Nibakure’s ultimate goal is to create a children's village that will be a home for 150 children of all backgrounds and ages between 8 to 18 years old.  The village will consist of 15 "family" homes where children will be raised by "mothers" and "aunts" who are women that are not related to the children yet who are committed to their care.  

NCV will focus on the whole child's needs through on-site education, healthcare, counseling, and spiritual development.  But, Nibakure is taking action now.  Floriane says “Nibakure Village is a big dream and certainly a wonderful dream. As exciting, satisfying uplifting, and fulfilling it has been thus far to work on this extraordinary dream, it is nothing compared to the step we are taking now, moving from planning to action.”   

Beginning in early 2008, Nibakure will rent housing for 7 to 10 children and provide caregivers who are widows who desire to provide love and care to children.  “Currently, with children orphans raising other orphans, the children live in unsanitary conditions and have no time to go to school as they must provide for themselves and their brothers and sisters,” Floriane says.  “By bringing in the women of Rwanda to care for the orphans, these children will now have the time to go to school, to become healthy, and to have time to be children.” 

As a result of the 1994 genocide and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Rwanda has the highest proportion of orphans and orphan-led households in the world.  Floriane met one boy in particular whose name was “Usengimana.” “’Usengimana’ is his only name.  He is 14 years old and raises his seven year old brother.”
 Floriane said that Usengimana and his brother live in a house with a “dirt floor, with no furniture, none, and is nothing more than a shelter from the elements and a false sense of security.”  It was her meeting with Usengimana and other orphans that triggered Nibakure’s decision to help now.  

 Nibakure has had a great start in funding this program.  On November 17, Dave and Linda Saggau of Minneapolis hosted a successful fundraiser for Nibakure to pay for caregivers and housing for 7 to 10 children.  In addition, Nibakure is seeking support from Rotary International to allow Floriane to return to Rwanda in January to start hiring caregivers and identifying orphans that need care.  However, Nibakure will need to raise at least $10,000 annually to maintain care for this first home.  “We want to help the children of Rwanda. Nibakure’s ultimate goal is to care for 150” Floriane says. “But, it must start with us caring for the first child. And that is what we will do.” 

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To learn more about Nibakure, please visit its website at www.nibakure.org or call 612-578-6560.  Nibakure is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt Minnesota nonprofit.