Rwanda, a small country in east-central Africa, is one of the poorest on the continent. The main source of livelihood for most of the population is non-mechanized agriculture. The mountainous terrain and highly eroded soils combined with the irregularity of the dry and rainy seasons – all that and more, cause food shortages and often hunger.

The Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Holy Cross arrived in Rwanda in 2006, following the path of their charism - service to the blind at every stage of their lives. In Kibeho, a place known for the Church-approved apparitions of Mary, Mother of the Word in 2008, a school and educational center run by the sisters received the first group of children. The elementary school, established a year later, was the first school for the blind in Rwanda.

Today there is an elementary and secondary school in Kibeho, and students live in dormitories. Priority for admission to the center is given to children from the poorest families. The most common causes of children’s vision loss are genetic diseases, malnutrition, exposure to snake venom, poor medical care and lack of universal access to an ophthalmologist, as well as sun and dust allergies.

The plight of the blind in Rwanda is due to a number of socioeconomic factors, but the ever-present prejudice associated with traditional beliefs comes to the fore. 

Blindness is considered a curse here. It is said to be the revenge of the ancestors or a punishment to the parents for some sort of sin of theirs. Thus, when a blind child is born, such a family is treated as if it were from the margins of society. The children are hidden from distant family and neighbors, often in conditions that offend human dignity

- says Sister Pia Guminska FSK, a missionary from Kibeho.

There are currently 195 blind students, ranging in age from 5 to 23, living and studying at the center, and the waiting list for admission continues to grow. The children come from all parts of the country, some even from Tanzania. More than 30 of the center's wards are albino children, whose lives are particularly difficult due to prejudices in society towards them. 

When children come to our center, at first they need to be fed and given medical care. A lot of them have skin fungus on their heads, boils, and most are malnourished. At our center, the children receive three cooked meals a day - very simple, but nutritious (poor Rwandan families have only one meal a day!).

The Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Holy Cross provide their students with boarding, food, medical care and everything they need for healthy and fullest development.

HOW TO JOIN „ADOPTION OF LIGHT IN RWANDA”:

• We have set the minimum donation amount for "adoptive parents" at 12 $/€ per month for a period of at least 12 months. Bigger amounts depend only on your generosity and financial capabilities. Adoption is a collective one. Maintaining one child costs around 3 330 $/€ per year. The adoptive parent receives a letter and photo from the "adopted" child three times a year. Those who want to take on regular payments, please include this in the transfer title: Adoption of Light in Rwanda - permanent declaration.
• However, in the case of larger donations, we do not use a mathematical formula, e.g. 36$ / 12$ = "adoption" of 3 children, because we donate the money to support the entire center. In other words: the children who write letters to us are representatives of the entire centre in Kibeho towards the donors.
• It is not necessary to make transfers monthly. Donations can be made quarterly, semi-annually, or even for the entire year in advance. Anyone who decides to make less frequent transfers of help, please write in the transfer title: Adoption of Light in Rwanda - permanent declaration + number of months.
• We will also be grateful for one-time donations for children from Kibeho. In this case, please write „For children from Rwanda” in the transfer title. If we receive a donation of 144 $/€ or more, we treat this case as "adoption" (12 months x 12 $/€ = 144 $/€). That's why we send the child's photo and correspondence. However, this is not a commitment to continue "adoption" in the next year.

Bank account numbers for money transfers are:

For $: PL 52 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0009; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For €: PL 41 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0013; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK
For others: IBAN: PL 79 1600 1462 1847 3641 5000 0008; SWIFT: PPAB PLPK