Athletics Fund – Rwanda

Michael

Venture 2 Impact has been working alongside Hope and Homes for Children (http://www.hopeandhomes.org/) in their mission to eradicate orphanages. Children in orphanages are often subject to high levels of abuse and neglect. They live in a world without love and the impact of this can last a lifetime. Over 80% of children in orphanages are not actually orphaned but are placed there because families struggle financially. Sadly, since aid moves towards orphanages it makes them better funded than families. Orphanages also deprive children of their voice, giving them no say or control over the decisions that affect them. Hope and Homes give children what they want and need most – a stable, loving family.

In collaborating with Hope and Homes, Venture 2 Impact is working with children who have grown up in institutional care and are transitioning to independent living. Athletes play a vital role in this effort. Through engagement with activity, sport, and resilience training young adults who grew up in institutional care learn vital soft skills that help them relate better thus finding better employment and giving them the capacity to upgrade other important work-related skills. Athletes have a unique ability to deliver on these outcomes.

By contributing to this fund, you are contributing to four levels of impact. You are enabling Venture 2 Impact and Hope and Homes to expand their work to Rwanda (presently we are working together in Romania but Hope and Homes Rwanda wants to benefit from the same program). You are directly impacting orphans who have experienced many challenges and abuse. In Rwanda, many of these were children of people who were killed in the Rwandan genocide. You are providing valuable resources towards getting athletes involved in the problem – which is a contribution to their development. Athletes who participate in our programs are trained, rub shoulders with people who are on the front lines of delivering impact, and they get exposure to issues of poverty globally. It is a huge developmental experience that leads to continuous involvement in poverty alleviation. Finally, through your enabling, these athletes pass along their experiences to others and get more people involved. So your impact is being felt across generations of people.

Of the $50,000 we are raising, $20,000 will go towards project design and implementation. The remaining $30,000 will fund the participation of young athletes in developed programs.