When Marcel Iradukunda, a very confident and radiant young man, recounts his story, it’s difficult to imagine him as the lonely and desperate kid he says he was growing up. Iradukunda who grew up from an impoverished family lacked even the most basic of needs. His mother, who had to primarily take care of Iradukunda’s brother who had a disability, sent him to live with his grandparents with hope he would receive better care with them. Except for providing him with shelter and food sometimes, Iradukunda’s grandparents could not afford education that would help advance his ambitions to become a journalist. After losing his mother and brother to death at a young age, Iradukunda’s life seemed less hopeful than ever. Like many children at Shelter Them, Iradukunda’s life lit up once he got a sponsor. “At Shelter Them, I acquired a family. I no longer felt alone and I was able to pursue my dreams,” he said. Iradukunda, who now has a degree in Mass Communication, worked as a journalist before joining Shelter Them as the communication coordinator. There's nothing like giving back to my family, young brothers and sisters with even more tragic stories than me, he said, emphasizing how Shelter Them, a humanitarian body that takes care of vulnerable children, had truly changed his life. Shelter Them Batarure Rwanda is located in Bugesera District, on land acquired through a presidential pledge. It provides shelter, education, and care for orphans and children with disability. It currently houses 214 children in total, with 89 attending Early Childhood Development, 84 in primary school, 29 in secondary school, and 11 in university. Shelter Them was founded in 2006 by twin sisters, Josephine and Joselyne Higiro. The two, Rwandan by origin, grew up in Burundi where their parents sought refuge from the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. Despite living in the refugee situation, their mother raised six children (orphans) together with her own four. “That spirit we saw in our mother went with us everywhere. When we returned to Rwanda in 2005 for the first time, we were moved to make our contribution through offering a little bit of help and stability to children who were going through hardships we were so familiar with,” they said. The two now reside in Canada, with their own families. The goal, however, is not to help one child, provide them with food, and pay their school fees once, and then expect them to be self-sufficient. In response, Shelter Them established cooperatives for vulnerable parents whose children they care for through community development. Some were empowered with support in establishing small businesses or plots of land for agriculture and farming in order to ensure collective family support. They are also raising funds to construct a primary school, all in the interest of ensuring that the children receive a quality education. Also, individual sponsorship has already been obtained for 100 children by well-wishers. More information on how to sponsor a child can be acquired through their website, Shelter Them. I've achieved my dreams, and I can't help but dream bigger. I've actually realized that I'm capable of accomplishing anything. However, for any child at Shelter Them, dreams become more attainable when someone believes in you and chooses to bet on you without expecting anything in return, Iradukunda said.
