On Saturday, Kigali Marriott Hotel in partnership with SOS Villages Rwanda, Rotaract club of KIE among other partners, joined efforts and took part in “a walk of awareness” around Kigali that aimed at helping to collect funds to support the education needs and health insurance for vulnerable kids. The campaign that has been going on for quite some time has enabled people to give any kind of help, through buying the T-shirts that were for Rwf 5,000, and providing any kind of help that is affordable. For instance, money, clothes and food. The walk that was intended to start at exactly 3pm was interrupted by the rain, but this gave everyone who attended to participate in games with kids indoors, and simple exercises that helped the team stay warm and ready to walk. At about 5pm, the walk finally progressed and the children, supporters, partners, were more than ready to make the walk thrive. In his speech, the General Manager, Kigali Marriott Hotel, Rex A.G Nijhof appreciated SOS Children Villages Rwanda for the great job they are doing in the country of taking care of children who are in need. He said, the children are indeed the future of this nation and securing their education and health is a priority. “Kigali Marriott has made it a culture of giving back to the community where we work and live. Since early in the beginning, the founders of the company knew that business and corporate social responsibility go hand in hand,” he stated. He further thanked all other partners like, Legacy clinic, Rotary, Rotaract club KIE, IGIHE, The New Times, Royal FM, who came through to support to. Tresor Mugisha is a 12-year-old student of New Vision Primary School who took part in the walk and also bought a T-shirt, he believes that every child’s joy is that they are able receive all basic needs so that they don’t feel different from other children. He said that all children need to be cared for and showed love because that way, they are able to be happy and share the same love with others, which is why, they need access to health facilities, food, and shelter. Mugisha further noted, if such kids are cared for, they wouldn’t be a possibility of them roaming on streets, as streets are a breed of other weird vices like use of drugs and even worse. According to Master Jerb Paul Birungi, a Rotary club member of Kigali- Virunga, since Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors are trained to be responsible leaders who are accountable, one of their virtues is to be at the helm of volunteering and making the poor, disabled, and vulnerable happy. He stressed that Rotaractors work and in hand with the government and other companies that are on the cause of helping and developing the society at large. “We need to be accountable to assist our neighbors and the people around us in need. Giving doesn’t need someone to be rich, but rather to have a rich heart that shares out of the little that we have,” he stated. Burungi emboldened that whenever God blesses someone a step ahead, they should go back and help the community where they stay, as a way of giving back. Serge Nyirinkwaya, the Director of Programs at SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda, noted that children deserve a good living, and this can only be possible if one by one come together as a team. “Through the little each person collects, if put together, it turns out in to something big.” However, he still calls upon whoever that has more support in form of clothes, foodstuff, funds to provide or send it at the four SOS children’s Villages program location centers in Kacyiru, Nyamagabe, Gicumbi, and Kayonza. Nyirinkwaya also cheers organizations, institutions to be part of the support by offering internship trainings, scholarships that are beneficial to the needy children, so that they are groomed for future professions and be better people. The Saint Michael Cathedral choir graced the moment with Christmas carols that impelled the audience pull out their phones and record the angelic voiced choir, accompanied with great hospitality by Kigali Marriott with drinks and canapés for everyone, kids running around playing with balloons and posing for pictures by the very bright decorations and Christmas tree. Olivier Welcome, one of the people that were observing the choir sing, said that the festive season should be a moment for every person to prepare their hearts, give and sing praise and reflect for the end of the year. He also added that it is also an opportunity to do charity works, visit the sick, pray and thank God for protection and ask Him for blessings as the New Year is yet to begin.
