Our mission
Our Mission
We support communities in Gihombo, a remote and rural sector of Rwanda. Working through our partner NGO, Gihembo Forward (GiFo) we fund Early Years education and feeding, promote community health and support local people, alongside their subsistance farming, to become self sufficient through small business enterprises.
VRUK is a small charity with a group of trustees working to support a community through nursery education with a feeding programme. It is based at the Children’s Centre in the isolated village of Gasundwe/Nyabitare and serving the surrounding area of Gihombo Sector. Situated on the shores of Lake Kivu in Western Rwanda, much of rural Gihombo has yet to benefit from the developing national economy and infrastructure.
The Charity is also supporting income generation enterprises throughout the area, including, training for a sewing group and setting up a safer stoves-making group. These have enabled local people to start up small businesses. In partnership with local government, we are supporting animal husbandry projects, distributing chickens, goats and pigs to lochavea co-operative to dry and sell locally caught fish has provided other groups of people with meaningful work and income.
We are now hoping to explore the opportunities that Rwanda’s growing tourism trade could bring to the area.
Trustees visit the projects to see how the money is spent and what effect it is having.
How you can help
By becoming a regular donor, or by just making a single donation, you can support the progress of these communities to self-sustainability. In addition, VRUK Gift Cards can be bought to fund our projects directly.
Village Rwanda UK (VRUK) was founded in 2011 and became a registered charity in 2015.
Registered Charity Number 1162004
A trustee meeting in 2024 with the trustees: (Left to right) Tricia, Lynne, Andy, Petronella and Philip. They all bring a range of skills to the work of VRUK.
Tricia and Lynne, both spent time in Rwanda, working for VSO between 2011 and 2013, training teachers and managing disability projects. Petronella has experience in charity governance, Philip in tourism, and Andy in finance.. Our latest trustee is Ruta (not pictured), a Rwandan with international business experience.
We are always looking to recruit others to join us, so do get in touch.