They were young children in 1994 when Rwanda experienced the genocide that left 800,000 of them orphaned.  In the wake of the violence, Rwanda’s social structure collapsed, severely affecting schools, health care, and the economy.  Meeting the basic needs of food, shelter, clothing and education overshadowed the daunting task of healing the orphaned children’s traumatic memories, injuries, illnesses, and fears.  UNICEF estimates that 96% of the children witnessed the massacres, and many children who survived were mutilated and raped, resulting in an unprecedented level of trauma among child [node:read-more:link]

On behalf of the TOS and its board of directors, I extend heartfelt thanks to all of you who responded to our annual fund appeal with your donations and your good wishes. We raised $12,214 in general donations for the work of the TOS. In addition, we received $2,250 designated for specific TOS programs.

This year we again met our $20,000 goal in donations earmarked for the Golden Link College. The funds for the school will be matched by a very generous $20,000 matching grant provided by the Kern Foundation. [node:read-more:link]