Rwanda

Rwanda flag

Muraho / Hello from Rwanda

Language: Kinyarwanda

Rwanda, “land of a thousand hills,” draws tourists with its sweeping savanna and expansive lakes. Many who call Rwanda home struggle to find clean water and attend school. Compassion-assisted children experience these realities daily. But at the Compassion center, there is hope.

Rwanda Stats

POPULATION: 13,173,730
57.7% Protestant
38.2% Roman Catholic
2.1% Muslim

110,005
CHILDREN SERVED

440
CHURCHES SERVING

43
YEARS SERVING

A group of boys stretch out in the grass reading

A group of children stretch out on the grass and read.

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A girl smiles with a goat

A young girl smiles joyfully as she shows off her goat.

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Children and their mothers attend class

Children and their mothers attend class.

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A girl plays with a soccer ball outside her home

A young girl bounces a ball in front of her house.

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A girl looks in the window of her child development center

A girl looks in the window of her child development center.

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A group of children eat a delicious meal they received at their child development center

A group of children eat a delicious meal they received at their child development center.

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A child carries twigs on her head and smiles

A child smiles while carrying a bundle of sticks and plants on her head.

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A mother and father hold their baby

A mother and father hold their newborn baby outside their home.

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Children laugh and play with balloons

A group of smiling children play with colorful balloons.

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A girl walks outside her home in Rwanda

A girl walks outside her home in Rwanda.

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5 FACTS ABOUT RWANDA

  1. Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa.
  2. It is known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills" for its beautiful landscapes.
  3. They prioritize education and have achieved high literacy rates.
  4. Rwanda is home to endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park.
  5. "Intore" is the lively traditional dance of Rwanda, reflecting its rich cultural heritage.

SANITATION AND HYGIENE HEALTH IN RWANDA

Issue: Only half of Rwandans have access to adequate sanitation facilities, and just 76% have access to clean water. Children spend hours collecting unsafe water from rivers and swamps — water that leaves them suffering from diarrhea and intestinal parasites.

Response: At the Compassion center, children are provided with hygiene training, clean drinking water and health checkups. Compassion Rwanda is working to get clean, potable water in every registered child’s home by distributing water filters.

Prayer Point: Pray with Compassion Rwanda Director John Nkubana, a former refugee, that the children of Rwanda will receive joy and hope as their tangible needs are met.

A boy filling his water jug from a local river

Compassion centers in Rwanda provide hygiene training and clean water to bring about a healthier lifestyle for beneficiaries.

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Visit the Compassion blog to learn more about our work in Rwanda.

Did You Know?

On the last Saturday of the month, the entire population of Rwanda participates in three hours of community improvement projects. The practice is called Umuganda.

Sponsor a Child in Rwanda

Life in Rwanda

Rwanda Fast Facts

Official Name: Republic of Rwanda

Form of Government: Presidential republic

Capital: Kigali

Population: 12,712,431

Official Language: Kinyarwanda

Currency: Rwandan franc

Area: 10,169 square miles (26,338 square kilometers)

Compassion has been working in Rwanda since 1980. These Rwanda facts and statistics provide a good picture of the reality of poverty and how child sponsorship through Compassion is making a difference.

Poverty is a problem in the country of Rwanda but with your support, Compassion is working to change this. The Rwanda facts tell a difficult story, but Compassion is bringing hope in the midst of the difficulties. Our programs are changing the statistics one child at a time.

Don't let the hopelessness of poverty overwhelm you. Donate to children in Rwanda!