Pastor Deo's Street Children and Youth Ministry: Transformation and Healing in Rwanda's Youngest Generations

Founded in 2006 by Pastor Deo Gashagaza and his wife, Christine, Pastor Deo’s Street Children & Youth Ministry (SCYM) strives to rebuild Rwanda by supporting, inspiring, and teaching Rwanda’s youngest generations. We work to see them learn about their role in their nation’s – and their world’s – future. The program now serves 85 children and youth living in extreme poverty on the streets of Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali. SCYM strives to meet practical, mental, spiritual, and emotional needs. We believe that all of these life dimensions are intertwined and vital to the well-being of an individual. We also believe that the well-being of Rwanda’s youngest population shapes the future of this post-genocidal nation in a powerful way.

THE NEED

The 1994 Rwandan genocide left 95,000 children to fend for themselves on the streets after losing one or both parents to violence. Just 17 years later, we find many young people in their late teens and early twenties, still facing the hardships of street life. Some of the younger children we find lost their parents to sickness (particularly HIV/AIDS) or violence in the years following the genocide. Younger children continue to roam the streets with no parents or live in one-parent households in extreme poverty. Because of the physical, psychological, and emotional effects of trauma and loss, these children and youth are unable to attend school. Many have witnessed members of their own families killed at a very young age, which has led to anger, confusion, and hopelessness. These children and youth are often malnourished, living moment to moment in hopes of finding food by begging or stealing. Some are living with HIV/AIDS.

WHERE SCM COMES IN

Pastor Deo’s Street Children & Youth Ministry (SCYM) has partnered with Mustard Seed Project (www.mustardseedproject.org) to work to meet the needs of these children and youth. SCYM is dedicated to promoting the welfare of young Rwandans living on the streets, restoring their sense of dignity, energizing them with practical provisions and words of encouragement, and giving them a sense of personal value.

SCYM has identified children who have histories marked by significant violence and poverty, yet also who demonstrate motivation to overcome their circumstances. Despite tremendous obstacles, these children and youth stay positive, energetic, and constantly voice their dreams and ambitions. Their personalities shine through each time they come to the office. Some of them are able to attend public school; the rest dream of being able to go to school.

SCYM aims to educate these at-risk yet resilient children and youth about the ease of falling into a life of crime. We talk to them about reconciliation, the necessity of forgiveness, and about God’s love for them. We tell them about the importance of seeking after God’s will for their lives. We know that these young people are at high risk for engaging in criminal activity or using drugs in order to face the challenges of everyday life.

SCYM considers transformation, reconciliation, and crime prevention to be key components of Rwanda’s restoration in the aftermath of the genocide. We emphasize all 3 aspects in our intervention in the lives of young people who determine the future of their nation.

“We can’t fight trauma and crime by providing only food, only skills training, only counseling, only Bible teachings, only reconciliation work, or only shelter alone. We must provide all of these things, because they all operate together for optimal growth and well-being,” says Pastor Deo Gashagaza, co-founder and CEO of SCYM. “There are far too many programs out there that put kids into a shelter home, give them food and a bed to sleep in, and hope that these kids will heal from what they’ve experienced. This is totally ineffective, and the kids end up running away because they’re not used to being regulated. They are living with intense hatred and do not know what love is. What these kids need is, yes, food and shelter, but most importantly, they need counseling and they need to hear about God’s love for them.”

THE CHILD SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

SCYM’s Child & Youth Sponsorship Program will enable friends of SCYM all over the globe to learn about happenings in this ministry and to participate in the lives of Rwanda’s children and youth in a direct and measurable way. The program provides an opportunity for individuals and families to sponsor a child or young adult, now living in extreme poverty after losing one or both parents, to attend school. The sponsorship program operates on the conviction that education is a powerful step in the effort to reduce crime and to ensure a future of peace, hope, and stability in Rwanda.

SCYM sees 85 children and youth three times per week at the office in Kigali. While at the office, the children receive hot meals, sing songs and dance, play games, have the opportunity to bathe, and learn about God. Children and youth also have the opportunity to receive counseling. SCYM works to provide basic health insurance for each of the children and youth. We also provide clothing, much of it donated from faithful supporters. SCYM creates opportunities for children and youth to participate in sports activities at the nearby basketball and soccer facilities. These meals and this positive interaction keep some of the children and youth going to school every day.

One of the most effective and beautiful things about these gatherings is that they are at many times led by the older street youth. The younger children and older youth have developed a relationship of trust, respect, and love. The older become role models for the younger. Youth and young adults encourage the children, rebuke the children, come to a child’s side when he/she is hurt or upset, pray over the children, and live as examples for the children. Overtime, these 85 people have in so many ways become a family, embodying a love and compassion that many of them would not experience otherwise.

SCYM’s sponsorship program will provide a way for children and youth to enroll in reputable schools in the Kigali area where they can learn, grow, discover ways to live peacefully together, and find hope and stability. In school, they will learn valuable skills that will equip them for a successful future. With the participation of committed sponsors, the youthful generation in Rwanda will contribute positively to the character and development of a nation that was once torn to pieces.

Children and youth can be sponsored to attend school or to attend Vocational Training for 6 months at a well-established, successful vocational training boarding school nearby Kigali, Amerizo Training Centre. At vocational school, teens and young adults – both men and women – undergo intensive and rewarding training in skills such as carpentry, welding, construction, and farming. Once they graduate from the program, they are able to use these skills to serve their communities and to financially support themselves.

If you choose to sponsor a child or young adult, you will receive regular updates about his or her progress in school, messages written by the child or young adult, and photographs.

HOW IT WORKS

Contact Pastor Deo’s Street Children & Youth Ministry (gashfr@gmail.com) to opt to sponsor a child. You commit to a donation amount of your choice. You can contribute:

• The cost for 1 child to go to school for 1 or more years. You voluntarily specify the number of years.
• The partial cost for 1 child to go to school for 1 or more years
• The cost for more than 1 child to go to school for 1 or more years
• Any amount of your choice, which you may specify to go towards tuition/board, books, or uniforms.
• The cost for 1 young adult to attend Amerizo Training Centre for 6 months to receive vocational training in a skill of his or her choice.

**The cost for a child to attend primary or secondary school for 1 year is $420 USD per year (about $35 per month).

**The cost for a young adult to attend 6-month vocational training is $592.99 USD for school fees and $525.50 USD for school materials.

You may donate the entire amount at once, or you may opt to donate in monthly, bi-monthly, or yearly installments.


THE LONGER-TERM VISION

SCYM ultimately aims to, with support from the local, national, and international community, build a comprehensive care home not only for these 85 children and youth, but for hundreds more. Over 200 young people have applied to the SCYM program, and limited funding, space, and resources keep us from serving all of them. With the construction of this home, we know we will be able to open doors to children who would otherwise never receive the care they need. The home will provide a safe place to rebuild lives, create a sense of family, provide education and job training skills, and equip these young people to be self-sustaining individuals, all in the context of spiritual and moral development.

The home would serve both as a school and as a place to live. Children would complete courses in typical school subjects, such as languages, social studies, science, and mathematics, but they would also learn about reconciliation, ethics, and civic participation. They would learn about their ability to become productive members of society, and they would be inspired to act on this ability. They could take specialized courses in business management, entrepreneurship, teaching, vocational skills, hospitality, and more.

Some residents would pay tuition, while others who demonstrate financial need would be eligible to receive scholarships to cover the cost of living and their education. Under the genuine care of a Christian staff, the children would grow, thrive, and learn to seek out God’s will for their lives. The home would include:

• School facilities and resources (classrooms, library) and living facilities (bedrooms, bathrooms).

• Several acres of land to be used to train older children and youth in farming and agricultural techniques, environmental protection, land conservation, and methods of breeding and raising livestock. These skills and this knowledge are invaluable in a country where 90% of Rwanda’s population is engaged in agricultural work, and where land shortage is a persisting problem.

• A staff comprised of educators, supervisors, counseling psychologists, chaplains, cooks, groundskeepers.

• 1 or 2 large vans used to transport children to places outside of the comprehensive care home.

Please contact Pastor Deo at gashfr@gmail.com if you are interested in partnering with SCYM at any level to make this vision a reality. If you are interested in contributing to the SCYM Comprehensive Care Home Fund, keep in mind that small donations ($10, $20, $50) add up and go a long way!

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE LIVES OF THESE CHILDREN & YOUTH

• Pray that these young people experience and understand the love of Christ in the midst of chaotic lives. Pray that PFR will receive the funding and resources needed to send these children to school. Pray that PFR’s ministry to these children will grow and thrive.

• Donate to specific aspects of SCYM, such as meals, counseling programs, a licensed teacher to provide some educational classes, drinking water, Bibles, books, and/or health insurance for 1 year. Providing basic health insurance to 1 child for 1 year costs only $10 USD.

• Donate used clothing and shoes to SCYM children and youth.

• Donate soccer balls and/or basketballs to SCYM children and youth. These ensure that the children get the exercise they need to live healthy, energized, and productive lives.

• Spread the word about the needs of Rwanda’s street children and youth in the wake of the 1994 genocide.

• Contact Pastor Deo at gashfr@gmail.com to inquire about other ways you can participate.

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