WELCOME TO THE KIBOGORA INITIATIVE WEB SITE - ABOUT US

Why Rwanda, and Kibogora in particular?

The Kibogora Initiative was started in 1998 after an appeal from Sheila Etherington OBE, the  Hospital Administrator (originally from Preston, Lancashire).

The objective was to help children who were homeless following the closure of the local orphanage.
Most of these children had lost their parents during the genocide in Rwanda and had then been displaced during the war. As many returned from other regions of Rwanda and refugee camps in neighbouring countries the Kibogora Initiative, in conjunction with other agencies and the Rwandan Government began the task of tracing as many relatives of the children as possible. We enjoyed great success and the majority of children were reunited with family members.

Around 100 children aged from 8 to 16 were left in Kibogora with no adult support. Whilst some of the younger children were placed in foster homes, a number of older children became heads of household caring for younger siblings.

In 2000 the Kibogora Initiative set up PASK (Project Action Sociale de Kibogora). This employed local staff as social workers and supervisors of projects that were created to provide shelter and training so that the young people would become self-sufficient, useful members of society.

The initial funding to create PASK was provided by Fulwood Free Methodist Church, Preston, England and the church continues to support the work at Kibogora.

The initial groups of youngsters have all now reached adulthood and the PASK projects have finished. The Kibogora Initiative has turned its attentions to other critical issues facing the hospital and the local community.