Five years ago, close to 200 orphans of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi struggled to find means of survival, some finding it hard to get food and could go for a day without a single meal.

Others wished their school could not break off for holidays as they had no home to go back to.

A few lucky ones who had made friends could find solace in their homes during the holidays.

For many of them, days like Christmas, New Year’s Day and their own birthdays were more painful than the regular days.

The situation could have easily exposed many to a dangerous lifestyle, until the Rwanda Diaspora Community in 2009 championed an initiative dubbed ‘One Dollar Campaign’ to mobilise funds for the construction of a home for some of the children.

Several people in and outside of the country contributed to the cause enthusiastically and, in 2011, the construction started.

An overall blueprint of the structure would have three residential storied blocs with each accommodating 192 people, a dining hall, a multipurpose hall, and a recreational centre.

Although the construction faced several humps along the way, the first phase, which consists of one bloc and a dining hall, was completed and inaugurated in October last year.

Some 192 most vulnerable orphans were selected from across the country and moved into the complex based in the upscale Kagugu area in Gisozi Sector, Gasabo District.

Ananias Mwizerwa, 24, is a student at Kigali Independent University (ULK).

His family hailed from Kinazi Sector in Ruhango District. Besides losing every family member he knew, everything they owned was taken during the Genocide.

He is one of the orphans selected to stay at the plush hostel.

"Before coming here, life was extremely difficult. My tuition was being paid by Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG) but I had to improvise other means of survival. I could sometimes spend two days without food,” said Mwizerwa.

He had no friend and he preferred it that way, he says.

"I now have many interesting friends who share similar experience; we interact and learn from each other. This is not just a hostel, this is our home.”

Mwizerwa spoke to The New Times from his hostel room.

Each of the spacious rooms accommodates four people and there are two double-decker beds and a reading table in each.

Another beneficiary is Eric Murenzi, 24, a second year student at the Independent Institute of Lay Adventists of Kigali (Inilak), whose tuition is also paid by FARG and this comes with a monthly living stipend of Rwf25,000.

He said survival on Rwf25,000 was difficult since he had to pay rent and daily upkeep.

"On several occasions, I was evicted because I could not pay rent. I spent a lot of time finding ways of survival than focusing on my education. But here, I have all the time to study and even think of how to make my future better. I have food, I have a bed and a life, basically I have everything,” said Murenzi.

The complex has four floors, the first two lower floors accommodate the boys while to top floors are occupied by girls.

Josiane Murekatete, 24, also has no family and only survived the hard way as she pursued her education. The life she lived prior to moving in to the hostel, she said, affected her performance in school.

Officials managing the hostel said the beneficiaries are aged between 21 and 32. They include A-Level leavers like Antoinette Mukamwezi.

Mukamwezi spoke broadly about life before the hostels, saying that some children could be chased from one family to the other, which led to many inadvertently starting their own families at a tender age, at the expense of their education.

"This is now home to all such people. We look out for one another and when there in a new members that has come in, we welcome that person the same way a new born baby is welcomed in a family,” she said.

Long way

The coordinator of the One Dollar Complex, Fidele Bugingo, said despite the fact that the first group of beneficiaries has entered the complex, there is still a lot that needs to be done for the project to achieve its goal.

"Most of them are students and definitely need a computer lab; they are also young people who need recreational facilities, all these facilities haven’t been built but plans are underway to re-run the campaign and draw more funds,” said Bugingo.

In ensuring moral standing of the children, mentors have been appointed to periodically speak to the youth about any problem and give them guidance.

According to Bugingo, every evening there is a meeting where all the 192 students talk about several things, ranging from civics to ethics and ensure that they are aware that they are living as brothers and sisters.

"No one is allowed to sleep outside, unless it’s a special case and it has to be communicated and approved. We don’t just allow them to walk out of the gate; someone must have a reason apart from those that have to go to school on a daily basis. Everyone must be in the premises by 7pm,” said Bugingo.

When The New Times visited the hostel, some were having a lunch of rice, Irish potatoes and beans, and, according to Bugingo, the Ministry of Local Government takes care of the upkeep and basic needs of the students.

The project is managed by the Association of Student Survivors of Genocide (AERG).

Upon taking over the project in March, last year, AERG worked closely with local authorities across the country to identify the most vulnerable orphans of the Genocide, and that is how the 192 were picked among the many.

Although there is still a lot to be done on the project, EARG recently urged for more assistance in having the children facilitated in skills development and education.

When First Lady Jeannette Kagame joined the youth at the hostel for an end of year party, she pledged to rally for more support for the children to get their needs.

According to AERG, there are 1,792 student Genocide orphans with no permanent shelter.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw