When the Genocide against the Tutsi ended in July 1994 over million people had been murdered and a third of the victims were children. In addition to that tragedy, over 100,000 children were orphaned according to Unicef.

These children had been orphaned because either their parents were murdered during the Genocide, or they had passed away shortly after.

VIDEO: Survivor Series Ep.2: A Home To Call Our Own. Source: The New Times/YouTube

The challenge of finding homes for these vulnerable children was one that needed the involvement of the entire Rwandan community and one of the most successful campaigns to do so was the ‘One Dollar Campaign’.

The campaign, a brainchild of the Association of Student Survivors of the Genocide (AERG) and members of the Rwandan Diaspora, raised money within and outside the country, money that was put to good use.

With the money raised, the AERG hostel, commonly known as the One Dollar Campaign complex, was built at a cost of Rwf1.7 billion in the Kigali suburb of Kinyinya.

The complex, whose construction begun in 2011, today provides a home for 96 girls and 96 boys, not only ensuring that they have a roof over their heads but also a ready-made family as well.

Watch the second episode of our Survivor Series to delve into the lives of those living in the hostel and discover how living there has given them a new lease on life.