As a teenager, whenever she was given money for upkeep at school or to braid her hair, she would instead buy scholastic materials for poor kids in her neighbourhood.

In doing this, Gloria Gatsinzi, now 24, realised that helping vulnerable kids go to school was her calling.

"It became a tradition, that whenever my parents did school shopping for me, I got half of it and gave it to vulnerable nearby children to use at school,” she recalls.

This went on until her senior six vacation when she got a small job and decided to use her little salary to help children. She upgraded from giving them scholastic materials to sometimes chipping in with the little she had for their tuition.

"Although Rwanda is lucky to have a flexible education system to help all children attain an education, some parents are too poor that they cannot afford even the little money required of them to contribute. I did not know what these vulnerable children were going through, until I decided to start helping them with the little I had,” she says.

Realising the need to help so many children like the ones in her neighbourhood, she formed a small organisation she called, Gloria Foundation, an organisation that aims at providing vulnerable children with the tools required to go back to school.

Back to school. Gatsinzi partnered with MTN Rwanda to help children from vulnerable families. 

She began working with friends as volunteers and started off with 35 children that the organisation takes care of. Two years later, Gatsinzi says the number increased to 77 kids, thanks to well-wishers who learnt of her project through social media.

Early this year, she began her ‘Back to school’ campaign, where she partnered with MTN Rwanda and gave children scholastic materials, while 11 children were given tuition to take them through school.

The graduate in finance from Kigali Independent University says her resources come from her salary and a few well-wishers.

"Helping doesn’t have limits. All it requires is a big heart and what might seem a luxury to you could be a necessity for someone else.

"I’m very passionate about helping kids because they are like seeds. The more we invest in them, the more we are assured of our leaders and heroes of tomorrow. These children from vulnerable families are depending on us to break the cycle of poverty through a decent education, and it makes me smile to see them go back to school,” Gatsinzi says.

Gloria Gatsinzi giving books to children.

While she looks forward to increasing the number of beneficiaries in her organisation, she also hopes to start up a feeding programme for these kids so that they have a smooth learning time at school.

"I listen to these children’s stories and some go for days without a decent meal while others go to school on an empty stomach. We cannot expect them to concentrate in class if they are studying on an empty stomach,” she says.

Her other dream is to help lift these children’s parents out of poverty so they can sustain their families and take better care of their children.

"One way,” she says, "is through a cooperative where these parents buy food and utilities for sale, and the profits go to growing their business and empowering them economically.”

Her message to young people like her is to never limit themselves when it comes to helping their communities.

"There is so much you can do with the very little that you have. I started with just Rwf20, 000 but it turned out to create a huge impact. Do not sit comfortably and think only of yourself when there is a lot that needs to be done in our communities,” she says.

The goal is to reach children in remote areas who can’t afford an education.