The Children         Meet the twenty boys and two girls who have stolen our hearts. All twenty-two are street children who, with your generous support, have been given the opportunity to leave street life and pursue their full potential. Their backgrounds are diverse and include: being orphaned by AIDS or genocide, suffering the neglect of their parents, and other abuse at home that makes life on the streets more tolerable than life at home. Yet behind their tough faces lie chilren who simply long to be loved.

Emmanuel Nteziryayo Habimana Age: 7 Family History: Emmanuel’s parents are very poor and often neglected Emmanuel. He used to go to the market to fetch leftover Irish potatoes and bananas from the garbage and bring them to his mom to cook. He got used to street life and began begging to get money for drugs. HFL staff found Emmanuel in jail cell and brought him to HFL in March 2009. Present Condition: “I feel good to be here and God answers my prayers. I used to pick up leftover foods to cook, but now I eat easily.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to draw birds and people and to play soccer.” Hopes: “I want to study, pray to God, and help vulnerable people. I also want to buy an airplane and be a medical doctor.”

Benjamin Nsabimana Age: 7 Family History: Nsabiri grew up with his abusive mother and many stepbrothers, including Emmanuel Nshimiyimana. He used to see his brother Emmanuel going to the market to steal food for them and he started following. Nsabiri began begging at a young age and gave the money to his mother to buy him food, but most of the money supported her alcoholism. Nsabiri also began buying drugs with the money he earned. He was arrested once and says, “it was scary.” He joined HFL in March 2009. Present Condition: “I’m living a good life at HFL. I got saved and I’m a good boy now and I know God. I like God.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to pray to God and to obey parents. I like to watch TV and to play soccer too.” Hopes: “I want to be the President of Rwanda and I want to help my family.”

Jackson Ishimwe Age: 7 Family History: At a young age, Jackson went to beg with his mother. The money supported his mother’s addiction to alcohol and sometimes she bought him food with it. His parents fought frequently and his father sometimes beat Jackson causing him and his siblings to often go to their neighbors to sleep. When his mom left, the beatings from his dad increased and Jackson escaped and started a life on the street where he began taking drugs. HFL staff found Jackson in a jail cell in March 2009 and accepted him into the program. Present Condition: “I am good at HFL. It’s a very good place. We’re not fighting or insulting each other. We pray to God together and we eat well and dress nicely.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to make cars and airplanes out of mud and to play soccer.” Hopes: “I will be a pilot and I will be praying to God.”

Simeon Igiraneza Age: 7 Family History: Simeon grew up in Kigali with both of his parents in an extremely large family. They were very poor and “It was hard for us to get food at home because there were so many people.” HFL staff deemed Simeon a very vulnerable child and accepted him into the program in July 2009. Present Condition: “I am happy at HFL. Whatever I need, I get it. And I thank God who brought me here.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to pray, to study, and to sing. I like to play soccer so much.” Hopes: “I want to be a gospel artist and I want to become a pilot.”

John Hagenimana Age: 10 Family History: John grew up with his mother, father and 4 siblings. His father’s alcoholism and inability to feed his family caused many fights between his parents and his mother often slept at her brother’s house. His parents refused to take John to school so everyday, John pushed his disabled friend Veterne’s wheelchair as he begged. HFL staff found John when they were bringing Veterne and Daniel to the home, and decided to accept him in December 2009. Present Condition: “I feel good at HFL. I play with other children and I watch TV.” Favorite Hobbies: "I like to clean the rabbits and to take care of them. I also like to wash my clothes and I enjoy running around the outside of the house.” Hopes: “I want to be a teacher.”

Obedi Mbarushimana Age: 10 Family History: Obedi’s father passed away when he was young, leaving his mother to take care of him and his 3 siblings. At a young age, Obedi was forced to cultivate fields with his mother to get food for his family. Obedi started going to school but was kicked out when his mom couldn’t afford to buy him a uniform. HFL discovered Obedi’s vulnerability and he was brought to HFL in November 2009. Present Condition: “I like it here. My needs are met and they teach us discipline. We eat well and we get clothes.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to play soccer and volleyball. I like to serve God too.” Hopes: “I want to be a minister and I want to serve God and take my family from poverty.”

Daniel Niyogushimwa Age: 11 Family History: Daniel’s parents separated when he was young and he went to live with his father who began abusing him physically. Daniel left to live with his mom but she did not have the means to provide for all her children, and Daniel was forced to live with his brother Veterne in Kigali. Daniel spent his days on the streets pushing his crippled brother Veterne and helping him beg. He met HFL staff and came to the home in December 2009 with his brother and best friend John. Present Condition: “I am happy to be here and I will soon go to school. I am asking God that I will be a good student. I sleep in a good place and I watch TV here. I thank God because he brought me from the street to HFL.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to push my brother Veterne and I like having time to talk with other boys. I also really like to play soccer.” Hopes: “I want to study and to be a good student. I also want to be a pastor or a teacher.”

Elijah Muhawenimana Age: 12 Family History: When Muhawe was only 5 months old, his mother was killed by rebels while he was strapped to her back. His mother's killers took Muhawe and laid him in the bush where he spent 4 days until people passing heard his cries. He was sent to the Western Province to grow up at his cousin's house because his widowed father was forced to move to Kigali to try and earn money. When Muhawe was around 8 years old, he started behaving badly and his cousin refused to care for him anymore. His father took him to Kigali to live with him, but Muhawe could not tolerate the deep poverty his father was living in and ran away to begin life on the streets. His former nickname on the streets was Rwaranunemeye, meaning "rejected by death." Present Condition: : "I feel good now. I get whatever I need at HFL." Favorite Hobbies: "I like helping at the house, taking care of our rabbits, and playing soccer." Hopes: "I want to be a pilot or a driver."

Pacifique Niyitanga Age: 13 Family History: At 5 years old, Pacifique was orphaned and began living with his aunt. However, Pacifique started misbehaving and went to live on the streets where he was arrested for being a street boy, When Pacifique was released, he went to live with his aunt again but due to verbal abuse and extreme poverty he was forced onto the streets. Once again Pacifique was imprisoned, and when he was released in March 2009 he came to live at HFL. Present Condition: “I am so happy because I am a child in a family. I am very well here. I don’t see anything bad here.” Favorite Hobbies: “I love to pray, to study, and to play soccer.” Hopes: “In my future, I want to be a valuable man. I want to be a leader. Maybe I can start by being a district leader and then be a president, if God wishes.”

Veterne Uwanyirigira Age: 13 Family History: Veterne was born with a disability that has rendered him crippled. Because his father was physically abusive, Veterne was forced to live with him his mother who did not have the means to care for him. His mother left Kigali to farm and provide for her family, but Veterne and several of his siblings remained by themselves in the city. As the new head of the household, Veterne provided money for rent and his sisters’ school by begging. He taught himself how to read and write and soon wanted to stop begging and go to school. Veterne’s family allowed him and his younger brother to leave a life of begging and come to HFL in December 2009, in exchange for HFL paying for his sisters’ school fees. Present Condition: “I have no problems now. I had enough of begging and now I get to go to school.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to play musical instruments.” Hopes: “I want to study and I’m happy because I’m improving. I hope to speak English to my family one day and they’ll say, ‘Why did we keep him from studying?’ I also want to be a medical doctor.”

Emmanuel Habimana Age: 13 Family History: Habimana’s father died when he was young. He spent his childhood looking after cows and after years of enduring abuse from his sister, he went to Kigali and began living on the streets. He was arrested and taken to another street children’s center but quickly escaped and went back to the streets. Habimana was taken out of jail in March 2009 by HFL. During the first few months, Habimana had difficulty adjusting and escaped a few times but he always came back. He has since vowed to never leave HFL. Present Condition: “I have no problems here at HFL and I am happy.” Favorite Hobbies: “I love to study, to play soccer and to sing.” Hopes: “I want to continue studying.”

Patrick Tuyabahe Age: 13 Family History: Patrick has a father, 2 siblings, and a mother with a mental disability in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. “Life was bad in my family because we were very poor and it was hard for us to get food.” Sometimes, Patrick would leave home to work and find food and he would return to the beatings of his father. Patrick grew up living in a grass hut and couldn’t afford to attend school. HFL staff found Patrick on a visit to the Eastern Province and accepted him into the program in September 2009. Favorite Hobbies: “I like to study Kinyarwanda and to pray.” Hopes: “I want to study and to pray. I want to be a good singer who pleases God. I also want to be a policeman or a soldier.”

Yves Maniragena Age: Yves guesses that he is around 13 years old. Family History: Yves' father has been in prison since he was a baby. His mother, who has a slight mental disability, remarried twice and Yves now has 3 step-siblings. When his mother could no longer provide food for all of her children, Yves left to help his family find food. He began stealing from the market and would take the food back to his family. He continued living on the streets because “there was nothing at home” and came to HFL in March 2009. Present Condition: “Life at HFL is good. I am so happy here and I am very well. My desires are met here, and soon I will go to school. We were still bad boys when we came, but HFL has been so good to us.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to play soccer and to be with other people.” Hopes: “I hope to study and to help children to leave the street and have a good life like the one I have now. I want the children to call me Papa and I want to teach them the good behaviors that my second parents here have taught me. I want to take my mother from poverty and I will help other poor people in my valley.”

Claude Ngaboyisonga Age: 14 Family History: Claude never knew his father and experienced verbal and physical abuse from his mother’s husband. They stopped providing for him and forced Claude onto the streets where he began stealing to survive. While on the streets he also became addicted to drugs. When he arrived at HFL in October 2009, he came to know Christ and has left his street life behind him. “Life on the streets was so hard for me. I would get sick and couldn’t find medicine and I slept under a bridge.” Present Condition: “I feel good to be at HFL because I am treated very well and all of my needs are provided for. Life here is very different from the streets.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to play soccer and to be with other children. I love to be in peace with everyone. I also enjoy raising rabbits. I have 4 rabbits.” Hopes: “My hope is to study and to be wise at school. After I finish school, I want to help my family.”

D’Amour Habinshuti Age: 14 Family History: By the time D’Amour was 4 both of his parents had died. A pastor took him and his little sister and they lived with them for 2 years, but they were beaten, mistreated, and eventually abandoned by the family. D’Amour was rescued by a man who took them into their home but once again, they were violently abused. They tried to live with their older siblings but they didn’t have the means to take care of them. D’Amour found a group of other orphans to live with in an abandoned building. When HFL staff discovered his situation, they accepted him into HFL in September 2009. Present Condition: “I am happy now and I have no problems. No one can take me away from here.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to study and to play soccer.” Hopes: “I want to study and become a leader or a minister.”

Berco Maniraguha Age: 14 Family History: Berco grew up with his mother and step-father, but left his home when his parents forced him to work at a young age. His mother brought him back but she was soon arrested for making and selling unauthorized beer. Berco went to live with his grandmother but escaped and went to look after goats. When his employers refused to pay him, Berco left and started living on the streets and taking drugs. He met HFL staff who accepted him into the program in September 2009. Favorite Hobbies: “I like to play soccer and to raise rabbits.” Hopes: “I want to study and to serve my country. In the future I want to help my mother and I am dreaming of becoming a medical doctor.”

Paul Bizimana Age: 15 Family History: Paul was born in Tanzania into a large, polygamous family who struggled with poverty and alcoholism. Because their family was facing starvation Paul was sent to work, but the money he made was taken by his parents to buy alcohol. When Paul refused to work to support his parent’s alcoholism, he was chased away from his house and came to Rwanda where he became a houseboy. He began doing drugs, stealing, was fired from his job, and was then arrested. A street children’s program took Paul in, but he was forced to do child labor so left. In March 2009 Paul met HFL staff and came to HFL. Present Condition: “HFL is very different from other centers. I feel so happy because they taught us how to pray. I have a good life here at HFL. The thing that makes me the happiest is that I realize God’s power and I know Him now. I know that one day I’ll go to heaven.” Favorite Hobbies: “I love to study English and to play soccer.” Hopes: “I will go all around the world preaching the good news of God.”

Emmanuel Nshimiyimana (Nicknamed “Baby) Age: 15 Family History: Emmanuel’s father died when he was a baby and his mother was an abusive alcoholic. After being nearly beaten to death, Emmanuel began living on the streets and stealing to make money. When Emmanuel’s mother came after him with a machete, he vowed to never return to her home. Today, his mother lives in a garbage dump with his two older brothers. Emmanuel has forgiven his mother and wishes to reconcile with his family and share his testimony. He arrived at HFL in March 2009. Present Condition: “The thing I like the most here is that we pray and they don’t force you to do anything. They just help you to make your choice. HFL has helped me to know the importance of prayer because before I didn’t know why people prayed. Now I know that whatever we need, we should pray for.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to play basketball and to draw.”

John Peter Mwizerwa Age: 15 Family History: By the time Mwizerwa was a toddler, his mother had died and his father was in prison. When his father died in the prison, Mwizerwa and his twin sister were left as orphans and they went to live with their grandmother. Mwizerwa was able to go to school, but had to drop out due to problems with his eyes. His grandmother was an alcoholic and he began drinking with her at a young age, and soon became addicted to alcohol. He began cultivating a field with his grandmother to support their addiction. HFL staff discovered Mwizerwa’s situation and brought him to HFL in November 2009. Present Condition: “Life is good. I didn’t know how to pray when I came here, but now I know. I’m sleeping on a mattress and watching TV for the first time. And now, I can dress in jeans, a shirt, and shoes.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like to play soccer and volleyball.” Hopes: “I want to study and to become a minister.”

Vital “David” Hitimana Age: 16 Family History: David was neglected by his parents and experienced regular physical and emotional abuse. His parents forced him to drop out of school and made him into a servant in his own house; caring for the house and the fields while his siblings continued their studies and didn’t have to work. David left home to find a better life, but was soon arrested. He remembers, “I used to feel so sad because if my family was a good family, I wouldn’t have been there.” When he was released, he went searching for a way to continue his studies and was accepted into HFL in September 2009. Present Condition: “I feel well here because I can get the things I need, unlike at my home. I have time to play and I feel more secure here. Before, my mind was filled with violent thoughts, but now it is full of peace.” David possesses a humble demeanor and has great integrity. While on the streets, he never took drugs and maintained his belief in God. He hopes to reconcile with his family and tell them his testimony. Hopes: “I want to be a man who is looking for peace. I want to study and help other vulnerable people who were like me.”

Aline Akingeneye Age: 14 Family History: Aline’s parents separated when she was young and her father stopped caring for his 10 children. Because Aline’s mom wasn’t able to support 10 children on her own, she was forced to move to Kigali with her older sister Rachel, and her younger brothers Daniel and Veterne. Aline used to spend her days pushing her disabled brother Veterne’s wheelchair while he begged. When HFL discovered Veterne and Daniel and accepted them into their residential program, Aline was left with no source of income. Thus, HFL now supports Aline from her brother’s home, providing school fees and materials for her basic needs. Present Condition: “I am happy because I am now in Primary 7 and because HFL provides for my school fees and clothes. I am doing well in school.” Favorite Hobbies: “I like playing soccer and listening to music.” Hopes: “I want to continue studying and be a nurse someday.”

Rachel Niyonsenga Age: 16 Family History:Rachel’s parents separated when she was young and her father stopped caring for his 10 children. Because Rachel’s mom wasn’t able to support 10 children on her own, she was forced to move to Kigali with her younger siblings. Rachel was the head of their household for approximately 2 years, supporting themselves from the earnings that her disabled brother Veterne earned from begging. When HFL discovered Veterne and Daniel and accepted them into their residential program, Rachel was left with no source of income. Thus, HFL now supports Rachel from her brother’s home, providing school fees and materials for her basic needs. Present Condition: “I am happy because since 2010, HFL provides for my school fees, materials, clothes and my other basic needs.” Favorite Hobbies: “I love music and playing soccer.” Hopes: “I want to study and to become a nurse in the future.”