Welding & Fabrication School

Introduction

I was first introduced to the country of Rwanda through a friend who told me about PHARP (Peacebuilding, Healing, and Reconciliation Program), a group working with survivors and perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Their goal is reintegration, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Since then, during my 17 years of visits and various projects, I have seen a tremendous effort and focus on women and children by the government, NGOs (Non-Government Organizations), and church groups, as well as through income projects, farming, child sponsorships and more that I have led. This was and still is necessary as a result of all the wreckage and damage to the family structure after the genocide. Even after 30 years, there is so much needed to rebuild the country and heal the wounds of trauma that are still ongoing. I have noticed that very little has been done for the men of Rwanda to train, equip, and build up. On my last visit, I spent two months in the northern district of Gicumbi. My heart was especially troubled as I saw groups of men sitting around, especially young men with nothing to do, no skill, no access to education, and really, not much opportunity to earn money and provide for themselves or their families.

Project Details

According to the African Economic Outlook-Rwanda, in 2012, over 42% of young people in Rwanda were unemployed or underemployed in subsistence agriculture due to skills mismatch and limited job growth. While this is an old statistic, it has not changed that much.

Since then, it has become a passion of mine to create spaces for training and building up men by starting a trade school where men can, over 12 months, learn a trade and be trained in healthy, functional living. Ultimately, they will be certified and have practical skills that they can use to earn money to provide for themselves and their family.

Are you interested in partnering with me to achieve this vision? We are currently looking to raise $17,235 to start a welding school teaching basic welding skills, fabrication and more. The money will purchase the equipment, all the materials, and cover the cost of a teacher’s salary for 12 months. This project will serve 50 men.

Join Us

If you feel led to give a tax-deductible donation, you can do so by texting HelpRwanda to 53-555 or filling out the donation form on this page. Please feel free to contact me at brent@kingdomconduit.org with any questions regarding this project or our current work in Rwanda.