Success Stories
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Since PREFER began there has been many success stories, here are only a couple of examples.....
Nyirandegeya Marie Louise....It's Never Too Late:
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2012 was an exciting year for Nyirandegeya Marie Louise; it was her first year of school. Nyirandegeya is 21 years old and now attends grade 2 at Gashangiro Primary school just 3 blocks away from our preschool. She is living with a local family and PREFER assists her with a monthly allowance. Her report card for 1st term 2013 was 73%, and this year, 2019, Marie Louise continues with her studies...well done Marie Louise!
Thomas....from Street Boy to Self Sufficient:
Thomas came to PREFER through our Street Children Program. We began working with vulnerable youth in the district in 2009. These children were sleeping on sidewalks, begging or stealing food and could not read or write. They ranged in age from 6 - 22 years old.
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We offered the children a 3 month course in English and Math and had 125 children register. After 3 months we were able to place 90 students into schools in the district. The local government established 2 classrooms and 2 teachers and called them
"catch-up classes".
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Thomas was one of these children. He had lost his family and half his arm during the genocide. He became our bathroom monitor at PREFER Preschool. After a few months he left this job because he had saved enough money to open a small kiosk in town. Just a few months later he was building a small house of his own.
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PREFER only paid for 2 sheets of roofing and he is now sleeping safely in his own home. His shop is doing a booming business.
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Street Children:
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At the end of 2009 we began our Street Children program. From the original 125 children who benefitted from the program, 90 are attending school and living in a family environment. 14 of the children have been sponsored by PREFER for their secondary education. 5 are attending vocational training. Many are now operating their own suceessful businesses. We still meet at the PREFER school every Saturday morning for porridge and bread, a game of football, or an English lesson.
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PREFER continues to purchase all of the school supplies and medical insurance for these students. These children are no longer "Street Children". We have all decided they are called the "Saturday Morning Crowd".
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