Rwanda
Rusayo, a community rising from unimaginable loss. Our very first project, and the one that started it all.
Rusayo: a community choosing to rebuild
Rwanda carries the weight of one of the most devastating genocides of the 20th century. In its aftermath, communities like Rusayo were left with shattered infrastructure, orphaned children, and collapsed institutions that once held the community together. Yet Rwandans showed a remarkable determination to rebuild, and it was this spirit that drew Kids at Play here for their very first project.
The Rusayo orphanage was home to children who had lost everything. A place of refuge that itself needed urgent rebuilding. When we arrived, we found gratitude, resilience, and a community ready to work alongside us.
A playground, a monastery, and a community rebuilt
In 2008, Kids at Play built a playground for the children of the Rusayo orphanage. We also fully reconstructed a 400 m2 monastery that had collapsed. When we returned to inspect the work, the gratitude of the local people was striking and became the fuel that fired every project that followed. Total cost: €13,000, raised before and after the project execution.
Where it all started
€13,000 raised. Here is how.
Raised across two phases, before and after the project, through the Kids at Play charity run and the generosity of donors who trusted us from day one.
The Rusayo orphanage community
The project was built hand in hand with the Rusayo orphanage and local community members who contributed their own labour and knowledge. Their gratitude on our return visit is what lit the fire for everything Kids at Play has done since.
Gratitude that changed everything
This was our first project, and we learned everything on the ground. Rebuilding a 400 m2 structure in post-conflict Rwanda with limited logistics was a genuine test of will. What we did not expect was the depth of gratitude when we returned to inspect the work. That moment gave Kids at Play its reason to keep going, and directly motivated every project that followed.
Rwanda
Our first project, completed in 2008.
A place that will always be part of our story.
to more children.
Rwanda started something. Every project since has been powered by people like you who believe every child deserves a place to play, learn, and grow.