What We Do
Solace Ministries have 4 regional centres in Rwanda. They are based in Kabuga, Nyanza, Mugina and Nyamata. These centres are aimed at helping the organization to reach out to its beneficiaries nearer to their own homes and environment. The centres provide the following services:
Trauma Healing and Counselling – Solace has trained counsellors who help orphans and widows to open up and consequently, many have shared their sad experiences during the genocide. They receive crucial support from the counsellors who restore hope and a desire to live in them. Their needs are also addressed such as food, housing, school fees, medical care and funeral arrangements.
Community Development Based Programmes – Widows and young orphans are trained at the centre in crafts, embroidery, farming and tailoring. This helps them to generate income.
Healthcare and Treatment Project – A clinic will also be based at each of the centres to help with the health needs of the widows and orphans. An HIV programmes has also been started at Solace Ministries because many widows and young girls were raped and contracted HIV during the genocide. These women are provided with counselling and anti-retroviral treatment (ARV).
Children and Youth Camps – These operate during the holidays. The objectives of the camps are mainly trauma healing, re-establishing moral standards, preventing loneliness and despair, parenting and creating a network among youth without a family, so they can support one another.
School Sponsorship Program – Cost of Sending a Child to School.
Solace Ministries has also set up a campaign to enlist volunteers to sponsor children and young people to pursue their education in Rwanda. The following are estimated cost for sponsoring a child/young person through school.
1. Primary (and Nursery) School fees – This is £100 per child per year. Primary school lasts for 6years.
2. Secondary School fees – The cost is £250 per child per year. Secondary school also lasts for 6years.
3. Tertiary Education (University) – This could cost between £500 to £1,500 per year, depending on the course studied.