River's Promise

River’s Promise was started to help River’s earliest friends in the orphanage where he had lived. Even as we expanded our impact, we still call all the orphans that we help, “River’s Friends” Here are some of the stories of children that we have met at orphanages & are helping.

Damascene is a boy who came to the orphanage in 2004 when he was 6 years old. He had been picked up from the forest where he was living alone. Authorities looked for his parents but could not trace where he came from. He told them that he did not have a mother and had been living with his father, but then his father had “gone crazy” and then left him alone. After this, he decided to live in the forest. He wants to be a “leader” when he grows up. River’s Promise is providing his education and also provided him a bed.

Moise is a boy who came to the orphanage as a toddler in 2004. Local government officials brought him to the orphanage, along with his little sister who was 8 months at the time. They had been abandoned. The little sister became sick & passed away after a few months in the orphanage. Moise wants to grow up to be the President of Rwanda. He has just started school and River’s Promise is providing his school fees, textbooks, & school uniform. We also provided him with a bed.

Chance is a girl who was brought in as a newborn in 2004. She was found abandoned on the soccer field in Mburabuturo. She has now begun kindergarten and wants to grow up to be a doctor. River’s Promise is providing her education and also provided her a bed.

Roger is a boy who wants to grow up to be a builder. He was sent to the orphanage with 3 siblings by local authorities in 2000 when he was 6 years old after his mother died from HIV/AIDS. Two of his siblings had the same disease and have since passed away. He now is at the orphanage with only one remaining brother. River’s Promise is providing his education and also has provided him a bed.

Dorcas is a girl who wants to grow up and be a Pastor. She was found abandoned as a baby in 2002 and was brought to the orphanage by local government officials.

Jeanine is a girl who was 16 when she came to the orphanage in November 2008. She was brought by the police who rescued her from a bad situation at another orphanage. Both her parents had died in war so she was taken to another orphanage where that orphanage owner was arrested and put in jail. She had been mistreated to the point of becoming suicidal. Local police rescued her and brought her to a new orphanage where River’s Promise has been able to provide her a new bed/bedding, as well as the opportunity to now go to school.

Muhirwa came to the orphanage in 2003 after being picked up by 3 men who found him somewhere on the roadside as a newborn. His umbilical cord had not even healed. He now wants to grow up to be President. River’s Promise has provided him bedding and is helping to provide his access to education with school fees, textbooks, & uniforms.

Vanessa arrived at the orphanage as a baby in 2004. She was brought into the orphanages after she had been found abandoned. She wants to grow up to be a doctor. River’s Promise has provided her with bedding and we’re excited to help her attend school when she reaches school age.

Yves came to the orphanage in 2000 when he was just a baby. He was brought by solidiers who found him on the roadside one night. When they found him, he was surrounded by wild dogs which were ready to eat him. He wants to grow up to be a singer/musician. We have provided Yves with bedding and also his school fees, textbooks, & uniforms through River’s Promise.

Nelson arrived at the orphanage in December 2008. He was only 2 months old and was brought by a social work from an area in Rwanda called Kanombe. He had been born prematurely but they couldn’t find the mother, she had either died or had someone drop him off at government office. River’s Promise provided a crib for this baby.

Mose wants to be a soccer star. He came to the orphanage in 2003 as a baby. He had been picked up from a drainage hole in Gatenga, Rwanda and the workers had to take the stones away to get him out. He also had a rope around his neck which left sores that thankfully healed. We have provided his school fees, textbooks, & school uniform . . . as well as provided him a bed.