Discover more
Rwanda
More than
106,000
children served
More than
420
local partners
Serving since
1980
In Rwanda
Rwanda, the “land of a thousand hills,” draws tourists with its sweeping savanna, expansive lakes and wildlife. Many who call Rwanda home struggle to access basic healthcare and education. The children Compassion serves experience these realities on a daily basis. But at the Compassion project, there is hope.
Pray for Rwanda
Pray with us for:
God’s protection over vulnerable children and families in Rwanda.
God’s provision for families affected by natural disasters.
Endurance for staff and church partners ministering in communities.
Did You Know?
On the last Saturday of the month, the entire population of Rwanda participates in three hours of community improvement projects. The practice is called Umuganda.
Sponsor a child in Rwanda
Child sponsorship with Compassion is a unique opportunity to provide a child with food, clean water, shelter, clothing and medical care.
Official Country Name: Republic of Rwanda
Capital City: Kigali
Population: More than 12.9 million
Official Languages: Kinyarwanda
Life expectancy: Male 67 years, female 71 years
Population with access to safe drinking water: 12%
Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths / 1,000 live births
Percentage of children under the age of 5 underweight: 7.7%
Adult literacy rate: Male 78%, female 69%
Religion: Approximately 44% of the population are Roman Catholic, 38% are Protestant, 2% are Muslim, 16% are of another/unspecified religion or none.
Percentage living on less than $1.90 a day: 56.5%
Source: CIA World Factbook, International Religious Freedom Report, released in 2021 by the Office of International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State
Providing support in Rwanda
Meet Beatrice. She’s a foster mother to 15 children! Her story reminds us that we don’t need money to act with kindness. After surviving the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Beatrice believed God spared her life for a reason. “I made a vow to God that I would take care of vulnerable children. God protected me from the killers so that I could serve Him,” she says. With her biological children grown up, Beatrice welcomed 12 orphaned or abandoned children into her home, plus her niece and two nephews. “She is a mother with a heart for the nation,” says Colette, a staff member at Compassion’s local church partner. Beatrice was empowered to start a tailoring business to support her family through Compassion’s Highly Vulnerable Child Fund. “Beatrice’s love for children teaches us every day that you don’t have to have much to take care of vulnerable people. She sacrifices all she has to see that the children get enough to eat and have a roof over their heads,” says Colette. “Above all, she teaches them that God loves them always.”