In 2024, while visiting Kayonza District, Mwiri Sector, I experienced a moment that deeply affirmed the Christian calling to serve “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40).
During a heavy rainstorm, I took shelter in a small goat shed. There, I met a nine-year-old boy named Gerome Manirakiza, who along with his brothers and sisters was responsible for tending goats instead of attending school. None of the children were enrolled in primary education. Their daily lives reflected hardship, responsibility beyond their years, and limited opportunity.
Moved by compassion, I asked the child a simple question: “What can I do for you?”
His response was immediate and profound: “Nyigisha.”
In Kinyarwanda, this means “Educate me.”
That single word echoed the biblical truth that wisdom and understanding are treasures to be sought (Proverbs 4:7). Despite poverty and circumstance, this child recognized education as a pathway to hope, dignity, and a better future. Notably, Gerome shared my surname Manirakiza — a reminder that before God, we are one family, entrusted with responsibility for one another.
Responding to this call, I took action to enroll Gerome and his brothers and sisters in a nearby primary school. This included school registration, coordination with local leaders, and provision of basic scholastic support. Today, all children are regularly attending school and performing well academically — a visible testimony to what happens when compassion is matched with action.
This encounter revealed a wider reality in rural communities: many children remain out of school not because they lack ability or desire, but because poverty denies them opportunity. It also confirmed that small, faith-driven interventions can yield lasting transformation.
Inspired by Christ's teaching to “let the little children come” (Matthew 19:14), this initiative seeks to restore hope through education by identifying out-of-school children, enrolling them in primary education, and supporting them to thrive academically and spiritually.
With the partnership of faith-based donors and NGOs, this vision can be expanded to serve many more vulnerable children — transforming lives, strengthening families, and building communities grounded in faith, dignity, and opportunity.