UMUTONI | Rwanda

Six years ago, Umutoni’s father was taken to prison. Umutoni’s mother became haunted by the idea of her husband rotting in prison, and she could not stand the thought of him being gone for so long. Overcome by despair, she abandoned Umutoni and her sister with their uncle, Zachariah.

Despite Zachariah’s hard life and heavy responsibilities, he welcomed them into his family of three children, his mother, and his wife. But the family struggled with poverty. Providing for basic needs and paying school fees was impossible.

Umutoni dreamed of becoming a pilot, but felt her dream slipping away. She deeply felt the absence of her parents and her future was unknown if she couldn’t continue going to school.

But then the family was introduced to our child sponsorship program. Zachariah says if it wasn’t for the program, he wouldn’t have been able to continue supporting his nieces.

Umutoni says she felt loved and cared for immediately upon entering the program—she hadn’t had someone ask if she’d had breakfast in a long time.

Today, this quiet nine year old is again determined to become a pilot. She attends school and her materials are provided. She also receives food and medical assistance, and caseworkers visit her regularly.

The whole family wholeheartedly thanks Prison Fellowship International not only for lifting many burdens from their shoulders, but also for their example and outreach which led Zachariah to restore his relationship with Christ.

Help keep a child like Umutoni’s dreams alive.

Sponsor a Child

Learn more about our child sponsorship program