Chair of Survivors Fund (SURF), Samantha Hunt MBE, has launched a crowdfunder appeal with a target to try raise £60,000 to complete and equip Philly’s Place, a vital community and children’s education centre in Rwanda.

As Sam writes….

Children in Rwanda know that education is their main route out of poverty in later life so many walk for miles every day to get that chance. Philly’s Place caters for children who do attend government schools but are motivated to extend and maximise their learning potential by studying from our library of 4,500 text books and reference books. We also cater for the many children of the district who cannot afford to attend school regularly, providing them with the that vital access to education they will need to work themselves out of poverty.

In just a year Philly’s Place has become a vital community hub where families can bring their children and orphaned children can find a hope for a better future. In addition, we have partnered with a nearby residential home for elderly survivors of the genocide. Having the regular opportunity to read and play with the children at Philly’s Place has given the survivors, most of whom lost their entire families during the genocide, a great deal of joy and comfort.

All of the resources and programmes at Philly’s Place are offered free of charge and, as a result, we have been overrun with children desperate to get in.

And herein lies our problem. The rented premises from which we are currently operating is small and every day we are having to turn children away, which is heartbreaking.

We have therefore started to build a much larger, permanent centre which, when opened, will be able to cater for hundreds of children. It will provide computers and a well-stocked library of educational books and resources for the children to use, to support their studies and vital opportunities for many children who would otherwise be denied access to education altogether.

The construction of the building is well underway. However, we are desperately trying to raise the final £60,000 required to complete and equip the centre so that we can finally open the doors.

Philly’s Place has been made possible through a partnership of Survivors Fund (SURF), and Samantha Hunt MBE. Any help you can give, however great or small, will be so appreciated. Your support will ensure that the future of countless children in Rwanda is one of hope and prosperity.

To donate, please visit the crowdfunder appeal here.