ORI is dedicated to helping orphans and other socially vulnerable young people in Rwanda pursue a university education and ultimately become leaders in driving economic development and social reconciliation.

Orphans of Rwanda, Inc. (ORI) works with local partners to make higher education a reality for orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda. More than 800,000 Rwandan children have been orphaned by the 1994 genocide and epidemic diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. Through close collaboration with orphanages, youth-focused community groups, and other organizations, ORI identifies motivated and talented children and young adults and enables them to achieve their educational goals. Working with our partners, ORI provides holistic support to students that goes beyond school and university fees to include healthcare, housing, mentoring and tutoring.

Orphans of Rwanda, Inc. (ORI) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting orphans and vulnerable children in Rwanda who have been affected by the 1994 genocide and diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Malaria. ORI provides targeted grants to strong local partners that have effective leadership and clear goals but lack the financial means to implement their plans. Our partners include orphanages, youth-focused community groups, and other NGOs.

While ORI's primary focus is on higher education, we undertake a broad range of support activities. These include assistance for primary and secondary education, healthcare, and orphanage infrastructure.

ORI's staff comprises a small fundraising team in the United States and a small management team on the ground in Rwanda, most of whom serve on a volunteer basis. These volunteers enable us to operate with an absolute minimum of administrative costs so that your donations will directly benefit the intended recipients.

ORI's principal strategic objectives are as follows:

1. To recruit, identify and select orphans and other vulnerable young people who have demonstrated academic talent and individual drive.

2. To provide financial and other forms of support designed to maximize the likelihood that ORI-selected students will complete their university degrees and be well-positioned to enter the mainstream economy after graduation.

3. To develop a successful, comprehensive program model that will help catalyze increased access to higher education for vulnerable children in other African countries.

Effective implementation of these goals depends, first, on careful selection of scholarship recipients and, second, on ORI's ability to design and provide appropriately holistic and individualized support programs to students throughout their university careers.

 Positions: ORI's basic model is one of direct support to individuals. Ultimately, however, ORI hopes to effect change on a systemic level. ORI also aims to develop innovative new models of support for orphans and vulnerable children. Armed with proof that helping the most vulnerable children in the world obtain a university education is both feasible and effective, we aim to convince policy-makers to take action.

Further information can be found at : http://www.orphansofrwanda.org