Rwanda: street children's center

Six years before the Rwandan Civil War / Genocide of 1994, the Swiss Othmar Würth (Brothers of the Christian Schools FEC, also known as La Salle Brothers) founded the «Centre Intiganda», a centre for street children in the southern city of Butare-Huye. Our centre provides street children with the security, supervision and support they need on their path towards living a dignified and independent life. Our work focuses on three key areas:

Admission: The centre is a refuge for street children, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our social workers actively seek to establish contact with the children and young people on the street and gain their trust.

Resocialisation: Street children are physically and emotionally marked by their struggle for survival. At the Centre Intiganda they find human warmth and qualified support on their path to a healthy childhood: safe and protected, nourished and strengthened in body and soul.

Reintegration: Once the children present natural social behaviour, we try to reintegrate them into their families. When this is not possible, we entrust them to carefully selected foster families. This ensures that they grow up in healthy African social structures. We support the families and keep in touch with the schools. The centre remains important for the children and their families or foster families. After graduating from school, the young people learn a trade, all the while supported by us. At the age of about twenty, they take their lives into their own hands as independent and integrated members of society.

The Centre Intiganda is embedded in the Catholic Church, however its work is interdenominational. It is supported by the Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes – FEC, both in the pedagogical as well as in the administrative areas. The FEC are committed to children, schools and education around the world. Our eleven staff members are all Rwandans, qualified both on a personal and as well as on a professional level.

Gate to the Centre Intiganda, leading to safety and protection and a healthy childhood and adolescence.

Overpopulation, family problems and the still evident effects of the Civil War lead to poverty – Street children are the victims of these circumstances.

Marked by their struggle for survival on the street: new arrivals at the entrance of the Centre Intiganda.

Children all over the world deserve: safety and protection – affection and acceptance – nourishment and care – to play and to learn.

Personal hygiene contributes to a healthy sense of self – This does not necessarily come naturally to street children.

To sleep – without having to fear the police, dogs or rivalling street gangs.

Community and responsibility at the Centre Intiganda – Animals also deserve to be respected and cared for.

The opportunity to just enjoy being a kid – an important aspect at the Centre Intiganda.

The Swiss support association Children Help Network maintains close contact to the Centre Intiganda – by phone and e-mail – and by visiting, roughly every two years.

Vocational training after graduation: "Real" boys are interested in engines – in Rwanda too!

Getting to know lorries is part of the training – former street children repairing a lorry’s diesel engine.

Motorbikes are common, so demand for maintenance and repair is high.

A lot of construction is going on in Rwanda, meaning that carpenter apprentices have good job opportunities.

A former street child learning to weld – how wonderful!

A former street child, now a qualified bricklayer. His mother was unable to feed him – thanks to the Centre Intiganda his life has taken a turn for the better.

Frère Othmar Würth (FEC), founder of the Centre Intiganda, a centre for street children which opened in Butare, Rwanda in 1988.

Should this boy be left to fend for himself on the street?

Which talents and possibilities are waiting to be discovered in this boy?

"Intiganda" means, "I will not allow myself to be discouraged!" Community, a happy childhood and a successful start in life – the Centre Intiganda lends a helping hand.