We believe housing is a human right. Everyone deserves refuge from the elements and to raise their children in a safe and sanitary environment. It is our vision that once the fundamental need for shelter has been met, the families who dwell in these homes will have the opportunity to start building their own independent lives.
Inshuti of Rwanda is dedicated to providing shelter to genocide survivors, single mothers, hard-working father families and disabled indivduals living in deplorable conditions due to a lack of resources. Our families typically have three or more school-age children. By focusing on younger families, our houses will have a longer-lasting impact by improving their lives early on.
We are committed to creating local jobs by employing a 100% Rwandan team to conduct our programming. Through our house-building projects we are providing over 150 stable jobs with livable wages for the Inshuti community. Our two-prong approach to community development provides houses to those living in deplorable conditions and ensures employment for families to support themselves.
Hassan is an Inshuti mason. Before working with us, he spent years building a house for his family brick-by-brick with the small amount of money he earned. The house was constructed with cheap materials, old roofing sheets and the family slept on dirt floors.
We built Hassan's family a new house and provided them with essential items such as; cookware, beds, mattresses, bedding, and a pit latrine. After the first night in his new home, Hassan said, “Up to now, I never would believe that I could own a real house.”
Hassan continues to work hard for his family and is dedicated to improving their lives. He saved money to install metal-framed glass windows and doors and also sends his five boys to private school for a better education.
Rosa’s 1st Trip to Rwanda
April 2011
Rosa travels to Rwanda for the first time with the University of Florida, Arts in Medicine Program. She meets Felix, the program translator and falls in love with Rwanda. She sees a need, but doesn’t yet know how to help.
Rosa Returns
November 2012
Honoring her initial impulse in 2011, Rosa returns to Rwanda and volunteers for Rwanda Sustainable Families, a micro-loan organization. During this trip she and Felix conduct home visits to loan recipients.
Solome & Rosa Meet
November 2012
During a home visit Rosa meets Solome, and her family, who were living in a corrugated metal structure with a tarp roof. Walking home, Felix turns to Rosa and says, “You should come back next year and build them a house.”
A House for Solome
November 2012
Even before leaving Rwanda, Rosa decides she wants to build a house for Solome.
The 1st House is Built
March 2014
Rosa raises $4,000 and returns to facilitate the construction of Solome’s house. Felix & Rosa begin learning how to build houses in Rwanda.
Inshuti is Unofficially Created
May 2014
When Rosa returns home she raises $9,500 in the hopes of building more houses. This is when Inshuti of Rwanda was unofficially created.
Four New Houses
January 2015
Rosa and Felix assist in the construction of 4 homes and developed the standard Inshuti house model. They also visited Solome, finding she made her house into a home. Her children were clean, in school, happy and healthy.
Inshuti Becomes a Non-Profit
September 2015
Rosa decides that Inshuti needs to become official to help more families. A board of directors is created and 501(c)3 nonprofit paperwork is filed.
The 2016 Build
January 2016
With $15,000 raised, Rosa and Felix oversee the construction of 6 new homes. One year later, the 2015 families are able to focus on their own futures.
New Beds for New Homes
March 2016
Exceeding our fundraising goal allowed us to provide beds, mattresses, bedding and mosquito nets for all the 2015 and 2016 families.
Inshuti Website Launch
October 2016
For several months Scott and Rosa work at creating a website for Inshuti.
10 New Homes
January 2017
What a successful year! Felix, Hussein and Rosa oversee the construction of 10 new homes for Inshuti families.
Cookware For Families
February 2017
In 2017, Inshuti started supplying cookware to families. Previously, women were cooking in pots with holes in them or borrowing from neighbors.
Rwandan Government Collaboration
February 2017
Inshuti and the local Rwandan government are teaming up to build two Umuryango Family Houses, housing eight families in total.
The 2020 Build
January 2020
In 2020, we raised $36,000 which allowed us to build 11 standard Inshuti homes and two Umuryango Family homes. A total of 19 families were housed this year.
Covid-19 Food Aid
May 2020
As the world faced the Covid-19 pandemic, our Inshuti families suffered under a strict lockdown. We raised $6,000 for emergency food aid to feed over 60 families for several months during Covid.
Campaigns For Families
September 2020
Inshuti launches campaigns for families. Campaigns are run by individuals, schools, or groups who want to support a Rwandan family in need of shelter. They raise money from their circle of friends and family with the end goal of funding the construction of a new house for their Inshuti family. These campaigns allow for more than the building of homes it also builds a bridge between communities.
Officially An NGO In Rwanda
November 2020
Inshuti of Rwanda’s registration with the Rwanda Government Board (RGB) was approved and became an NGO in Rwanda. A new Rwandan board of directors is formed to meet government regulations and to ensure we continue to support the Inshuti community most effectively.
We Build 15 Houses
February 2021
Committed to helping more people with each build, in 2021 we constructed 15 new houses and provided over 150 local jobs with liveable wages to our growing Inshuti community.
Inshuti Has Interns
November 2021
Inshuti partners with Talanta and begins offering NGO Management, Digitial Media and Communication internships. The first interns jump into projects and immediately join the Inshuti team.
January 2022 Build
January 2022
Ten more houses are built, but that’s not all we have planned for 2022.
Inshuti Has An Office
April 2022
We have an office; right in the heart of the Inshuti community in Rwanda. It’s a place for our team to have meetings, conduct weekly worker payments, and host community gatherings.
Two Builds in 2022
October 2022
It’s our first time building houses twice in one year. We constructed another ten houses in October for a total of 20 homes in 2022, allowing us to provide more consistent work to our crews.
Greenwood School Trip
December 2022
Our first school trip! Inshuti collaborates with the Greenwood School to offer a service learning trip for students. It’s a wonderful opportunity for cross-cultural experiences, learning, and building friendships!
Inshuti Volunteers
January 2023
Volunteers come to Rwanda to help with the January building season. We’re not sure who had more fun our workers or volunteers? Either way, we are sure lasting friendships were made.
1st Build of 2023
February 2023
That’s a wrap on the January building season! Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we built another 13 houses for the Inshuti community.
Our Growing Inshuti Communiy
March 2023
We have sheltered 88 families! Our Inshuti community is growing with each year as we build more houses, provide more local jobs, and expand our donor base. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our donors, who help make our impactful work possible.
Partnership with RLP-Jumelage
July 2023
We are so proud to announce our partnership with Partnerschaftsverein Rheinland-Pfalz Ruanda, a German organization that provided a grant for 10 new houses.