On Feb 19th, our guest speaker, Renee Singirankabo, a fellow Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Ottawa is originally from Burundi, located in Central Africa. The experience of being a refugee in a foreign land drives Renee to help refugees, especially who need to get an education. Renee is the founder of EmpowerEd Refugee Children, a charity focused on empowering refugee children through education.
She and her brother support the education of children based in a 200,000 person refugee camp in Uganda, where previously 100,000 children received no education. Although 7 primary schools and 1 high school existed, they were out of reach due to the cost. So Renee set up a foundation that would provide breakfast/lunch to children (112 in 2023, over 200 in 2024) that they supported, plus provided tuition and uniforms. The school was chosen as it offered safety, classrooms with furniture, etc. So much info was provided by Renee, too much to include here, when she forwards us her presentation, we will share it. Several Rotary Clubs support this initiative, including Ottawa West.