This past October, we embarked upon another Zam Zam trip to our beloved Rwanda. Prior to leaving, a few of us had notified our friends that we’d be collecting funds to be donated directly to the villagers. We expected a few hundred dollars, but then magic happened.
The donations poured in. Especially, after our supporters saw our content on social media. We realized that the key was building a connection. Allowing our donors to see our villagers as human beings, fostered a connection that ushered in nearly $5,000 in total donations - all within a two-week span.
We used the first $500 to purchase 50, five-liter water buckets, that we installed with water purifiers. The water purifiers filter up to 5,000 liters of clean, fresh water. The water they use comes from the water well projects we have built in those villages. We provided a few of those buckets to our schools and the rest to the surrounding community.
The remaining funds were dedicated to providing one of the most essential, yet scarce resources in the villages - healthcare. We are in the process of registering 550 children to receive healthcare insurance for 2 full calendar years. 460 of those children are students at the Zam Zam schools and the remaining 90 are children in the local area.
The heart and compassion of our domestic donors paved the way for thousands of Rwandans to have the priceless safety-net of health insurance. Every act of kindness has rippling effects. Only the Lord knows how many lives will be saved from this last minute fundraiser.
Rwandans are some of the most grateful people we’ve come across. They thanked us, but in reality, it was us who needed to thank them for allowing us to connect with them. Apart from the monetary contributions, the biggest gift was the gift of love.
With Love,
Omar Kohgadai
