2020 was a difficult year globally but despite the necessary lockdowns and temporary shutdown of our NDASHOBOYE program in Rwanda, we have begun again with renewed vigor and excitement. Our seamstress program is continuing with longer teacher hours to maintain social distancing, and mask requirements. We look forward to a day where we can move and breathe freely, but until then, we will keep each other safe and learn to the best of our abilities. Here’s to a renewed NDASHOBOYE (meaning “I Am Able”) and expanded opportunities for women in Rwanda.
Viewing entries by
Devon Ogden
Our NDASHOBOYE students have been working incredibly hard on their final exams. They have learned the skills of sewing to start their self-run businesses and are now finishing their theory exams. We could not be prouder of these women, many of whom are solo mothers who bring their babies to school with them. We APPLAUD you!
NDASHOBOYE. In Rwandan, that means “I am able/capable”. It is also the name of the new Safi Life outreach program to rehabilitate more than 50 women annually who have been shunned by their families and communities due to early or unwanted pregnancies, were raped, or were teenage prostitutes in Rwanda. We believe in restoring dignity to ALL Rwandan women.
We are so excited to be featured in Darling Magazine’s Embodied Series as The Achiever. This incredible magazine wrote an article about the work we are doing in Rwanda and the women we are working with.
Darling Magazine is "more than just a print magazine, it's a wise guide to the art of being a woman” and we are beyond thrilled to have gotten this opportunity to be interviewed!
Help us reach our goal of $5,000 on Generosity
We're so excited that one of the largest U.S. charities, the National Christian Foundation (NCF), has featured Safi Life in their new 2015 Ministry Report. NCF handles all of Safi Life's online donations by providing a fast and secure payment method for generous givers who want to support our ministry.
Here's the story that shares our vision to help educate, empower, and advance today's African women:
Acting on love
Between auditions and rehearsals, NCF givers Devon Ogden and Jessica Davis are changing the lives of female genocide survivors and orphans in Rwanda. When these young actresses first volunteered in Rwanda, they knew that they had to do something. So Devon created Safi Life, a ministry that helps give Rwandan girls a chance for life-changing higher education. Recently, Devon and Jessica traveled to Rwanda with a group of filmmakers to begin making a documentary about forgiveness, hope, and progress.
Their ministry is named after Safi Umukundwa, who also serves as the organization’s director in Kigali, Rwanda. This brave young woman survived the Rwandan genocide against Tutsi when she was only eight years old. Safi put herself through secondary school, was awarded funding for a university education, and now works with other young women. Devon says, “Safi’s life serves as a powerful reminder of what women can achieve even amidst the most difficult circumstances.”