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Ishimwe means ‘Give thanks to God’ in Kinyarwanda, the language of Rwanda. This adventure was founded in 2003 by Roger & Faith Shaw. Their first rescue home was in Ruhengeri. In 2012, they relocated to Bugesera.
In 2006, the Shaws formed a US non-profit organization called the Ishimwe Center with a goal to provide real and lasting hope for a few of Rwanda's abandoned children by the provision of family homes. They wanted to adopt orphans into family-style homes where they would feel as loved and secure as if they were natural born sons or daughters. Visitors expecting an orphanage are delighted to discover a large, normal-looking, happy, vibrant family, busy going about their daily business. |
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As the size of the family increased and as the older children became teenagers, the Shaws felt called to move to Rwanda to care for the children and expand the facility. They made the move in 2010. The Ishimwe Center is a non-profit and none of the directors receive any payment for their services. Roger, having given up his job in Silicon Valley, formed a for-profit company in Bugesera, Rwanda called Lakeside Fish Farm. Lakeside's land slopes all the way down towards beautiful Lake Mirayi. The is on its way to being established, but is still in need of further investor funds. |

Project Budget
The Ishimwe Center is appealing for donations to keep this project moving forward. The land, fence, road and guest house are already a reality. Utilities and outdoor kitchen are funded and will be completed shortly. The community center is the current fund raising target.
The land has been purchased and is secured by chainlink fence and a gate house. Electricity has not yet reached the site, but an emergency generator is used whenever power is needed. The municipal water supply recently came online.
The land has been purchased and is secured by chainlink fence and a gate house. Electricity has not yet reached the site, but an emergency generator is used whenever power is needed. The municipal water supply recently came online.
Ishimwe will use the community center offer education, vocational training, literacy, English language, sports & entertainment. It will also be available for commercial hire for conferences, weddings and other events as another way of raising income.
The clinic will be staffed by a nurse licensed to dispense routine medications for common ailments.
The model farm will be a training center for farmers to learn best practices appropriate to their own circumstances. We already have milking cows and a vegetable garden.
The clinic will be staffed by a nurse licensed to dispense routine medications for common ailments.
The model farm will be a training center for farmers to learn best practices appropriate to their own circumstances. We already have milking cows and a vegetable garden.
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.




