Founded in 2004, Orphans of Rwanda, Inc. (ORI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated to assisting orphans and vulnerable young people in Rwanda who have been affected by the 1994 genocide and diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. ORI’s principal mission is financing university education and related training for young people who, against tremendous odds, have completed secondary school and scored highly on university entrance examinations. ORI also devotes some resources to other educational and health-related activities.

ORI is governed by a Board of Directors that includes Rwandan and American members and is actively involved in oversight and governance. The Board convenes quarterly to review programmatic and financial progress, discuss organizational policies, and make key strategic decisions. ORI has public charity status in the U.S. and recently applied for similar recognition from the U.K.’s Charity Commission.

ORI’s staff is led by a U.S.-based Executive Director, who is primarily responsible for strategic planning, fundraising, and organization-wide coordination. Other U.S.-based staff, all volunteers, include the Director of Operations, Director of Development, Director of Communications, and Treasurer.

Our work in Rwanda is led by a Country Director who oversees all programmatic activities as well as ORI’s partnerships with Rwandan organizations. The Rwanda-based team includes locally hired staff members and volunteers from the U.S. who serve as Program Managers. The Country Director also supervises a group of twenty-five part-time volunteers in Rwanda.