About One More Starfish

In 1994, due to complicated ethnic clashes, nearly one million people were brutally murdered during a three-month time period while the world stood back and watched. Although the genocide took place twelve years ago, the country continues to face many serious problems. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. Forty-two percent of all children are malnourished. One child in five dies before the age of five, mostly due to malaria. As the AIDS epidemic continues to rage, nearly 9% of the population has the HIV virus. This leaves many children to head households at extremely young ages. Many more end up in orphanages or on the streets as families and extended families are unable to care for them.

The more we come to recognize the great need, the more we feel we must do something to help the children of Rwanda. That is why we have come together as a group of concerned friends to form One More Starfish. We know that we can’t save every child with our limited resources and time. However, we can do something to make a meaningful difference in the lives of as many as possible. We have pooled our talents and ideas to create an organization to help these children in the near future and for many years to come.

Our president and vice president recently traveled to Rwanda
and identified projects we can feasibly carry out at two specific orphanages.
These projects include:

• Teaching midwife education
• Constructing chicken coops
• Providing and installing mosquito netting
• Teaching basic oral hygiene
• Painting and decorating walls in nurseries
• Providing needed supplies such as developmental toys, computers, and infant formula.

In October, a group of about 25 of us will travel to Rwanda. We will spend two weeks carrying out the projects we have planned. We will each pay for our own traveling costs; however the resources we have available for completing the projects will not come close to covering the cost. To bridge the budget gap we are planning a number of fundraisers, as well as seeking individuals and businesses in the community to help contribute to our cause.

We ask you to please consider donating money or supplies to One More Starfish. With your help, we can provide sustainable, meaningful help for the children of Rwanda who need it the most. All donations will be received through Mothers Without Borders, an established non-profit organization. Mothers Without Borders will provide you with a receipt to be used for tax deduction purposes. You can also receive a receipt for an “in kind” donation. Most importantly, you will know that you are doing what you can to help those who desperately need it.