Greening Gahini: Placide's Eco-Friendly Homes in Rwanda

Help Placide Uwiragiye build eco-friendly homes in Rwanda for those experiencing the greatest need. Nurture both individual and community well-being, as well as the surrounding ecosystem.

THE STORY

After being orphaned by the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994, Placide Uwiragiye regained his energy and hope to live and learn in Gahini. (Click "Read More" below.)

Forever grateful, Placide is giving back to the Gahini community some of the love and hope that he received while living there. His work focuses especially on the most vulnerable people, but with a whole-community approach. With the help of several individual sponsors, Placide built 11 regular homes for some of the most vulnerable people in Gahini. See https://unknownhands.org/gallery/ for many examples of this work.

Above: Proud owner of a home built by Placide in Gahini. This home is currently awaiting a solar panel in the current project.

THE CURRENT PROJECT: GREENING GAHINI

Now, Placide's initiative seeks to solidify the successes of the previous project, expand its reach and deepen its impact by integrating green technologies and sustainable practices to create self-sustaining communities that thrive in harmony with nature.

The Kayonza District (where Gahini is located) has offered to supply free land to Placide in exchange for building more environmentally friendly homes and a communal forest of fruit trees for food as well as sustainable business development.

PROJECT PHASES

PHASE ONE: $5000

To strengthen the entire community from the start, dig a water well for the Gahini community, located on a parcel of land donated by the District of Kayonza -- serving both community members with homes previously built by Placide as well as other community members.

PHASE TWO: $13,200

Purchase / installation of solar panels for each of the 11 homes previously built by Placide.

PHASE THREE: $20,000

Construction of one Model Green Home (see picture at top of page), located on a large parcel of land donated by the District of Kayonza, land donated not only for the home but also for agricultural activities benefiting the entire village of Gahini.

All phase costs include labor, materials, and project management costs.

$38,200 Total

Above: Denise (left) with one of her children and her mother. Stigmatized for being albino, Denise needed support to build a new home for her family. Placide was able to build one for her and supply her with all necessary materials.

More information about the work done thus far by Placide can be found at https://unknownhands.org/

Please help take this initiative to the next level! Drilling a well to serve the entire community, adding solar panels to the 11 homes already built, and building a Model Green Home for another vulnerable member of the community, a model home which can serve as an example for an entire green village in Gahini. The local government is on-board and donating land for the initiative. Please join Placide in greening Gahini!