If one of your New Year’s resolutions was giving back and making a difference in the world, we can help.

Grace Rwanda is days away from an important move to establish an in-country office in Rwanda. We hope to be even more effective with our literacy and reading programming when we are on the ground and can create deep partnerships with locals and government.

We are on track to create two new youth centre libraries in Rwanda in 2016: first in Kimisagara, then Nyanza. With luck, we may be able to create a third library later in the year.

Of course, more programming takes more funding. So if you are looking at making a meaningful contribution to the world in 2016, visit our new Canada Helps charity page, and see how far your donations can go to provide new libraries for Rwanda this year.

No donation is too small. Remember, just $25 buys 10 primary school-level books, while $50 buys 10 secondary school-level books. Larger donations of $100 will provide 25 children with books, $200 will help 50 children and $400 will allow us to supply reading materials to 100 children and youth.

As always, your donations over $25 are fully tax-deductible. And 100 per cent of your donations go directly to our programs, as our organization is volunteer-run.

Visit Canada Helps to have a look at the good you can do, and help Rwandan youth have a very happy new year.

You can get regular updates on our work by following @GraceRwanda, liking us on Facebook, adding us in your Google+ circle, and watching our videos on YouTube.

The Grace Rwanda team is on the ground in Rwanda! We’re gearing up for the opening of the new Kayonza district youth centre library.

Elizabeth Johnson and our Canadian volunteers have been busy networking, by attending a Kigali Rotary event, and preparing for the opening of the new library on March 14 by selecting and purchasing books. Many thanks go to B.C. teacher Karen Saenger for her help and curriculum guidance in selecting new books for the library.

The team also checked in on the Muhanga district youth centre library that we opened last year. It was amazing to see the library shelves now completely filled with books, and to see the stacks of well-read magazines available to the area youth. The shelves have been finished as well and the centre looks fantastic and is being well used.

The group also stopped in to visit Rwinkwavu school, which Grace Rwanda has assisted so much in the past. The students, as always, were delighted to see Elizabeth, as this photo clearly shows!

Stay tuned for more news from Rwanda as we celebrate our second community library grand opening! As always, we couldn’t do any of this work without you. The youth of Rwanda thank you.

You can get regular updates by following @GraceRwanda, liking us on Facebook, adding us in your Google+ circle, and watching our videos on YouTube.

Grace Rwanda’s grand opening of the Muhanga Youth Centre Library was covered by a Rwandan local news program. Click the image above to watch the clip.

The official grand opening was Sept. 2, 2013. The community appreciated the new books, dictionaries, magazines and journals, tables and chairs and book shelves we provided. The youth who use the facility to do their homework now have some excellent reading resources. This piece gives a great overview of the work we are doing there to bring books and literacy to youth. Plus, watch the wonderful dancers at the opening ceremonies!

Our youth centre library was so successful that a Rwandan government ministry asked to partner with us to create 20 more such libraries in YEGO youth centres across the country.

Elizabeth was much in demand by the local Rwandan media during her trip. In addition to the news broadcast, reporters from area newspapers came to interview her at the library launch.

If you are curious about our coverage in Kinyarwandan, have a look at these articles published in Umuseke and  Izuba Rirashe.

Want to see more of Grace Rwanda in action? Check new photos of the Muhanga project on our Flickr site.

We’re thrilled to be launching the next phase of our “Let’s Read Together” mini-libraries program this fall. Stay tuned for news about upcoming fundraisers and events to support our exciting new initiative. Learn more at Toonies4Change.org.

Stay in the loop with us by following @GraceRwanda, liking us on Facebook, adding us in your Google+ circle, watching our videos on YouTube.