Hameau des Jeunes Saint Kizito is a youth village with a history deeply rooted in caring for Rwanda’s most vulnerable children. We provide residential care, education, and hands-on vocational training, and we partner with families and communities to create lasting pathways to self-reliance. Today, we house 70 children, have served 2,000+ children over the decades, and run 7 core programs that combine care, learning, and livelihood.

Founded more than five decades ago by Father Hermann, what began as informal street outreach and skill-teaching grew into a safe haven for children who had nowhere else to go. With early support from friends in Europe, the project became a youth village offering food, shelter, and schooling, and most importantly, purpose in life. The 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda devastated our community and infrastructure, but Father Hermann returned to rebuild the home, welcoming more children and families in need. Over time, the organisation evolved more to care for more in need, and we are focused on residential care, vocational training, family support, agriculture, and community health services, always with the same mission: to restore dignity, hope, and opportunity.