A Home Built with Hope
Before Mama Jean Claude was enrolled in the Give A Hand program, her family of five was living in constant survival-mode. Each day revolved around care, exhaustion, and uncertainty.
Jean Claude was born with severe physical disabilities. His legs were too weak to support him, and he was unable to use the restroom independently. He depended entirely on his mother for even the most basic daily needs. For Mama Jean Claude, this meant providing continuous care from morning until night. Workingoutside the home was impossible, and even simple household tasks were often leftundone because her son required her constant attention.
Her husband worked hard to earn what little income he could so there would be food on the table. Still, it was never enough. The meals were small, and the needs were overwhelming. The children carried responsibilities far beyond their years, stepping in wherever they could because their mother simply could not do it all. Poverty weighed heavily on the family, not only physically but emotionally.
The struggle did not go unnoticed by neighbors, yet compassion was not always the response. Because of her son’s disabilities, Mama Jean Claude often felt over looked and isolated within her own community. What began as physical fatigue slowly grew into deep loneliness. She felt invisible and misunderstood, trapped inside a fragile home that offered little safety or comfort. The house itself was in critical condition. There was no electricity, no light after sunset. Evenings were spent in darkness. Cooking was difficult and sometimes unsafe, and caring for Jean Claude at night became an added challenge. The absence of stability affected every part of their lives.
Everything began to change when the family was registered with Give A Hand. Jean Claude started receiving targeted physical therapy to strengthen his muscles andimprove his mobility. Regular home visits provided more than practical support; they restored a sense of dignity and connection. For the first time in a long time, Mama Jean Claude felt seen not defined by her son’s condition, but recognized as a mother doing everything in her power to care for her child.
When it became clear that their home was no longer safe to live in, a new step was taken. Through Project Serve, young people from Hagari joined hands with six young people from the Netherlands in a powerful expression of unity and shared faith. In August 2025, they traveled together to Burera and, side by side with the local community, built a new house for the family.
What was constructed was far more than a physical structure. It was safety where there had been insecurity, light where there had been darkness, and hope where there had been despair. The project was not only about building walls and a roof, but also about building friendships, strengthening faith, and showing what it means to serve one another across cultures and continents. The new home brought electricity, making evenings safer and daily routines more manageable. Cooking became easier, and caring for Jean Claude after sunset was no longer a struggle.
What started as a practical need became a testimony of love in action, young people standing together to make a lasting difference.
The move to a new neighborhood brought an unexpected and beautiful transformation. The family was warmly welcomed. Instead of being avoided, they were embraced. Instead of silence, there were words of affirmation. Neighbors began saying that Jean Claude is a blessing to this world. Those words carried profound healing for a mother who had once felt so alone.
Meanwhile, Jean Claude himself began making remarkable progress. His legs grew significantly stronger, and he reached a milestone that once seemed impossible: he can now walk to the restroom independently. Each step represents not only physical improvement but also restored dignity and a future filled with possibility.
What once felt like a life defined by limitation is now a story marked by growth.
Today, Jean Claude is loved in his community, and Mama Jean Claude stands as a strong and resilient woman. Her dream is that more children like her son will receive the help they need and that no mother will have to carry such a burden alone. She hopes that with the stability they now have, she will one day be able to work and contribute financially to her family.
Despite the hardships she has endured, she continues to persevere with unwavering faith and determination. Her story is no longer one of isolation and survival, but one of transformation, dignity, and hope that continues to grow.
