Past Projects

Mudasomwa Community Partnership

In 2007 Golf Fore Africa a Member's International Charity Initiative of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) committed to raise $250,000 for a community partnership in Mudasomwa. We are pleased to announce that with the generous support of LPGA pro's, golf fans and friends of Golf Fore Africa this project was completed in less than one year.

Mudasomwa, located in southwestern Rwanda, is home to over 70,000 people. This community is located in one of the poorest districts in the country, with over 75% of the population living below the poverty line. Only two health clinics serve the needs of the residents and most of the schools are old, destroyed by warfare and unequipped. Because of the lack of educational support, many of the children in this community are illiterate, gravely impacting their hope for a brighter future. In a steep and mountainous land where 98% of the population earns their living through agriculture, life is hard. The impact of the 1994 war and genocide in Rwanda, along with the devastating effects of the AIDS pandemic, has created so many orphans in Mudasomwa that the community is unable to address the issues related to this dilemma.

Boys and girls orphaned by AIDS suffer in a number of ways. Many are forced to drop out of school to care for younger siblings or family members who are critically ill. These children suffer from a lack of income, malnutrition, poor health and psychosocial problems. Currently, there are over 13,800 identified orphans and vulnerable children who are in desperate need of care and support. The Impact of HIV/AIDS Without intervention, the impact of the AIDS crisis will be felt by communities for decades as the number of impoverished children increases, education and work opportunities decline, and social, economic and support systems erode. More than 15 million children younger than 18 have lost one or both parents to AIDS, most of them in Africa. Household resources are often stretched to the breaking point when orphans are taken in by relatives or neighbors. In some cases, orphaned children create families comprised solely of children (siblings, cousins, friends) in child-headed households.

How do we meet such an overwhelming need? One child-and one community--at a time. The Golf Fore Africa Community Partnership Through Golf Fore Africa, there is lifeline of hope for the future of these children. LPGA players, through a partnership with World Vision will help bring an effective community-based approach to providing the Mudasomwa community with the resources they need to plan, implement, and develop workable, sustainable solutions for their community.