Noel S. Odenwald

My life has been touched by a difficult childhood, but it has transformed through the love, care and education I received during my 12 years at the IMBABAZI Orphanage. This remarkable place of my life was founded by an amazing American woman named Mrs. Rosamond Halsey Carr [1912-2006], who not only initiated the orphanage but also played a pivotal role in connecting me with Maureen A. Odenwald. Initially, Maureen sponsored my education but went beyond sponsorship, she embraced me as her own son and her father, Richard, honored me with the family name Odenwald.

During my time at the IMBABAZI Orphanage, I once asked Maureen, whom I fondly called mama, a question that weighed on my mind: “What kind of reward would you like in return for all the wonderful things you are doing for me?” Her response was both clear and deeply inspiring: “Noel, I don’t expect anything in return from you. Instead, I ask that you pay it forward to someone else in need and share with them the same message.

Later, as I moved away from the orphanage, my love for nature and home steady animals compelled me and my family to settle ourselves outskirts of Kigali. Here, I dream of starting a garden and raising animals. However, upon realizing that many children in my new community were not attending school, I felt compelled to take action. I initially started a philanthropic endeavor to fund their education by using the resources from my small company, which specializes in Designing, Printing and Photography. Unfortunately, the company's growth did not meet his expectations.

After four years, the oldest children in our program were in fourth grade, I had to think bigger to be able to pay their secondary school and university as primary is not enough. That's when I decided to transform the family initiative into an NGO called the Home for Hope Foundation. This step allows to represent these children better and help them achieve their dreams of higher education and a brighter future.
Read Noel's story, written at 14 years

Maureen Odenwald

Born in Brooklyn NY, raised in the Catskill Mountains. A three-time cancer survivor, single mother of two adopted daughters from Democratic Republic of Congo. First traveled to Africa for the love of animals. Later met Rosamond Halsey Carr and began recruiting sponsors for the children of the Imbabazi Orphanage. Noel was the first child to receive sponsorship from me. He quickly became my son. He has filled me with pride as he continues in the footsteps of Rosamond Halsey Carr helping the children of Rwanda to have better lives. I currently live in Arizona with my daughters and many animals and hope to continue travel to Rwanda as long as life allows me.