Noel S. Odenwald

A love of nature and home steady animals compelled Noel SIBOMANA Odenwald (Founder) to settle in the outskirts of Kigali with dreams of starting a garden and raising animals. Upon realizing that many of the children in my new community were not attending school, so I’ve lived in the orphanage for 12 years after losing both of my parents; I first sought to help fund their education by sending them to school.

Since 2015, my company of Designing, Printing and Photography was the only the source of fund, which wasn’t growing to the expected pace. After 4 years the oldest children under our program were in fourth grade, I had to think big and decided to transform the family initiative into an NGO, named it Home for Hope Foundation, so that they can be represented and help them to make their dreams comes true.
Noel's story, written at 14 years

Maureen Odenwald

Born in Brooklyn NY, raised in the Catskill Mountains. A two 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.