It has been almost a year since Abraham tragically lost his mother and within several months his young wife. Both died overnight after a mysterious illness. Abraham was left to care for his three children, the youngest was still nursing. He lived about 10 km away from the town of Butare so we at Team Rwanda helped him relocate to town with his children so that he could care for them better.

He was living in a very small one room “house” with his three children and all of his bikes. He needed a bigger home so we started to put together a plan to help him get his own home. He had already saved about $2400 from race winnings, I knew I could raise some money from my church and friends so he set out to find a house that would suit him. In the meantime I headed off for a short trip to the States, it was perfect timing for me to raise some funds while at home.

I was correct, without much prompting very generous church members from the Monterey Peninsula Seventh Day Adventist Church in Pacific Grove instantly came up with about $1200, in addition Jamie and Rachael Hacking wrote us a check for $1200!!! I returned to Rwanda with $2400 towards Abraham’s house!

Abraham did all the looking and came up with a few houses that would be suitable for him and his family. I arrived in Butare to find an excited Abraham and friend Simeon. We went and visited three different houses. Only one of them really fit what he needed for his family. We contacted the owner and after days of negotiating they came up with a price of about $8400. It was a lot for Abraham so we started to add up the money, we had a total of $4800; $3600 short of what we needed. Should we go ahead and sign the contract giving the owner what we had hoping to raise the rest? I called my bank in Rwanda and they said that if I cosigned a loan it “should” not be any problem. Abraham signed the contract and we had a job to do….find the rest of the money!

Most everything happens slowly in Africa, why should I have thought that getting a small loan for Abraham would be any different? My frustration mounted as over a month passed and things were not happening. The Tour of Rwanda was soon upon us and Abraham did not have his house yet.

At the start of the Tour of Rwanda the “PS” (Permanent Secretary) Jean Pierre Karabaranga of the Sports and Culture Ministry committed an additional $6000 to the prize list! This race was going to change some lives! The results were encouraging as Team Rwanda cleaned up! Abraham’s cut in the race winnings was $1600. I told him I could advance him 9 months’ salary, (thanks to Michael Spicer), an additional $900. We were now only $1300 short of getting the house! I made a decision and was able to let Abraham “borrow” the additional $1300 from the team account. He signed a contract to pay about $50/month towards the loan. A very excited Abraham now was a proud owner of a HOUSE!

So much happens within Team Rwanda. This story is not just about a bike team. This story is about giving these young men a chance of a lifetime. Team Rwanda is about changing lives that deserve it. It is not about hand outs, all we are doing is giving them a lead, the merit is theirs. The recompense that I receive is in the eyes of the men and families that look at me as if I have done something when it really is by their own toil and dedication that they have received what they have. I am just a conduit of a group of people, supporters like you that make all of this happen! Without you none of this could happen, thank you!