LLCCM stands for Let the Little Children Come to Me. This phrase, which was once said be Jesus, represents the orphan centre’s mission: LLCCM supports in total seventy families and eighty one children. The centre includes members who live with their parents affected or infected by HIV as well as orphans who live in adoptive families. Although most of the children do not live in the centre itself they always have a sheltered place to come to. LLCCM provides school fees and school materials for the children until they finish secondary school. If possible LLCCM helps his students to cover the basic needs for the expensive life at university too. LLCCM covers the health insurance for all families and provides the parents with credits to improve the living conditions. Besides supporting these basic needs, LLCCM offers other activities such as regular meetings on Saturdays where the children pray together, play games and discuss daily problems. There are also special and temporary activities for children that change from time to time such as English courses, workshops for HIV prevention or the traditional dance group.
Our story
In 2003 a small group of parents infected or affected by HIV form a co-operative to find help for children. MUKARUSHAMEZA Bellancille joins the co-operative together with the American lady Martha Colwell. Due to their financial support the community can grow and develop. In regular outdoor meetings they pray and sing together, give advice to each other and share money among each other. In 2005 NDASHIMIYE Leonard becomes the coordinator of the project. Through his close relation to the Danish couple, Hartvig Weber-Hansen and Hanna Weber-Hansen, who have lived in Rwanda for three years in the 1980’s, Leonard creates a partnership between the Baptist Union of Denmark (BUD) and the project. As the main funder the Baptist Union of Denmark makes it possible to find a house for the regular meetings, to provide most of the children with school fees and to offer all children a proper meal on Saturdays. They also connect LLCCM with private sponsors all around the world. Other supporters like the Firelight Foundation in the US join the project. In 2013 BDKJ Mainz starts to send German long time volunteers who commit personal support to the centre.