Our Story
We walk alongside orphaned children, youth, and other vulnerable people, helping them rise above poverty, rediscover their dignity, and live lives filled with meaning and hope.
Rooted in the strength of community, Zoe Rwanda Terimbere offers a sustainable approach where participants are supported to grow strong, confident, and capable. Through our locally led model, individuals gain essential knowledge, life skills, and build lasting connections, thriving through their collective efforts to break the cycle of poverty.
History
Zoe Rwanda Terimbere was born from a powerful idea, one that started in Rwanda and is now changing lives across the world.
In 1996, Empowerment model founder Epiphanie Mujawimana and a team of dedicated colleagues set out to reimagine how to support orphaned children and vulnerable families. Having worked with communities in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, which left over 1,000,000 children orphaned, Epiphanie saw how traditional aid models, though compassionate, often led to cycles of dependency. Traditional aid programs—such as food distribution and medical support offered temporary relief, but they didn’t create lasting change. What was missing was a path for people to regain control over their lives, restore their dignity, and become truly self-reliant.
Instead of asking “what can we do to serve children?” Epiphanie and her team asked, “What would these young people need in order to help themselves?” By asking the question “how can we help you?” - a youth participates in his/her decision making for being empowered.
That single shift in mindset sparked a movement. Together, they created a three-year, graduation program, community-led empowerment program that helps youth and other vulnerable people take ownership of their own futures. Through group support, practical training, and small grants, participants learn how to provide for themselves and support one another, building confidence, health, resilience, and hope. The results were extraordinary. Epiphanie’s model showed that lasting transformation comes not from charity, but from empowerment.
Inspired by its success, Zoe transitioned away from traditional relief work and adopted this empowerment model. With Epiphanie’s continued guidance, the program was shared with local leaders in Kenya, then Zimbabwe, and gradually beyond.
Today, the empowerment approach developed in Rwanda is thriving in 14 countries:
Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Liberia, Tanzania, Mozambique, India-Vizag, India-Chennai, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, South Sudan, and Eswatini.
Each country adapts the model to its own cultural context, but the core remains unchanged: locally led programs that trust participants to become the solution. Programs are operated by local teams and supported by a global network of partners, including a small U.S.-based support team.
Zoe Rwanda Terimbere stands proudly as the origin and heart of this work. What began with a question has become a global movement uplifting youth and vulnerable people to lead lives of purpose, strength, and lasting impact.
The Zoe Rwanda Terimbere model is unique and impactful because it focuses on helping youth and other vulnerable people become self-reliant and able to support stronger, more resilient families.
Zoe teaches youth and their families to be self-reliant by empowering them to help themselves. Our experience has shown that vulnerable individuals already have the potential to rise out of poverty, they simply need the opportunity, guidance, and support. Once they begin their path to self-sufficiency, they grow in confidence, take ownership of their lives, and move quickly beyond the need for ongoing aid. This shift doesn’t just change their present; it transforms their future.
Building a Future of Self-Reliance
Zoe Rwanda Terimbere doesn’t give a handout solution; we help people uncover the ones they already carry inside. Like seeds planted in good soil, youth and other vulnerable people grow when given the space, sunlight, and tools to thrive. What begins as survival becomes strength. What begins in one community can inspire many. Empowerment isn’t a project. It’s a movement. It’s a mindset. It’s a future where people no longer wait for change; they become it.
Zoe is spearheading a movement toward solutions that are centered on the participants themselves. We are actively expanding our network and are eager to partner with other organizations seeking proven, sustainable answers to the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by youth and other vulnerable people.