Projects

Our Early Childhood Development Center in Kabuga was acquired in February 2026. It was founded by Jacqueline who is now a part of our staff. Jacqueline approached us looking for collaboration and support. With us already having an ECDC in Kayovu, a second school aligned with our mission and would give us the ability to provide schooling for the children of the women in our Women's Empowerment Program. It was a win/win! We already had the space at our Kabuga Center. A local supporter was in the process of installing a play ground for our Kabuga Children's program. We had the perfect set up.  Funding for this program covers the cost of operating the classroom, improving classroom materials, and expanding to add an additional classroom of for next school year.    

In many rural areas of Rwanda, access to quality early childhood education remains limited, despite growing recognition of its lifelong benefits. Families often face challenges such as poverty, malnutrition, and limited parental awareness of early learning needs. As a result, many children enter primary school without the foundational skills, confidence, and health needed for success. Recognizing this gap, our Early Childhood Development Center was established in 2025 to provide a nurturing, faith-based, and holistic learning environment for young children in the community. Our goal is to expand from the ECD into a full Christian International-Standard Nursery and Primary School that will be complemented by a community library, school farm, and guest house. Additionally, we aim to empower parents with practical life skills that improve home well-being, enable income generation, and build sustainable livelihoods — creating a model of holistic community transformation anchored in Christian love and excellence. As a faith-based school, we believe that true education shapes the mind, heart, and character. We nurture children who reflect integrity, compassion, and service — grounded in Christian principles. Through daily devotions, Bible-based learning, and positive moral guidance, every child develops a strong foundation of faith and purpose.  Mission  To provide Christ-centered, high-quality education that promotes holistic child development, spiritual growth, and family resilience through learning, skills training, and community enterprise.  Vision  To establish a faith-based, international-standard school that nurtures children, empowers families, and transforms rural communities in Rwanda.  Core Values  Faith: Christ at the center of all we do  Integrity: Living truthfully and serving with honesty  Excellence: Pursuing the highest standards in education and service  Community: Building relationships that uplift and empower  Service: Reflecting God’s love through practical action  Sustainability: Stewarding resources responsibly for future generations       

In 2012, our founder, Andrea Williams, told the Lord that if He wanted her to start this ministry that she did not want it to simply be a character develop ministry. She did not want to just put bandaids on situations. She wanted to see real transformation happen at a foundational level in the lives of others. She came from a background of abuse and had experienced full healing and restoration. She wanted others to experience the very same. That ask turned into the Lord teaching her how he had removed her oppression, healed her wounds, and restored her broken pieces so she could lead others to that same place of freedom in Jesus.  Andrea has an extensive Freedom and Deliverance ministry in the US called AWI Freedom (www.awifreedom.com) where she and her team of trained ordained coaches lead others to freedom. She hosts workshops, retreats, and conferences training others on spiritual authority, trusting deeper, hearing more clearly from the Lord, and the deliverance process and has an online training community. Freedom for the Nations is an extension of the freedom work already happening in the US. Our goal is to create training hubs around the world where people are trained up in leading people to freedom from witchcraft, fear, anxiety, trauma, addictions, poverty and other spiritual roots keeping them stuck, pressed down, tormented, and unable to walk in their calling and purpose. This is foundational work needed to break generational cycles. Trainings have been held in the United States, Rwanda, and Uganda, and training programs are being developed for our international teams. Your support will help us establish these programs and continue with our training efforts.     

Our Kabuga Kids program is a place for children to come and grow. Each weekend, sounds of children laughing and playing can be heard far beyond our walls. On the weekends and during school breaks our staff works hard to provide a safe place to learn about the Lord, strengthen relationships, stretch their academic abilities, and develop an interest in the world around them.         

In February 2026, our team traveled to Uganda for a regional assessment and met a family whose story deeply impacted us. A widowed mother and her six children had fled the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the father was killed during the war in November 2025. Like so many displaced families, they arrived in Uganda carrying grief, uncertainty, and very limited resources. In early 2026, the family was able to move from refugee tents into a small home in Mbarara through the help of extended family members who assist with rent and food. Even with this support, the burden on a widowed mother raising seven children is overwhelming. One of the siblings was forced to move to another country to live with relatives because the family simply could not survive together financially. Most heartbreaking of all, the children were left without the opportunity to continue their education. Through the generosity of a donor, we were able to provide funding for the children’s first school term. But without consistent sponsorship and ongoing support, these children will not be able to remain in school. Education is more than a classroom — it is stability, hope, opportunity, and protection for vulnerable children who have already experienced tremendous loss and trauma. Our vision is not only to help this one family, but to grow a sustainable program that serves more Congolese refugee children living in Uganda. As this program develops, we desire to implement the same life-giving children’s programs we currently operate in Rwanda, including discipleship, tutoring, mentoring, camps, activities, and educational field trips. With additional funding and sponsorship partners, we can help refugee children heal, grow, and build a future filled with hope instead of despair.  

The Unsponsored Children's fund is near and dear to our heart. Our founder decided early on that no sibling would be left out of our program. If we accepted one child into our program then all the children in family would be accepted in. Many organizations have a one child per family policy. While this improves the stats for the number of families impacted because more families can be reached, this approach creates issues as one sibling appears favored over the others. The chosen sibling gets to go to school while the other children do not have access to school.  Also, if one child in a family receive a sponsor and their are 4 other siblings without sponsors, we do not tell the remaining siblings they have to wait for a sponsorships. Sometimes waiting can take years and those are years the child is not receiving an education nor participating in enrichment programs. They are literally just waiting. While this is certainly a huge blessing for the child and family as a whole, this approach can put a huge strain on our budget as we work to make the funds stretch to cover unsponsored children.  Sponsorship funds cover school fees, materials materials, emergency family support needed which can include medical care, food security intervention, transportation, and other basic needs. IWSI program access is also included with sponsorship and supported with funding. Programs include camps during school breaks, enrichment classes, vocational training for youth, computer access and training, discipleship, field trips, mentoring, our Early Childhood Development Centers, access to our playgrounds and learning tools, and more.  We invite you to help us provide these service for all of our children still waiting on their sponsor, and if you are able and willing, we invite to become a sponsor to one of these unsponsored children, so they are no longer waiting. When our US team visits, they are often asked, "When will I get a sponsor?" Help us responds with "Today".   

  Background The Women Empowerment Program of I Will Stand International is transitioning into an Ultra-Poor Graduation Model designed to help vulnerable women move from dependency toward sustainable, dignified, and independent livelihoods. The model builds on the organization’s experience in sewing training, savings groups, and women’s support programming, while introducing a clearer structure centered on ownership, accountability, entrepreneurship, and market-driven income generation. Mission To equip vulnerable women with vocational skills, entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, mentorship, and spiritual support that enable them to build sustainable livelihoods, strengthen their families, and transition from dependency to economic independence.   Vision Statement To empower at least 200 vulnerable women over the next five years through vocational skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, mentorship, and spiritual support, enabling them to build sustainable livelihoods, achieve economic independence, and create lasting transformation within their families and communities.   Program Goals The program aims to: Equip women with practical vocational and income-generating skills Develop entrepreneurship and financial management capacity among participants Promote savings culture, financial discipline, and responsible borrowing Support women in starting and growing sustainable small businesses Create market-driven income opportunities through demand-based production Strengthen women’s confidence, accountability, and decision-making capacity Provide spiritual mentorship and emotional support that reinforce dignity, responsibility, and purpose Build a scalable graduation model that can support increasing numbers of vulnerable women over time Program Structure  Program Phases  The program operates through two connected phases: a Training Phase and a Business/Work Phase. Together, these phases form a gradual pathway from learning and stabilization toward active income generation and economic independence.   Phase 1: Training Phase The Training Phase focuses on building the foundational skills, mindset, discipline, and confidence necessary for long-term economic empowerment. During this phase, women participate in weekly Empowerment Mondays, which serve as the central platform for learning, accountability, and personal development. The training phase integrates four core components: vocational skills development, entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, and spiritual support. These components are intentionally delivered together rather than separately because the program recognizes that sustainable transformation requires more than technical ability alone. Vocational training currently focuses on sewing because of the existing experience and resources within the program. Women continue developing skills in producing items such as school uniforms, bags, pillowcases, and stuffed animals while improving quality, finishing, efficiency, and market readiness. However, sewing is not viewed as the only long-term pathway for empowerment. The pilot cohort will also help the program assess which vocational skills create the greatest long-term value and sustainability for women. Future cohorts may therefore integrate other vocational pathways depending on market demand and participant potential. Alongside vocational skills, women receive entrepreneurship and financial literacy training designed to help them understand business principles, budgeting, pricing, customer care, profit tracking, and financial discipline. The goal is not simply to teach women how to produce products, but how to think and act like entrepreneurs capable of managing sustainable livelihoods. Spiritual support remains a core element throughout the training phase. Weekly prayer, worship, scripture reflection, and mentorship reinforce values such as dignity, stewardship, responsibility, perseverance, integrity, and purpose. The program recognizes that many vulnerable women require emotional and spiritual restoration alongside economic support. This phase is designed to gradually shift women away from dependency and toward personal responsibility, confidence, and readiness for independent income generation.   Phase 2: Business and Work Phase The Business and Work Phase focuses on helping women apply their skills in real economic activities while receiving ongoing mentorship and support. Rather than creating artificial work opportunities, the program emphasizes market-driven income generation and business growth. Women are supported to engage in income-generating activities through two main pathways. Some women continue strengthening existing businesses such as food vending, small trade, or other microenterprises. Others participate in vocational production opportunities linked to real market demand. Many women may eventually combine both approaches to create multiple income streams and greater household resilience. The savings group becomes a central component during this phase by helping women access startup and business expansion capital. Women save regularly, access internal loans, and build financial discipline through peer accountability and group ownership. Participants are encouraged to borrow from the savings group to invest in businesses such as vending, tailoring, food sales, or other income-generating activities. This approach allows women to gradually build businesses using internally managed capital rather than depending entirely on external grants or donations. To strengthen the lending capacity of the savings group during the early stages, the organization will provide an initial starter fund of 200,000 RWF. If necessary, the organization may gradually increase the starter fund to ensure women are able to borrow meaningful amounts capable of supporting viable business growth and investment opportunities. However, the long-term goal is for the savings group to become increasingly self-sustaining through women’s own savings contributions, loan repayment, and accumulated interest. The sewing production component operates on a demand-driven basis. Women are invited to participate when there are confirmed orders or business opportunities, such as school uniform contracts or customer requests for bags and other products. During production periods, women are compensated using a pay-per-piece system based on quality and output. This approach reinforces productivity, fairness, and the connection between effort and income while avoiding dependency on routine stipends. Mentorship is a key component of this phase. Program staff and production supervisors continue walking alongside participants through coaching, accountability, business guidance, and problem solving. Women receive support in areas such as customer relations, stock management, pricing, business planning, reinvestment, and balancing multiple income activities. Peer mentorship and group accountability are also strengthened during this phase, allowing women to learn from each other’s experiences and successes. The program seeks to create not only individual economic growth, but also a supportive community of women who encourage and strengthen one another. Throughout the Business and Work Phase, women continue receiving ongoing spiritual support and mentorship to ensure that economic growth is accompanied by emotional resilience, discipline, and long-term stability. Cohort Structure and Program Flow The Ultra-Poor Graduation Model will operate through a cohort-based structure designed to ensure manageable implementation, personalized mentorship, and gradual program expansion. Once a cohort completes the Training Phase and transitions into the Business and Work Phase, a new cohort of women is enrolled into the Training Phase. This creates an overlapping cycle that allows the program to continuously train new participants while still providing mentorship and business support to women in the second phase.   This cohort structure creates a gradual pipeline of empowerment: One cohort focuses primarily on learning and preparation, while the previous cohort focuses on business growth, production opportunities, savings, and income generation. The overlapping model also strengthens peer learning and mentorship, as women in the Business and Work Phase can encourage and inspire newer participants entering the program.   Graduation Definition Graduation within the program is not defined by completing training alone, but by demonstrating increasing economic independence and resilience. A woman is considered ready for graduation when she has developed reliable income-generating activities, active savings behavior, improved financial management skills, and reduced dependence on program support. The long-term vision is to create a scalable women’s empowerment and graduation model that adapts to real economic opportunities and equips women with the tools necessary to sustain themselves and their families with dignity. Program Staffing Structure To effectively implement the Ultra-Poor Graduation Model during the pilot phase, the program will operate with a lean structure composed of one core technical staff position and two volunteer leadership roles. This approach helps maintain low operational costs while maximizing mentorship, skills transfer, and participant support.   1. Program Coordinator & Mentorship Lead (Volunteer Role) The Program Coordinator & Mentorship Lead will serve as a volunteer leadership role responsible for overall coordination, participant follow-up, mentorship, and spiritual support within the program. Key responsibilities include: Coordinating Empowerment Mondays and overall program activities Monitoring participant progress and attendance Providing mentorship, encouragement, and accountability Leading spiritual development sessions including prayer, scripture reflection, and personal reflection Supporting women through personal and business-related challenges Helping maintain a healthy and supportive group culture Supporting program planning, reporting, and evaluation This role ensures consistent leadership, accountability, and personal support throughout the graduation journey.   2. Entrepreneurship, Savings & Business Development Lead (Volunteer Role) This volunteer role focuses on entrepreneurship development, financial literacy, savings group management, and business mentorship. Key responsibilities include: Teaching entrepreneurship and financial literacy lessons Training women in budgeting, pricing, savings, and profit tracking Managing and strengthening the savings group system Supporting internal borrowing and loan repayment processes Coaching women on starting and growing small businesses Helping participants use savings group loans to invest in income-generating activities Supporting market linkages and customer engagement This role helps women transition from learning into active business ownership and sustainable income generation.   3. Vocational Skills & Production Leads (Existing Sewing Teachers) The program’s two existing sewing teachers will serve as the Vocational Skills & Production Leads. They will continue teaching sewing skills while expanding their role to include production leadership, product innovation, and market-oriented design development. Key responsibilities include: Conducting sewing and vocational skills training Teaching quality improvement, finishing, and production techniques Creating and teaching new styles and product designs based on market trends and customer demand Organizing women during production periods Monitoring product quality and production timelines Supporting women in improving efficiency and productivity Tracking technical growth and production performance Helping ensure products remain attractive, practical, and market-ready These roles are essential for ensuring that vocational training remains dynamic, creative, and responsive to changing market opportunities.   Annual Program Budget 2 Cohorts per Year 20 Women per Cohort 40 Women Supported Annually This annual budget supports the implementation of the Ultra-Poor Graduation Model through vocational skills development, entrepreneurship and financial literacy training, spiritual mentorship, savings group strengthening, and demand-driven income generation activities.