Kids Living with Relatives (KLR)

By the Numbers

23 children in the KLR program 27 scholarships for boarding primary or secondary school   13 families receive monthly assistance

The number of at-risk children in the community surrounding RVCV far exceeds the capacity of the Children’s Village. For orphaned children with no other place to go, the Children’s Village is able to provide a stable, loving home.  However, it quickly became apparent that there are many other children – just outside our gates – who go to bed hungry each night and wake up unsure where their next meal is coming from. These children tend to be orphans, living with relatives who lack the resources to adequately care for them. In many cases they are being raised by busy aunts and uncles - with half a dozen children of their own and no real source of income - or by elderly grandparents who are too infirm to effectively care for small children. The Kids Living with Relatives (KLR) program was designed to meet the needs of this group: marginalized children in the community who have a place to live, but whose relatives lack the resources to provide them with adequate care. There are currently 23 children, ranging in age from 4-17, who participate in the KLR program. RVCV provides these children, and their families, with the material goods necessary for the children to thrive, including food, clothing, and medical care, as well as school funds.

In addition, RVCV has gone a step farther in order to make KLR kids integral members of the Children’s Village community. The children in the KLR program spend weekends and holidays at the Children’s Village, practicing English and playing alongside the RVCV kids. They are folded into every aspect of village life – from birthday parties, to nature hikes, to tutoring sessions. More importantly, the KLR kids receive the individual attention and unconditional love that allows them to grow into happy, healthy leaders in their community and beyond.