An American humanitarian and author, Rosamond Carr founded Imbabazi Orphanage in Rwanda. Rosamond Carr was born on 28th August, 1912 in South Orange, New Jersey and died on 29th September, 2006 in Gisenyi, Rwanda.
After the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Rosamond then aged 82 founded an orphanage on her flower plantation located at the foothills of Virunga mountains and named it “Imbabazi” meaning “a place where you will receive all the love and care a mother would give.” “Roz” as she was casually referred to by friends abandoned her lavish lifestyle as a fashion illustrator and New York City socialite to follow her husband Kenneth Carr, a British explorer and hunter who travelled to the then “Belgian – Congo.”
When they separated, she didn’t go back to her home country as she had developed love for the country and its people. She bought a plantation in the neighboring country Rwanda and lived a remarkable life filled with adventure and love, political conflicts and civil wars amidst personal hardships. During that time, she helped her community by providing and distributing medicine, administering first aid and paying school fees for a few children.
As one of the longest living foreign residents and last foreign owner of plantations in Rwanda, Rosamond Carr witnessed several changes and occurrences in the African continent and Rwanda in particular such as the fall of colonialism and rise of new African states; she witnessed and survived civil wars and revolutions such as the unforgettable tragedy in 1994, Rwandan genocide which caused several deaths and left a wounded heart in Rwanda.
In the month of December in 1994, Imbabazi Orphanage opened its doors to welcome over 400 orphaned and lost children who were affected by genocide. Together with her staff, there were able to provide care, comfort and love to the children. Till date, the home is a safe haven for abandoned and orphaned children providing them with peace, love, safety and hope.
On 29th September, 2006 at Imbabazi orphanage, a home she had loved and given her whole for the past 50 years, “Roz” breathed her last aged 94. She lived a fulfilled life serving and loving her community though she had a regret of never having children of her own but was given the opportunity to become a mother to over 400 children. After her death, the New York Times named her as one who had a “love affair with Africa.”
The current proprietors of Imbabazi have kept her legacy alive by continuing its operations and have further developed the orphanage by creating different projects like farming where they grow flowers, fresh vegetables, forestry, education where they have set up schools which include the pre-school, Gugusta programme where children reaching adulthood and leaving the orphanage are equipped with skills to prepare them for life outside the orphanage.
Imbabazi Orphanage is a famous tourist attraction and it has highly contributed to the growth of activities like gorilla trekking, wildlife safaris, community encounters, and nearby destinations like Lake Kivu, Volcanoes NP and Virunga National Park.
Rwanda has taken a great leap in restoring the country from after-effects of genocide through restoring the economy, promoting peace and unity through reconciliation programs among the people. Rosamond’s Imbabazi Orphanage is one among the many stories that symbolize a new and ever-changing Rwanda.
