In 2010, The Fixed Floaters raised $30,000 with all proceeds being directed to SOS’s operations in Kigali, Rwanda. Team Captain Mo Vikrant visited Rwanda in August 2010, where he spent time with SOS and saw firsthand the work they do in helping orphans and struggling families build a brighter future.

Of course, Rwanda is still suffering from the devastating effects of the genocide that tore the country apart in 1994. Vital to the rebuilding process has been a focus on both education and strengthening the family unit. SOS Children’s Villages uses donations like those raised by The Fixed Floaters to build “SOS Schools”, where the emphasis is on not only education, but instilling the importance of education in the youth of the nation, and its role in shaping the future of Rwanda.

SOS’s “Family Strengthening Program” focuses on making the family unit self-sufficient so that the children of Kigali can focus more on their education. The typical Rwandan family features many children, and single parents - or no parents at all - are not uncommon. In order to make these families self-sufficient, they are given economic start-up projects, such as the means to open a small shop, to help put food on the table, but also to teach the children of the family about responsibility and to keep them from going astray.

During his stay in Kigali, Captain Mo sat in on a number of classes, fielding many questions from the children about himself, Canada, and what he thought of their village and school. He also sat down and spoke with several of the village mothers about their experiences from the genocide, their role in the SOS community, and how they came to be village moms. It is an experience that Mo will never forget, which is why the first $30,000 that we raise this year is going directly to the Children’s Village in Kigali.