BAHATI Vanessa Founder of Jordan Foundation
BAHATI VANESA is a Rwandan lady who is 34 years of age! She’s married and has six children. She is the founder of JORDAN FOUNDATION a nonprofit organization for change, support, and hope for visually impaired children in Rwanda.
In 2015 Mrs. Bahati Vanessa and her husband received the devastating news that their fourth son was born blind and he would never be able to see. They tried to find the best possible care for their son in Rwanda and abroad! Through that process she realized that for blind children from poor families, the future looked particularly grim and she decided to act.
She reached out to other parents with blind children, consolers, teachers, authorities, friends and that is how JORDAN FOUNDATION was established named after her son Jordan Guy Hakiza. The foundation started without any sponsor, she used her own house to shelter the children where they were offered the right to education.
The Jordan Foundation is now located in Gasabo District/Kigali! It takes care of blind children between the age of 3-9 who come from poor families in RWANDA. The children are offered a safe space to live and have access to medical care and eye treatment and also other health services such as counseling, physiotherapy and nutrition.
Mrs. Bahati Vanessa’s commitment to empowering visual impaired children has gained her different awards where in March 2018, she was awarded by the US embassy Kigali as a woman of courage and in December 2018, she was awarded by Madam first lady of Rwanda as the young achiever and youth connect champion, she also holds a certificate in working with special needs children, focused on early intervention from Royal Dutch Vision in the Netherlands.
As the founder of Jordan Foundation, Mrs. Bahati Vanessa is driven by a strong desire to positively impact the lives of visually impaired children. With her vision, determination and boundless ambition, she aims to propel the Jordan Foundation to greater heights, ensuring that it becomes a beacon of hope and support for visually impaired children worldwide. With her at the helm, there’s no doubt that the future holds endless possibilities for the foundation and the countless lives it will touch.