"Solidarity is a magic word which can be given any meaning: assistance, sharing, moral support, availability, love.

Solidarity is love for your neighbor. Solidarity means to act for your neighbor’s wellbeing. Solidarity is something that you can feel in your soul. It makes you feel good, because you know that someone else feels good too thanks to you.

Solidarity is the perfect mean to win any selfishness or evil. Solidarity can open your heart. Solidarity is pure joy".

Mr. Giovanni Abbate, President of the Nolite Timere Onlus

 

The Nolite Timere Onlus is a no-profit charitable institution constituted in order to assist orphans of the terrible genocide of 1994, exclusively committed to child sponsorship.

According to art. 1 of the Statute, the Nolite Timere Onlus is "committed in the defence of material, cultural and spiritual needs of the human beings".

Founded in 2001 by H.E. Mgr. Salvatore Pennacchio, then Papal Nuncio in Rwanda, and built together with F. Tomaso Cuciniello, its first President till his recent death, in 2005 it became a no-profit organization.

Its main goal is to promote and support “The Cité of Nazareth”, wanted by Pope John Paul II in order to help all those children who had lost their parents during the terrible genocide of 1994. For this purpose, the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda at last donated the Cité.

Its name “Nolite Timere” means “do not be afraid”, the words which Pope John Paul II began its pontificate with. “Nolite Timere” is also the episcopal motto of Mgr. Salvatore Pennacchio.

The place where the Cité of Nazareth was built is almost 50 km far from Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, and it is managed by the Diocese of Kabgayi, by the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda and by the Apostolic Nunciature with funds donated by the Holy See and by public and private benefactors through the Nolite Timere Onlus.

The main purpose of the Nolite Timere Onlus is to give orphans and poor children a house to stay, food, health care and culture, spiritual assistance.

The Cité is managed by five nuns belonging to the Congregation of Sister Benebikira, who live there, helped by teachers and welfare officers. The Cité comprises 6 groups of houses with 60 beds each, the religious residence of nuns, the refectory, sporting facilities, administrative offices, the secretariat, an infirmary and a warehouse.

Through a child sponsorship, each child is given everything to live in dignity till the end of his/her education. A child sponsorship costs 1,00€ per day, so that with 360,00 € per year a child is given a house to stay, food and education, health care and spiritual support.

The Cité of Nazareth is known everywhere in Rwanda and around the world. At present, the Cité welcomes 429 children coming from nine Dioceses around the country.

The educational path begins when children are 6 years old and it lasts 8 years, 6 years of primary school and 2 years of secondary school. During the summer holidays, children are welcomed by families who live around the Cité, thus  allowing them to live in a more familiar context where they can learn the culture of their own country.

At the end of their compulsory education, they can attend university, if still sponsored, or work inside or outside the Cité. Those who want to attend the University of Rwanda can receive a public scholarship,  besides the one donated by the Nolite Timere Onlus through its benefactors.

Every single sponsorship is fundamental in order to give those children a chance to live a better life. Thanks to the incredible work of the volunteers of the Nolite Timere Onlus,  all the benefactors can stay in touch with their children, if they want to. Indeed, this indirect relationship between children and “foster” parents is carried out through pictures and letters or even visits in Rwanda. Emotional ties with “foster” parents are very important for children who have lost one or both parents. If for any reason a benefactor is no more able to support his/her child, the Nolite Timere Onlus can wait for new payment for a maximum of 2 years. Meanwhile, the child who has lost his/her sponsor is helped by the Nolite Timere Onlus thanks to its funds. In the event of a renunciation, the child who lost his/her sponsor will be supported by a new benefactor or directly by the Nolite Timere Onlus, thanks to public and private donations or funds raised by H.E. Mgr. Salvatore Pennacchio all around the world.

An alternative to the sponsorship is the Membership Card of Friends of the Nolite Timere Onlus which costs 30,00€ per year. All funds raised through the selling of the Membership Card go to the cash drawer of the Nolite Timere. These funds are used to pay the standing charges for the running of the institution, no more than 10% upon the whole, to finance missions of volunteers in Rwanda and above all to support all those children who do not have a sponsor yet.

Next August 2012 three volunteers will go to Rwanda, accompanied by doctors and by anyone who wish to help, even sponsors who want to visit their children and see how they go.

All data gained during the mission will be provided to sponsors and benefactors.