Ruva Foundation provides full tuition, uniforms, supplies, and food support to primary school children in rural Zimbabwe, removing every barrier between a child and their education.
Explore the work, the mission, and the people behind Ruva Foundation.
Ruva means flower in Shona. We believe every child is a seed waiting to bloom. Learn who we are and why we exist.
Read MoreFrom full tuition to food security, our holistic programs address every barrier a child faces on the road to learning.
Explore ProgramsWhen you invest in a child's education, you transform an entire community for generations to come.
See ImpactFifty dollars a month covers a family's food. One hundred dollars a month covers fees and supplies. Every dollar goes directly to the child.
Ruva means flower in Shona. We believe every child is a seed waiting to bloom.
In rural Zimbabwe, thousands of bright, capable children are denied an education not because they lack potential, but simply because their families cannot afford school fees, uniforms, or a meal.
Ruva Foundation was founded by Gilbert Chidarikire, a finance professional with an MS in Applied Finance from George Washington University and a lifelong passion for mission driven work. Ruva Foundation is the culmination of that calling, rooted in a deep belief that access to education changes everything.
We provide comprehensive primary school sponsorship, covering 100% of what stands between a child and their classroom: school fees, uniforms, shoes, bags, stationery, and monthly food vouchers for the family.
Enroll 50 children across rural districts in Zimbabwe, deliver full support for the entire school year, and build the foundation to expand every year until no child is left behind.
100% of school fees, exam fees, and levies paid directly to the school.
Every sponsored child receives a complete uniform kit each term.
Exercise books, pens, pencils, and rulers, everything a learner needs.
Fifty dollars or more redeemable at TM Supermarkets and Pick n Pay for family nutrition.
We exist because education is not a privilege, it is a right. Every child, regardless of where they are born, deserves a genuine chance at life.
Education is not a privilege. It is a right. Every child, regardless of where they are born or what their family can afford, deserves a genuine chance at life. That is the promise of Ruva Foundation.Gilbert Chidarikire, Founder and Executive Director
A Zimbabwe where every child, regardless of economic background, has access to quality primary education and the opportunity to reach their full potential, and where a classroom becomes a doorway to a better future.
To provide primary school sponsorships, learning materials, nutrition support, and family livelihood projects to vulnerable children across Zimbabwe, enabling them to complete their primary education with dignity and hope.
Every child and family is treated with deep respect. We walk alongside communities, we do not hand down to them. Our work empowers, never patronizes.
Full transparency in how every dollar is used. Donors receive termly progress reports with academic results, photos, and detailed financial breakdowns.
We do not create dependency, we build capacity. Livelihood projects give families the tools to sustain themselves long after our support ends.
No discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, tribe, region, or politics. Every selection decision is made purely on need and potential.
We work with communities, not just in them. Schools, teachers, families, and local leaders are partners in every decision we make.
We track outcomes rigorously. Academic results, attendance rates, and family wellbeing are monitored every term to ensure our model works.
In rural Zimbabwe, school fee debt is one of the leading causes of dropout. We eliminate this entirely for sponsored children.
A child who has not eaten cannot learn. Our food vouchers ensure families have nutrition stability throughout the school year.
Education is the single most powerful tool for breaking poverty. Every child we keep in school is a cycle we help break.
Education alone is not enough. We address the full ecosystem, the child, the family, and the community, so that learning can truly take root and last.
Our interlocking programs work together to ensure no single barrier remains between a child and their education. From the moment a child is enrolled, we cover everything, and we stay involved throughout their entire primary school journey.
We cover 100% of annual school fees, exam fees, and all school levies, paid directly to the school on behalf of each sponsored child. No debt, no embarrassment, no disruption to learning.
Who benefits: Primary school children aged 6 to 13 from households that cannot afford school fees.
Three times per year, at the start of each school term, every sponsored child receives a complete school kit: uniform, shoes, school bag, exercise books, pens, pencils, rulers, and stationery.
Items are sourced locally where possible to support Zimbabwean businesses while minimising cost.
Every sponsored child's family receives a monthly food voucher worth 50 dollars or more, redeemable at TM Supermarkets and Pick n Pay. This addresses household food security so children come to school nourished and ready to learn.
Each term our team conducts in person school visits, reviews report cards, meets with teachers, and assesses the child's overall wellbeing. Donors receive a full termly report with their sponsored child's academic results.
We provide families with seed funding and training for income generating projects: poultry farming, market gardening, goat rearing, sewing cooperatives, and more, building economic resilience that outlasts our direct support.
We stay involved throughout a child's primary school journey, offering tutoring support to those who struggle and ensuring every learner has the consistent guidance they need to thrive year after year.
Fifty dollars a month covers a child's food. One hundred dollars a month covers fees and supplies. Every dollar goes directly to the child.
A transparent, rigorous, and accountable process, from identifying a child in need all the way through to your termly donor report.
We believe donors deserve to know exactly how their money works. Below is our full process, from community identification to annual impact reporting. Every step is documented, every dollar accounted for.
Our Director of Operations works alongside rural school headmasters, teachers, and community leaders to identify children who cannot afford basic school necessities. Referrals come from trusted local partners who know the families personally.
Shortlisted families complete a structured needs assessment. We assess household income, number of dependents, food security, existing school attendance, and the child's academic history. All assessments are documented and stored securely.
Selected children are formally enrolled. Tuition is paid directly to the school, never through the family. Each child receives their complete school kit and the family is registered for monthly food vouchers. Everything is provided before the term begins.
Throughout each school term our team makes in person visits to verify attendance, review academic progress, and assess family wellbeing. Children who are struggling receive additional tutoring support. Families are assessed for livelihood projects and provided training and seed funding.
At the end of every school term, donors receive a detailed report including their sponsored child's academic results and attendance, a narrative update, financial breakdown of expenditure, and a summary of community impact.
We will never spend more than 15% of total funds on administration. At least 85 cents of every dollar goes directly to program delivery, children's fees, kits, food, and livelihood projects.
If at any time a donor wishes to see our financial records, meeting minutes, or beneficiary reports, we will provide them within seven business days.
Every child kept in school is a cycle of poverty interrupted. Every family stabilised is a community strengthened.
Ruva Foundation is in its founding phase, building the systems, partnerships, and funding base to launch our first cohort of 50 children. Below is the impact we are designed to create, and the evidence behind why it matters.
Research consistently shows that primary education is the single most effective investment in human development. Every additional year of schooling increases an individual's earning potential by eight to ten percent.
In rural Zimbabwe, where the poverty rate remains among the highest in the region, keeping a child in primary school changes not just their trajectory, but their children's, and their children's children.
When we sponsor a child through primary school, we are investing in a future teacher, nurse, farmer, or entrepreneur who will reinvest in their community for decades.
Our food voucher and livelihood programs address a critical reality: a child cannot learn if their family is in crisis. When parents have food on the table and income from a livelihood project, they do not pull children out of school to work.
We also invest directly in school infrastructure and clean water access in the communities we serve, because the environment where children learn matters just as much as what they learn.
Our community development work ensures that when Ruva Foundation eventually moves on, the communities we have served are better equipped to sustain educational progress on their own.
A small, dedicated team united by an unshakeable belief that every child deserves a chance, and the drive to do something about it.
Ruva Foundation is led by people who bring both professional expertise and personal conviction to this work. Many of us grew up in Zimbabwe and understand firsthand what access to education, or the lack of it, means for a child's life.
A finance professional with an MS in Applied Finance from George Washington University and a lifelong passion for mission driven work. Ruva Foundation is the culmination of that calling, rooted in a deep belief that access to education changes everything.
Zimbabwe based operations lead with deep roots in the communities we serve. Manages student enrollment, school partnerships, supply distribution, and family assessments. The backbone of day to day program delivery on the ground.
Oversees program design, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation. Ensures quality standards and rigorous impact measurement across all initiatives.
Manages all financial controls, budgeting, donor reporting, and compliance. Ensures rigorous accountability so that every dollar is tracked and directed to where it matters most, the children.
Builds and maintains relationships with schools, community leaders, traditional authorities, and local government. Leads identification of communities in greatest need.
Drives grant applications, corporate partnerships, diaspora engagement, and fundraising campaigns. Builds the external relationships that sustain Ruva Foundation's growth.
We are always looking for passionate individuals who want to contribute their skills to this mission, as volunteers, advisors, or future staff members.
Every dollar goes directly to the child. Choose an amount below and become the reason a child stays in the classroom.
At least 85 cents of every dollar reaches the child directly. We never spend more than 15% on administration.
Choose a giving level that works for you, and we will reach out to complete your sponsorship.
Whether you want to donate, volunteer, partner, or simply learn more, we would love to hear from you.
We welcome donors, volunteers, grant partners, corporate sponsors, and anyone who shares our belief that every child deserves an education.
How Ruva Foundation collects, uses, and protects the information you share with us.
Ruva Foundation ("Ruva Foundation," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our donors, supporters, volunteers, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using our website or sharing information with us, you agree to the practices described here.
We collect information you choose to give us directly, such as when you complete our contact form, express interest in sponsoring a child, sign up to volunteer, or otherwise correspond with us. This may include your name, email address, telephone number, the nature of your interest in our work, and any message you send us.
When you visit our website, our hosting provider may automatically collect limited technical information, such as your browser type, device, and general location, for security and basic analytics. We do not use this information to identify you personally.
We use the information you provide to respond to your enquiries, process and acknowledge sponsorship interest and donations, send you updates about our work where you have asked to receive them, and improve our programs and communications. We will only contact you for the purposes for which you provided your information, or for closely related purposes.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information with trusted service providers who help us operate, such as our website host and email or payment processors, strictly to perform services on our behalf and under an obligation to keep it confidential. We may also disclose information where required by law or to protect the rights, safety, and property of Ruva Foundation, our beneficiaries, or others.
We take particular care with information and imagery relating to the children and families in our programs. We do not publish identifying details of a child without the informed consent of their guardian, and we share beneficiary information only with the donor sponsoring that child and only to the extent appropriate.
We keep personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described above or as required by law, and we take reasonable organizational and technical measures to protect it. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
You may ask us to access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you, and you may opt out of our communications at any time. To make a request, contact us at info@ruvafoundation.org and we will respond within a reasonable period.
Our website uses minimal cookies necessary for it to function and, where applicable, to understand general usage. You can set your browser to refuse cookies, though some features may not work as intended.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised date. We encourage you to review it periodically.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us at info@ruvafoundation.org or by telephone at (571) 579 9924.
The terms that govern your use of the Ruva Foundation website.
Welcome to the Ruva Foundation website. By accessing or using this website, you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.
Ruva Foundation is a charitable initiative dedicated to providing primary school sponsorships and related support to children in rural Zimbabwe. We are in the process of completing our formal nonprofit registration. Information about the status of that registration is available on request.
You agree to use this website only for lawful purposes and in a way that does not infringe the rights of, restrict, or inhibit anyone else's use of it. You may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the site, its servers, or any connected systems.
Interest expressed through this website does not by itself complete a donation or sponsorship. A member of our team will follow up to confirm details. We strive to direct funds to the programs described, and we reserve the right to allocate gifts where the need is greatest in order to fulfil our charitable purpose. Figures such as program costs are estimates provided in good faith and may change.
The content on this website, including text, graphics, logos, and design, is the property of Ruva Foundation or used with permission, and is protected by applicable laws. You may view and share content for personal, non-commercial purposes, but you may not reproduce or distribute it for other purposes without our written permission.
We work to keep the information on this website accurate and current, but we make no warranties that it is complete, reliable, or error free. Some imagery is illustrative and will be replaced with photography of our programs as our work begins. The website is provided on an "as is" basis.
This website may link to or rely on third party services, such as our hosting provider and form or payment processors. We are not responsible for the content or practices of third party sites, and your use of them is subject to their own terms.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Ruva Foundation will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of, or inability to use, this website.
We may revise these Terms of Use at any time by updating this page. Your continued use of the website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of those changes.
Questions about these Terms of Use may be directed to info@ruvafoundation.org or (571) 579 9924.