At a time in our world when so many stories seem to have unhappy endings, here’s a tale with a happy ending – and an invitation for you to be part of it.
It was back in 2015 that my wife, Taly, and I traveled to Rwanda for a project I was working on about stories of women who were learning to grow coffee, rebuilding their lives as entrepreneurs as they recovered from the 1994 genocide.
While in Rwanda we traveled to Volcanoes National Park to see the mountain gorillas. Spending time with these magnificent creatures was truly a gift.
We stayed at a nearby village where we got to know some of the children including a boy named Pacifique. We got to talking and when he heard I liked stories, he shared some traditional Rwandan tales with me. He also told me a little of his own story and that of his sister, Jeannette.
Like so many Rwandan stories it takes place in the shadow of the 1994 genocide. Additional hostilities led to their parents hiding in the jungle, where Pacifique and Jeannette were born. Pacifique’s right hand was twisted backwards during birth and, because of the lack of medical care, it remained that way.
Unfortunately, their parents were killed when they were young, so they have been raised by their grandmother.
We were so inspired by the two of them that we decided to support their education. Pacifique has a deep love of the mountain gorillas and Rwanda’s other natural attractions, and we have helped him to complete college so he is now beginning work as a tour guide. Jeannette, who is high school, loves to cook and dreams of becoming a chef.
Most inspiring to us was that both are committed to using their education to help others in their community and country as it continues to build and heal from its tragic past.
So that’s coffee, gorillas, and orphans…. but what about CDs?
Looking for ways to continue this venture, we came up with CDs for a Cause. (Click the link to see Joel tell the story in a video)
The idea is simple: You donate whatever amount you choose and you 5 of Joel’s six CDs (one is going out of print soon..) with all proceeds supporting Jeannette’s education. The normal cost for five CDs would be $75, plus another $15 for tax and postage.
But you can donate what you want, and everything beyond expenses will go to support Jeannette’s education. Use the button below and, once you donate, send an email to to let him know that you’ve donated and where you would like your CDs mailed – note they make great gifts!
Even if you don’t want CDs you can still donate to the cause using the button above. In that case, just send an email to saying that you’ve donated but don’t want CDs.
We’ll keep supporting Jeannette’s eduction with the proceeds from sale of CDs, and if additional money comes in we’ll support the education of other kids in Rwanda.
Thanks so much for helping give this story a happy ending!
