A LOCAL woman returns to Rwanda this weekend with one hope ? that residents will have cared enough to make a donation to a group of children orphaned by genocide, stricken by HIV and suffering from malnutrition.

Kat Carr began working in the African country earlier this year, challenged to teach Aids prevention methods in an area where millions of children have lost one or both parents to the disease.

It was in that capacity that she was introduced to the children of the Centre Memorial de Gisimba, an orphanage established in 1980 in the Nyamirambo quarter of Kigali.

Some of the children were suffering from HIV. Because the orphanage received little financial support, all of them were hungry.

For the 29-year-old Bermudian the situation demanded action. She launched an appeal in Rwanda and decided to continue it on a recent break home.

"It was something I really felt strongly about," she explained. "Obviously there's lots of poverty in Rwanda. There's lots of people who need help but this got my attention because this orphanage was never enthusiastic about working with us.

"It was very clear to us that they were just scraping by. They have no secure source of funds. At the moment they're relying on small donations from individuals."

Ms Carr has a master's degree in social policy and planning in developing countries. She worked for several years in Latin America with an environmental Non Governmental Organisation where her focus was child and community development.

"I've always been interested in other languages," she said. "I travelled through Latin America when I was 18 and that's when I first became interested in working overseas."

She explained she was led to Africa after the tsunami which devastated South East Asia.

"I was looking for a job. Understandably, a lot of money was being given to the countries affected by the tsunami. There was not a lot of money being put towards Africa anymore. So I decided to go there."

Ms Carr had read about Rwanda while working towards her master's degree and knew quite a bit about the civil conflicts and resulting genocide in 1994 that left up to one million people dead. She applied for, and was hired, to work with an international group that assists local organisations in the area.

"I first went in February," she explained. "That's how I came in contact with the orphanage, Centre Memorial de Gisimba. It's quite small. It has about 137 kids. About 53 of them go to boarding school in Rwanda and the rest stay at the orphanage year round."

According to Ms Carr, "a significant number" of the children are HIV positive, although the statistics in the area are nowhere near as dire as those in some other African nations.

"In Rwanda generally, the HIV problem is not acute. The rate is three per cent which isn't high compared with Botswana or South Africa."

However, the children are all extremely vulnerable ? a situation caused partially by the genocide which took their parents and other family members away from them, she said.

"Today Rwanda is one of the safest countries in Africa. It's very stable. There's very little crime. And, from my perspective, it's very interesting to be in the Great Lakes region of Africa and learn a lot more about the genocide that happened there.

"(The average person) hears about the genocide and thinks it only happened in Rwanda but different regional tensions actually contributed to it. So it's interesting to hear that perspective on things. In Rwanda, they call it 'The War', they don't refer to it as genocide."

Many of the Rwandians had adopted several children of their own, she explained. Others were cared for by organisations like the Gisimba orphanage.

The centre was founded in 1980 by the father of its current patron, Damas Mutezintare Gisimba. Initially, 18 children were living in one house. Mr. Gisimba took over after the death of his father in 1986.

The number of residents swelled during the genocide when the property was used to shelter more than 400 children and adults. Though the orphanage was repeatedly attacked, Mr. Gisimba defended his charges and was later honoured by the Rwandan government and several other groups for his heroic efforts.

Confused as to why the orphanage was no longer receiving aid, Ms Carr's organisation made a determined effort to help.

"What we got was a very long story about their situation," she said.

"Instead of money, the orphanage had been receiving food aid from an international organisation. But that stopped. All of a sudden their major source stopped and they didn't have the skills, the networking ability to look for alternate sources of funding."

Because of that, she said, the orphanage is buying the cheapest food available.

"The immediate need is food for the kids. What they're getting now is of the lowest quality. Some of the kids won't eat it because it's really not very good and it hurts their stomachs."

Ms Carr said they have approached organisations in Rwanda for funding but as she was coming home, thought she would conduct an additional appeal here.

The response had been great thus far, she said.

"A generous contribution was made from the teachers and students of Purvis Primary School, with special thanks to teacher's assistant Irene Richardson," she said. "And the Island Restaurant Group is donating $2.50 per diner today at all three restaurants ? Hog Penny, Barracuda Grill and the Pickled Onion."

Other local and international companies have also been approached and she hopes to receive a positive response before her Sunday departure.

Persons interested in contributing to the orphanage may send an e-mail, gisimbagmail.com.