CARD AID - RUNNER-UP
RWANDA

The scars of the Rwandan genocide that claimed some 800,000 victims will take a long time to heal. Communities throughout the country are struggling to deal with the legacy of unthinkable brutality. Families headed by orphaned teenagers, with sibling dependents, are commonplace. It was from a desire to help these survivors build a better life that British expatriate Chris Page and Rwandan artist Gabriel Dusabe began Cards from Africa, a company that markets greetings cards made by a poor Rwandan community to shops around the world.

The company began in 2004. Operating on a fair-trade basis, it now provides a steady income for 40 young Rwandans. It runs a variety of practical programmes to help the community make best use of their land. It also employs a part-time counsellor to help the young survivors of the genocide. The cards are made from recycled paper gathered from the offices and printing presses of Rwanda's capital Kigali. Cards from Africa has set itself the initial target of selling more than 500,000 cards annually across the globe, thus providing employment for over 300 orphaned young people in Rwanda.