The "28 for 1" Initiative: Transforming Classrooms for Children Who Stutter

By Dieudonne N., Founder, African Stuttering Center

Photo: students at school in Rwanda

 In many vulnerable regions across Africa, children who stutter face systemic misunderstanding, verbal ridicule, and physical punishment at school due to a total lack of specialized care and teacher training. Many eventually drop out in shame. [Read the full case study here]

The African Stuttering Center, founded by Dieudonné Nsabimana, who experienced this abuse firsthand as a child, is actively breaking this cycle. 

What does “28 for 1” mean? A $28 gift sponsors 1 teacher to complete a full-day training workshop, equipping them with practical knowledge and tools to create a safer, more supportive classroom for children who stutter.

Live Workshop Session.

Teachers actively participating in a training session on supportive classroom strategies, designed to turn schools into safe and empathetic learning environments for children who stutter.

Proven Impact: When 16-year-old Thierry's teacher attended the training, he stopped viewing Thierry's stutter as a limitation and named him Class Leader. Today, Thierry proudly leads his peers.

Thierry standing proudly outside his school in Rwanda.

"When I speak, they don't focus on how I say things, they listen to what I have to say." Thierry, appointed Class Leader after his teacher learned how to support students with speech disorders.

How You Can Help There are 102 teachers waiting for training. The campaign is 57% funded (56 teachers sponsored), leaving just 46 teachers and just $1,300 stands between us and our goal to train every single teacher on that list.

• $28 sponsors 1 teacher and transforms 1 classroom into safe spaces 

• $112 sponsors 4 teachers, instantly transforming 4 classrooms into safe spaces for children who stutter.

• $1,300 funds the remaining 46 teachers and clears the waiting list. turning 46 classrooms into inclusive, safe havens.

A single $28 gift equips a teacher to replace a child's fear with confidence and leadership for years to come, just as it did for Thierry."

Click here to sponsor a teacher TODAY on our fundraising page. One click. One minute. Endless impact.

PHOTOS AND SHORT VIDEO:

Dieudonné Nsabimana: " The stories of young people transformed by our programs remind me why this mission is worth every effort".

Empowering young voices: Dieudonné Nsabimana speaks to a group of students who stutter, sharing a reassuring message: "If you stutter, you are not alone."

Teacher Training Program Banner.

Official banner from our school-based workshop at G.S. Gahanga (Rwanda), designed to equip teachers with compassionate pedagogical tools and inclusive classroom strategies.

Teacher Training in Action: Teachers attending a presentation on adaptive teaching strategies designed to support children who stutter and foster inclusive learning environments.

Workshop participants.

Circled in red is Thierry’s teacher. His participation in this capacity-building session inspired him to look beyond Thierry's speech disorder and appoint him Class Leader, turning silence into leadership.

Together, we can ensure that no child suffers in silence or hides in fear. .

Click here to sponsor a teacher TODAY on our fundraising page. One click. One minute. Endless impact.

Thierry's short video (30 seconds):