By Dieudonné N., Founder, African Stuttering Center

Photo: Students at a school in Rwanda

“My teacher makes fun of me in class every time I struggle to answer questions out loud,” Tuza shares. “I feel so ashamed that I just don’t want to go to school anymore.”

Across vulnerable communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, thousands of children who stutter wake up every morning carrying a heavy, invisible burden.

For students like Tuza in Rwanda, being called on to answer a question in class does not feel like an opportunity to participate. Instead, it can bring intense fear, embarrassment, and anxiety.

In many schools, where speech-language professionals and formal support systems are limited or unavailable, teachers may misunderstand speech blocks as defiance, hesitation, or a lack of knowledge. In overcrowded classrooms, these misunderstandings can sometimes lead to public ridicule, bullying, or even physical punishment.

For some children, the experience becomes so painful that they eventually stop attending school altogether.

Dieudonné Nsabimana, Founder of the African Stuttering Center and a Board Member of the International Stuttering Association, knows this pain personally.

Dieudonné Nsabimana

“My commitment to children who stutter isn’t just professional; it’s personal. It is rooted in a childhood experience that I lived through myself.”

As a child, Dieudonné was beaten and humiliated by his fourth-grade teacher after he experienced a speech block during a poetry recitation.

Today, he is determined to help rewrite that story for the next generation through a simple, practical approach: the “28 for 1” initiative.

What Does “28 for 1” Mean for a Child Who Stutters?

It costs just $28 to sponsor one teacher to attend a full-day, expert-led training workshop.

That trained teacher then returns to the classroom with practical knowledge and strategies to create a more supportive, inclusive, and safe learning environment for children who stutter.

In other words, $28 can help change the experience of an entire classroom.

Every teacher trained represents another classroom where a child who stutters can be understood rather than misunderstood, encouraged rather than ridiculed, and supported rather than silenced.

Live Workshop Session

Teachers actively participate in a training session focused on supportive classroom strategies designed to create safer, more empathetic learning environments for children who stutter.

The workshops provide teachers with practical strategies they can use immediately, including low-pressure approaches to oral presentations, anti-bullying strategies, and positive classroom management techniques.

The goal is simple: replace fear with understanding, empathy, and confidence.

Proof That Change Is Possible: Thierry’s Story

This approach is more than a theory. We have seen how the right teacher, equipped with the right understanding, can change a child’s life.

Thierry standing proudly outside his school in Rwanda.

By the age of 16, Thierry was a bright and capable student who had learned to make himself invisible.

He would sometimes pretend not to know the answers in class because he was afraid his classmates would mock the way he spoke.

Everything changed when Thierry’s teacher attended an African Stuttering Center training workshop.

With a new understanding of stuttering and communication differences, the teacher began to see beyond Thierry’s speech. He recognized Thierry’s intelligence, abilities, and leadership potential and appointed him Class Leader.

That single act of trust and confidence helped restore Thierry’s self-esteem.

“Today, I lead my class and serve as the voice for my peers,” Thierry says proudly. “When I speak, they don’t focus on how I say things. They listen to what I have to say.”

Help Us Cross the Finish Line

Thierry’s story reminds us of something important:

Children who stutter do not lack ability. They need teachers who understand them, believe in them, and give them the opportunity to succeed.

Right now, 102 teachers in Rwanda are waiting to receive this training.

Thanks to the generous support of people who believe in this mission, the campaign is already 57% funded, securing training for 56 teachers.

That leaves just 46 teachers on the waiting list.

We now need $1,300 to reach our goal of training every teacher on that list.

$28 trains 1 teacher and helps transform 1 classroom into a safer, more supportive space.
$112 trains 4 teachers, helping create more inclusive environments in 4 classrooms.
$1,300 covers the training of the remaining 46 teachers and clears the waiting list, helping transform 46 classrooms for children who stutter.

Together, we can help ensure that no child has to suffer in silence, hide in fear, or give up on school simply because they stutter.

A contribution of $28 can equip a teacher with the knowledge and tools to replace a child’s fear with confidence, and, as we saw with Thierry, help that child discover their own potential for leadership.

Click here to sponsor a teacher through our fundraising page.

It takes just one click to get started.

One click. One minute. A lasting impact.

PHOTOS AND SHORT VIDEOS

Empowering Young Voices

Dieudonné Nsabimana speaks with 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 attend a presentation on practical teaching strategies designed to support children who stutter and foster more inclusive learning environments.

Workshop Participants

Thierry’s teacher is circled in red.

Participating in this training session helped him look beyond Thierry’s stutter, recognize his abilities, and appoint him Class Leader, turning silence into leadership.

Together, We Can Make a Difference

Together, we can help ensure that no child who stutters has to suffer in silence or hide in fear.

Click here to sponsor a teacher through our fundraising page.

One click can help make a difference.

Short video (0:30). Thierry shares his personal story of moving from hiding in the background to becoming a confident class leader:

Short video (2:31). Inside the Workshop: Training Teachers to Support Students Who Stutter:

Short video (1:03). Stopping Bullying in Schools: Empowering Students Who Stutter in East Africa:

Every Child Who Stutters Matters

Every child who stutters matters, regardless of where they live in the world.

By supporting this initiative, you can help us create classrooms where children who stutter are understood, respected, encouraged, and given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Join our mission and support our efforts here.

A World that Understands Stuttering

The Silent Crisis: Children Who Stutter in Underserved Communities