Ten-year-old Taylor Hardt dreamed of having her own lemonade stand, so when her mother Amie figured out a way they could have a business while helping an African village in need at the same time, it made perfect sense. Two days a week, the Hardt family sets up a Coffee Cart/Lemonade Stand where all money raised goes directly to a local nonprofit, Under His Umbrella (UHU), a ministry dedicated to transforming the lives of impoverished children and families of Bugesera, Rwanda. Thanks to UHU, 406 children, ages three to 12, have the chance to attend Vineyard Christian School.

   “These kids that we’re helping can’t afford to go to school or to be fed,” Amie says. “This gives our family a chance to think beyond ourselves and how much we have. And it puts things into perspective about how hard little kids have it in other places.”

   The Pinterest-worthy cart/stand is set up Wednesdays from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. close to American Elementary School off of Verdugo Road, on the corner of Sioux Creek and Pine Rock Streets. They sell cold brew coffee and vanilla lemonade by the cup and handmade coffee cozies. You can also pick up your coffee for the week in a 32-ounce cardboard carafe and vanilla lemonade by concentrate to make at home.

   Not only is the Coffee Cart/Lemonade Stand helping people, but it’s providing really tasty drinks. The beans, bought from Rig City Roasting Company, go through the cold brew process to make the coffee smoother and less acidic. The vanilla lemonade is a unique recipe created by the mother and daughter duo.

   Kellie Herbert makes sure to get a cup of cold brew coffee on her way to pick up her child at American Elementary. “It’s the best iced coffee you’ll ever have,” she says. “The fact that the money is going to a good cause is fulfilling. God is using this to help people I don’t even know.”

   Thanks to the Hardts’ fundraising efforts, they have raised enough money to feed the children of Vineyard Christian Schools one day a week for three months, and hopefully sustain it for a longer period of time. Currently, these children are fed every Friday through the school, so this gives them another day of the week to have a nourishing meal, which is something they don’t always get at home.

   UHU was started by Scott and Tanya Rush after they visited Rwanda for a friend’s wedding. They went “into the bush,” about 50 miles southeast of Kigali, to a village called Kanazi in the district of Bugesera. This Pygmy community was rejected by society and considered uncivilized. They were “extremely impoverished,” says Tanya. “The nearest clean water source was 20 minutes away. The kids’ clothes were dirty, their bodies were dirty, they had holes in everything, and they had no shoes. If they had shoes, they only had one shoe.”

   While visiting Bugesera, they met Pastor Phillip, a man who after finishing Bible school, came to the village to help these families. He said the children were “scattered” and he was trying to teach them the best he could. He just didn’t have the resources. The Rwandan government had gifted a plot of land for a school, but stipulated that construction must begin within six months or it would be returned to the government. Nothing was happening and the deadline was approaching, so they were in jeopardy of losing their land.       

   After returning to Bakersfield, this village’s dilemma weighed heavily on Tanya’s mind. She kept thinking about these kids and how building this school seemed “doable.” After much contemplation, prayer, and family meetings, they had a plan to at least get construction moving forward. Tanya sent out a group text to her friends and family where she wrote, “We are going to adopt a village.”

   The response was overwhelming. With their first garage sale in October 2014, they made enough money to lay a foundation for the school in Rwanda. It didn’t stop there. They started a “Go Fund Me” page and held a benefit concert, and raised enough money for the six classroom school to open January 26, 2015. With help from Visiting Orphans ministry, the Rush family was able to send donations through this non-profit until their 5013c was in place for UHU. “Thanks to half of Bakersfield and the body of believers, this school opened,” Tanya says.

   When the school opened it had no windows, doors, and very few desks, so more fundraising was needed. UHU began a sewing project to raise funds and sustain a means of support for the villagers. After the students go home, seamstresses use donated sewing machines to make bags, totes, aprons, and other handmade items. They made all of the uniforms for the children at school.

   You can also sponsor a child for $35 month so he/she can attend school, receive healthcare, school supplies, uniforms, shoes, and a brighter future. Other volunteers, like the Hardts, have set up fundraising support avenues to help these families.

   Currently, the school teaches 406 children, employs 20 Rwandans, and has 11 seamstresses working on handmade products. They’re ready to start an expansion of the school. They are in the process of raising funds for another building that will include six more classrooms, two offices, and a library.

   In addition to school and sewing endeavors, UHU can earmark funds for special projects. Recently one of the villagers, a single mother who is deaf, had her mud hut crumble during a rain storm. UHU had donations specified for her house, and was able to rebuild it promptly. You can also sponsor gifts such as food baskets, hygiene kits, or mattresses for families in the village.

   “I have a real bond with these children,” Tanya says. “I love them. When I pull into the village, I can’t wait to see them, hug them. It’s really a celebration.”

   The non-profit’s name, Under His Umbrella, came from the Rush’s fourth child. Scott and Tanya had three biological children, Taylor, Justin, and Travis. They adopted Reese from an orphanage in Ethiopia when she was 1 1/2 years old. She had been found on the side of the road under an umbrella when she was only three months old. The umbrella saved her and protected her body. This year, they adopted another little girl, Riley, age seven, from China. Their trip to Ethiopia to bring Reese home opened their eyes to extreme poverty, so they pledged to go back to help someday.

   In 2012, Scott and Tanya returned to Ethiopia on their first mission trip to minister through Visiting Orphans. After a few mission trips to Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda, they met three Rwandan genocide survivors, who became fast friends. One of the genocide survivors even spent two winters at the Rush’s home in Bakersfield, and it was his wedding they were attending when they visited the village they have now adopted. The three older Rush children have also been to the village and helped work and minister to the families.

   “The need is so great,” Tanya says. “God has provided so much so far, why would He stop now?” They look at this work as a lifetime commitment and plan to always help the village and its families have better lives and brighter futures. To help them achieve this goal, you can sponsor a child for $35/month, donate for their upcoming garage sale on May 6 & 7, or buy a deliciously brewed cup of cold coffee.

For more information, please visit www.underhisumbrella.com.