Faith, Hope, and a Home for Every Child
Rishama Faith and Hope International Christian Academy is a Christian boarding school and home in Jigwada, Keffi, caring for 450 children in Nigeria with love, mercy, and compassion.
450
Children Assisted
Our Core Values
More Than a School — A Home.
Rishama brings together boarding care, Christian education, and community support so that every child — fatherless, indigent, or orphaned — has what they need to grow: a safe home, a good education, and a loving family.
Sponsorship & Giving
Simple, transparent giving that goes directly toward tuition, meals, and daily care for the children of Rishama.
Boarding & Daily Care
Full-time housing, meals, and attentive daily care for the 450 children who call Rishama home, including the fatherless, indigent, and orphaned.
Community & Family Support
A caring community of house-parents, teachers, and ministry staff who walk with every child as family, not just students.
What is Rishama?
Rishama Faith and Hope International Christian Academy is a boarding school under Rishama International Ministry for African children. The ministry currently serves about 450 children in Nigeria, including 145 fatherless, 133 indigent, and 19 orphaned children who live full-time at the school. For these children, Rishama is not just a place to learn — it is their home, their source of daily meals, and their opportunity for a future.
Everything a child needs to grow, Rishama provides in one home
From the classroom to the dining hall to the dormitory, Rishama's campus in Jigwada, Keffi brings together faith, family, and education under one roof — so every child can grow safely and be known by name.
▶ What Rishama Built
A community built around every child
House-parents and staff make sure no child gets lost in the crowd — every child has someone looking out for them.
Older students mentor younger ones as they grow, just like an older sibling would.
Teachers and caregivers know every child's story, progress, and needs personally.
Faith-Centered Learning For Every Child
Rishama's academic programme is built on a strong Christian foundation. Teachers combine rigorous academics with discipleship, character formation, and practical skills, preparing every child for both this life and the next.
Character, Growth, and Achievement
Every child's academic and personal growth is tracked and celebrated — from classroom assessments to the character and discipline that Rishama's Christian foundation instills in daily life.
Boarding, Meals & Daily Care
Rishama provides full-time housing, three daily meals, and attentive care for every child who calls this campus home — a place of safety and stability for the fatherless, indigent, and orphaned.
Testimonial
One of Our First Students
"I was 9 years old when I came to Rev. Thomas Maijamaa. I was born and raised in a small village where there was good drinking water, but I had no hope of education because my siblings and I only worked on the farm. But glory be to God, Rishama raised me up to know Jesus and trained me to acquire an education."
"Rishama sent me to Igbaja, Kwara State, where I completed my high school, and I am now a graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria, where I studied building engineering."
"I wish my father were alive to be proud of me, because at present I am the only child in my entire village to attend university. I am now 27 years old." — Peter Abel
Get Involved
Join a community of donors, sponsors, and volunteers
Since 2014, Rishama has grown through the generosity of churches, donors, and volunteers in Nigeria and the United States. Your support — through sponsorship, giving, or your time — helps provide a home, an education, and a future for every child at Rishama.
See How to Help