Our story
From rags to decency.
A Houston nonprofit with an African soul — taking children off the streets and out of the mines, and giving them back their beginning.
Who we are
One child at a time.
From Rags To Decency, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 in Houston, Texas. We work where the need is most urgent: the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso. Our mission is simple to say and hard to do — end child homelessness and forced child labor, one child at a time.
Why the name
What every child is owed.
Rags are what the world left these children with. Decency is what every child is owed: a safe place to sleep, food to eat, a classroom to learn in, and someone who shows up. Our name is the journey we walk with each child — from rags to decency.
What we believe
Welcome the stranger.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” — Matthew 25:35 (ESV)
We measure ourselves against that verse — and against Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being. For a child, that starts with a safe place to sleep.
The journey
Built to show up.
From Rags To Decency, Inc. is founded.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit begins with a clear mission: end child homelessness and forced child labor.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso.
The work goes where children face homelessness, exploitation, and forced labor.
Safety, school, and a future.
We keep walking the journey from rags to decency, one child at a time.
People who refuse to look away.
The work moves through people who give, volunteer, partner, and stand alongside local communities.
Local partners
They know the children, the communities, and what it takes to make change hold.
Supporters
Steady giving makes it possible to plan, stay, and keep promises.
Volunteers
Time, skill, and presence turn concern into practical help.
How your donations are put to work
The work so far.
Organization-reported impact figures confirmed October 2, 2026.