Saturday Sept. 23 there was a lightning strike at our guest house that knocked out the internet. Each day we were told it would be fixed that day...and so it went until we left Rubavu on Wednesday. That is why we have been out of touch. Then we went for our debriefing time at Akagera Game Park where there is also no internet. So now that we are home let me catch you up.
One of Shalom's initiatives that is really taking off is Peace (Shalom) Clubs in the secondary schools. These three groups of young people (one at each secondary school) have been through healing workshops and are committed to bringing reconciliation and hope to their peers. The Shalom staff serve as their mentors.They use music and drama to get the message across but also design their own service projects to improve life at at their schools. They have built kitchen gardens for the school lunch program, repaired broken wooden desks so more students can sit down (yes, classrooms are so crowded they sit 3 to a desk and some students still have to stand), painted classrooms and offices and installed tippy taps to encourage hand washing and hygiene. Sandy, assisted by Sue and Dee connected beautifully with these students and encouraged them to persevere toward their goals. We left them with solar lights and notebooks and pens which they will distribute to those students most in need. They are empowered to make the decision of who will receive the gifts. We spoke at all three schools and also made contributions to each school's lunch feeding program to pay for students who can not afford it. A water filter was also left for each school.
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| Sandy and Sue sharing at Kanembwe I school |
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| Some of the amazing young people who are working toward a new future for Rwanda |
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| Sandy with the young men and women of Murambi secondary school - (a large school with no electricity) |
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| A kitchen garden, made of discarded tires, being constructed at Murambi by the Shalom Club members |
We also met with 5 different women's cooperatives in Rubavu which have been organized and are supported by Shalom. The Dukundane "we love one another" group in Bushengo is made up of Christian and Muslim women, working together for a better future. The Muslim women are very open to studying Scripture as a part of their weekly meetings. We brought laminated copies of Isaiah 61:1-4 which they will study together over the coming weeks and after listening to their stories we shared our testimonies and prayed with them. This group generates income by embroidering bed sheets that they take to Congo to sell. Peggy shared about her Stitch and Chatter group at St. James and what it means to her to have a supportive Christian community of women. She also presented them with sewing supplies including hoops, scissors, needles, thimbles and reading glasses along with a large print Kinyarwanda Bible for the group.
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| Peggy sharing in the home where Dukundane Bushengo meet each Friday |
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sharing a meal with our Rwandan friends
Some of the donations you provided for our team went towards materials to construct a new latrine for one of the members of this group. We were able to lend a hand, along with the women, in collecting stones for the base of the floor which will have a top coat of concrete. We were delighted to learn that because neighbors and relatives were willing to contribute so much labor and materials our $180 was able to build not one but three new latrines. The people of this community are so motivated to improve life not just for themselves but for their neighbors as well.
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| The old latrine at Christine's home |
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| Sue and Aisha collecting stone for the floor |
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| Christine's husband hand crushing the stones to create the latrine floor |
I will continue to catch you up on our activities. Thanks for your interest.
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