1994 Genocide

Today our group traveled to a remote and poverty stricken area of Rwanda, to visit widows affected by the 1994 Genocide. These women lost both their families and homes due to The Genocide, and many have struggled to get back on track with their lives.

We helped one woman who was disabled and hurt from The Genocide. She had scars from the terror, and told us of her fear of her home caving in on her as she slept. Her home was made of mud, and we helped to refurbish it with a layer of cement and instal brick flooring to replace her previous dirt floors. She was so happy to see work being done on her home and hugged all of us. She expressed her joy and thankfulness for our time and energy.

We had Anatase share the gospel with the village widows and their children. He explained the love we had to them and that it was the love of Christ that brought us to their village.

We left the village and ate lunch at a nearby hotel. Many of the team members were heartbroken over the poverty and starvation of the people we had just seen. We reminded ourselves that despite it seeming that God is only present in our lives and in our homes, He is also with the people of Rwanda. We can do things to fix their temporary problems, but when we share the gospel and the love of Christ, we can fix their problems for eternity.

After lunch, we traveled to a Chicken Farm sponsored by Pius’s organization in Rwanda. The Chicken Farm Project is a coop raising over 1000 chickens to be used and sold by the widows in the village. They can sell the eggs and chickens to earn profit and improve their quality of life. We prayed over the Chicken Farm Project and the women involved.

We ended our day traveling to a hotel located three hours away to prepare for our day ahead. We ask for prayer over the widows of The Genocide and also our hearts, that we may find peace in what we experienced today. Thank you again for the love and support.

-Alyssa