The purpose of the link is:
- to build
a relationship between your church and a community in
Rwanda and develop friendship and partnership between
the two groups
• to facilitate a structured and planned approach to the support of the community
• to provide opportunities for the church to visit and participate in the life of the community
• to provide opportunities for individual sponsorship between church members and Rwandans.
A
group from Airdrie and Erskine, Scotland, building
houses at Nyamata.
Heidi
Cochrane teaching the Muyira group the Highland
Scottische.
Key
guidelines for the link are:
1. A visit by members/representatives of the church to
prospective community. If the community is new then at
this point the issue of support through funding
projects is not raised with the community. The
relationship between Solace and the community is built
on evangelism, healing, friendship and support. The
community must come together out of fellowship and
mutual support before funded projects are broached. If
the community is established then the issue of funded
projects can be raised after consultation with Solace.
2. An assessment of needs with a subsequent proposal
for an integrated development project will be
undertaken.
3. A link person between the church and Comfort Rwanda
is appointed to facilitate and channel communication.
Comfort Rwanda, the link person and Solace Ministries
will seek to develop friendship, understanding and
partnership between the two groups
4. The church indicates the level of support they feel
able to aim for and the period for which this applies
to.
5. Comfort Rwanda indicates whether some aspects of the
project can receive support from general or other
funds.
6. Solace makes the appropriate changes to the proposal
to take account of the support available.
7. The church raises the funds and these are given 100%
to the community project.
8. The church is provided with the opportunity to visit
the community when members are visiting Rwanda. Efforts
will be made to see if it is possible to stay overnight
within homes in the community.
9. The church may work with Solace to provide young
people’s camps for the community. The age group
is normally 13-25, takes place in April, July or
Nov-Dec. and involves testimonies, preaching, trauma
healing and games, play and drama. They are usually
themed with typical themes being “You are
children of God”, “Let no-one despise your
youth”, “growing up in all things into
Christ”, “Seek first the Kingdom of
God”.
10. The link person may forward letters of
encouragement to the community from the church to
Comfort Rwanda. Solace will translate and forward such
letters and encourage the community leaders or other
group members to write back. Comfort Rwanda can
translate Kinyarwandan letters if this saves
administrative costs for Solace.
11. To facilitate fund-raising the church may set up
sponsorship schemes. These may be:
- SOS
(Sponsor an Orphan or Survivor). In this case the
normal guidelines for SOS will be followed.
• Sponsor a cow. In this case the recipient of the cow should be identified and a photo given to the church. No further administrative communication needed after that
• Sponsor a goat/pig/hen etc. In this case the recipient does not need identified but a couple of photographs of the animals in the community should be sent for each species.
• Other options such a “sponsor a brick” , “sponsor a fruit tree”, etc which would not need any admin at the Rwandan end.
Interested?– email enquiry@comfortrwanda.org.uk
