BUGESERA PROJECTS
Bugesera, has three communities (Ntarama, Nyamata and Kayumba) forming one regional group.
Bugesera, has three communities (Ntarama, Nyamata and Kayumba) forming one regional group.
Background
In 1994 the region of Bugesera was severely affected by the genocide, the total numbers of those killed is difficult to ascertain. Approximately 75 - 80% of Tutsi’s were killed in Rwanda; however the killings in Bugesera were very efficient and may have been higher. In Bugesera there are memorials in places like Ntarama and Nyamata - both churches where thousands of Tutsi’s fled to what they believed were safe places of worship. They demonstrate the scale and brutality of what happened during this time. As a result of repeated outbreaks of killings throughout history and in 1994 there are many single parent families and child headed households. The area can be very dry and hot and has suffered from periods of prolonged draught, resulting in a lack of food and populations moving on.
In 1994 the region of Bugesera was severely affected by the genocide, the total numbers of those killed is difficult to ascertain. Approximately 75 - 80% of Tutsi’s were killed in Rwanda; however the killings in Bugesera were very efficient and may have been higher. In Bugesera there are memorials in places like Ntarama and Nyamata - both churches where thousands of Tutsi’s fled to what they believed were safe places of worship. They demonstrate the scale and brutality of what happened during this time. As a result of repeated outbreaks of killings throughout history and in 1994 there are many single parent families and child headed households. The area can be very dry and hot and has suffered from periods of prolonged draught, resulting in a lack of food and populations moving on.
Solace Ministries in Bugesera
Solace Ministries has worked in Bugesera since 1997 – supporting survivors in Nyamata. Its first meeting brought together 350 widows and trauma healing camps for youth attracted over 400 orphans. Many of the orphans are living in Child headed households. Solace Ministries has tried to tackle the issues of hopelessness and poverty through building up relationships with the widows, sharing the word & love of God and developing ways of generating income. Solace with support from Comfort Rwanda – responded to famine in the yr 2000, they gave seeds of beans and cuttings of sweet potato to 2520 individuals and some widows received goats. Support is now well organised through widow and orphan groups.
Solace Ministries has worked in Bugesera since 1997 – supporting survivors in Nyamata. Its first meeting brought together 350 widows and trauma healing camps for youth attracted over 400 orphans. Many of the orphans are living in Child headed households. Solace Ministries has tried to tackle the issues of hopelessness and poverty through building up relationships with the widows, sharing the word & love of God and developing ways of generating income. Solace with support from Comfort Rwanda – responded to famine in the yr 2000, they gave seeds of beans and cuttings of sweet potato to 2520 individuals and some widows received goats. Support is now well organised through widow and orphan groups.
Looking Forward
Solace Ministries has concentrated on three areas of development in Bugesera – Ntatrama, Kayumba and Kibungo. These three communities have a total of 120 families of widows with an average of around 6 surviving relatives and dependants to each family, making a total of around 700 survivors. Comfort Rwanda has been working in partnership with the Living Waters church in Carnoustie and a dedicated team of fundraisers and helpers from across Scotland to support developments and raise funds for the project. A fundraising group has naturally come together to raise funds for Bugesera projects.
We are deeply grateful for the support of Kilsyth Community Church and Destiny Women’s group,
Dundee Congregational Church, Arbroath High School, Arbroath Academy, Carnoustie High School and many others.
In April 2007 a number of teams from Scotland visited Bugesera and spent time with the widows & orphans groups there – goats were given out that will yield around three kids a year, providing vital income through their sale as well as a marked increase in crop yield through their manure. The widows were encouraged to drink the Goats milk or even make cheese, a concept that has still to catch on! Already harvests of peanuts and potatoes are providing valuable food and income to the survivors community.
Highlights of the project have been:
• The purchase of land for food and income generating crops for the widows and orphans community.
• Crops have included groundnuts (peanuts) and pineapples which have both sold well, beans and bananas which have provided food and papaya, avocado, orange and lemon trees which are still in the pre-yielding phase. Potatoes have also been grown in an area of Rwanda which has traditionally not grown them well. The potatoes yielded an excellent harvest after around three months
• As well as the goats, cattle have been distributed. Although some native Rwandan cattle had been given to the groups earlier recent cattle have been of the higher yielding Frisian variety. Instead of 3 litres of milk the widows are getting 15 – 18 litres, giving them enough for themselves and surplus to sell. The sale of milk is providing an income which is lifting these widows out of poverty. The first calf, which is given away to another widow, will also of course be a high yielding Frisian.
• Educational support has been given for school and university. The story of Mulissa Fred who is one of those receiving educational support is told on the left.
• Houses for homeless survivors or those whose houses are unfit to live in are being built. The first for houses are finished and we hope, God assisting, to build a village with twenty houses.
Read about Specific Project in Bugesera.
Solace Ministries has concentrated on three areas of development in Bugesera – Ntatrama, Kayumba and Kibungo. These three communities have a total of 120 families of widows with an average of around 6 surviving relatives and dependants to each family, making a total of around 700 survivors. Comfort Rwanda has been working in partnership with the Living Waters church in Carnoustie and a dedicated team of fundraisers and helpers from across Scotland to support developments and raise funds for the project. A fundraising group has naturally come together to raise funds for Bugesera projects.
We are deeply grateful for the support of Kilsyth Community Church and Destiny Women’s group,
Dundee Congregational Church, Arbroath High School, Arbroath Academy, Carnoustie High School and many others.
In April 2007 a number of teams from Scotland visited Bugesera and spent time with the widows & orphans groups there – goats were given out that will yield around three kids a year, providing vital income through their sale as well as a marked increase in crop yield through their manure. The widows were encouraged to drink the Goats milk or even make cheese, a concept that has still to catch on! Already harvests of peanuts and potatoes are providing valuable food and income to the survivors community.
Highlights of the project have been:
• The purchase of land for food and income generating crops for the widows and orphans community.
• Crops have included groundnuts (peanuts) and pineapples which have both sold well, beans and bananas which have provided food and papaya, avocado, orange and lemon trees which are still in the pre-yielding phase. Potatoes have also been grown in an area of Rwanda which has traditionally not grown them well. The potatoes yielded an excellent harvest after around three months
• As well as the goats, cattle have been distributed. Although some native Rwandan cattle had been given to the groups earlier recent cattle have been of the higher yielding Frisian variety. Instead of 3 litres of milk the widows are getting 15 – 18 litres, giving them enough for themselves and surplus to sell. The sale of milk is providing an income which is lifting these widows out of poverty. The first calf, which is given away to another widow, will also of course be a high yielding Frisian.
• Educational support has been given for school and university. The story of Mulissa Fred who is one of those receiving educational support is told on the left.
• Houses for homeless survivors or those whose houses are unfit to live in are being built. The first for houses are finished and we hope, God assisting, to build a village with twenty houses.
Read about Specific Project in Bugesera.
