Update: A team of 35, led by Innocent and called Let Us Build Ourselves , with support from Global Grassroots and JHH, trains women to read, write, do math and open bank accounts. The lives of more than 50 women and their families, including the most recent class of 20 that we are sponsoring, have been transformed. We helped them develop computer skills and creative local fund-raising ideas, so they can pay the newly assessed rent and continue to teach.

“Blessed are You… Who strengthens the weary.”
Morning Blessings

“Thanks for not forgetting us. We so often feel abandoned.”

I met Winnie, who spoke the words above, for the first time in the neighborhood of Mont Kigali in Rwanda. She lives on a street with eleven other genocide widows who lost their families in the 1994 “war.” One month after the women moved into these government-built homes in January, there was a severe rain storm with high winds, and most of their roofs were severely damaged. Winnie still cooks in her roofless kitchen weather permitting.

Peter, an orphan who lives with three siblings, lost the roof on his home. He took parts of it and used them to rebuild the roof on an uninhabited house. Then he invited Philomena, an elderly genocide widow with three children whom she’s taken in and whose roof was also destroyed, to share the house with him. When the storm came, she thought the war had broken out again. She keeps her room locked so she’ll feel safe when she hears the sounds of people moving outside.

I went to Mont Kigali with Assumpta leader of AVEGA, the Association of Genocide Widows, of which she is one herself. I had told her that we would expand the number of genocide widows and orphans we would sponsor from ten to fifteen. She agreed to identify the additional five and to introduce me to them.

So Assumpta went to Mont Kigali to assess the need. Six of the eleven houses had suffered roof damage, but the women decided that they each had severe needs. Instead, they proposed a lottery in which one of their daughters, Deborah, would pick the five to receive our support. Deborah’s own family was not chosen, but Winnie and Peter and Philomena were.

As we talked with the five, the six not selected watched from their doorways. They were happy for their neighbors but sad that they would not receive this desperately needed help. I could not walk by them. So I said that we would SPONSOR ALL 11. Needless to say, there was great joy among them and their neighbors. As one woman said: “YOU ARE SAVING MY LIFE.”

It costs $500 to support one such family for a year. With that money, they can grow vegetables, buy a goat or a rabbit, start a small business and most importantly, have renewed hope for the future. We know it’s true – the original ten have done just that and now their loves are filled with hope.

Please help to fulfill the promise we made to them.

When we were leaving, the eleven women said to us: “G-d bless you.“ And may G-d bless you as well. Thanks for caring.