Rwanda after Genocide

In 1994 the world watched as over 800,000 men, women and children were brutally killed in Rwanda.

As I drove down the streets of Rwanda in March of 2006, it was hard to imagine that these beautiful, peaceful people were at war with each other. It was hard to imagine that the streets were covered with slain bodies just 12 years before.

All I could see were smiling faces of children as they ran up to our car, waving and saying, "Mazungu" (white person).

The genocide left most churches without pastors, women without husbands and children without parents. The need is great.

ALARM began working in Rwanda shortly after the genocide. So my time in Rwanda was spent visiting our many projects. Projects include Biblical training for pastors and women; skill training and assistance for widows and orphans.

Many would ask, what was the breakdown in the church that believers would take up arms against another? Most pastors in Rwanda and all over Africa have very little if any biblical training. Many don't even have Bibles. If a believer doesn't know the word of God, how will they know not to kill their brothers and sisters in Christ? How will understand the forgiveness of God, and therefore how to forgive one another instead of revengeous?

So ALARM is committed to training pastors and their wives. Some of the other projects to widows and orphans are: teaching women to sew, providing women and children with pigs, goats or chickens, so they can provide food and clothing for their families. And many other similar projects. They are geared to help the people help themselves instead of becoming dependant on agencies, UN or NGO's.

It was so encouraging to see people from different (previously warring tribes) working together in the church, in the fields and in small business.