When
they said ‘Never Again’ after the Holocaust was it meant for some
people and not for others? These powerful words are written on the
walls of Genocide Memorial Site in Rwanda.
Generous members
of All Saints, Barry and St Baruc’s Barry Island have contributed over
£3000 towards a Rwandan Cow Scheme.
The money has
been sent out with other monies towards funding another 5 cows on ‘The
Kiyombe Cow Scheme’. Rowan Hughes a member of All Saints, Barry
has previously visited Rwanda to see the first two high yielding dairy
cows on the scheme which have both successfully had calves. These
calves have been handed onto other poor family groups when they were a
year old. The Kiyombe Cow Scheme operates by providing cows and calves
to the poorest widows and orphans on the scheme. The cows provide much
needed milk and good quality manure for fertiliser on their small plots
of land.
One of the cows and calf were being looked after by
a Pastor who receives many visits from the poor in the Parish for help.
Thanks to this gift he is able to provide milk to malnourished orphans
and widows who would otherwise have gone without. The other cow and
calf is being looked after by a grandfather who is looking after his
grandchildren as their mother died of AIDS. Since Rowan’s last visit
one of these calves has now been given to a very poor man Elisa who is
supporting his wife and 3 children. One of the cows has since sadly
died.
On his last visit in Dec 2006 Rowan went to the
extreme north of the country at Gishwati with Nicholas Hitimana
(Rwandan co-ordinator of the Kiyombe Cow Scheme) to visit a cattle
station where the next 5 cows for the scheme have been purchased. They
had just been vaccinated and at that time were ending a period of
quarantine due to the presence of ‘Foot and Mouth’ in the area. However
since their visit, Nicholas has arranged the transportation of these
cows down south to Kiyombe.
These cows have gone to family
groups on a geranium growing co-operative which is linked to the
Episcopal Church, Parish of Kiyombe with which All Saints is twinned.
Widows and orphans are helping to grow geraniums which are distilled to
provide essential oils. This oil has many uses including anti mosquito
properties which are vital in the battle against malaria which is the
biggest killer in Rwanda.
The family groups which will
receive a cow are selected from amongst the very needy within the co
operative by the following criteria:-
• They must have a suitable piece of land
• They must grow fodder food for the cow
•
They must build a stable at their own cost (usually built with
strong branches and banana leaves at minimal cost).
•
They have the approval of the group that they can look after the
cow, are needy and are
trustworthy.
The cows are cross bred being 75% Friesian and
25% local breeds (Ankole). The idea being that they will provide a high
milk yield but will also have a good degree of disease resistance. The
Rwandan Government in their 2020 Vision Policy is also very keen to
encourage cow schemes and cow ownership for all poor families across
the country. They have inspectors who will be able to check on the
health and welfare of cows within their districts.
The
surprising thing about Rwanda is how beautiful it is. It is a small
mountainous country in central Africa known as the ‘land of a thousand
hills’. Subsistence farming, in family plots spread across the hills,
is still the mainstay of life for most of the Rwandan population.
Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa and is about the
same size as Wales. Life is very hard for most Rwandans who work on the
land for about 1$ (70p) a day. Many of their children are malnourished
with stunted growth and run around in bare feet wearing discarded
western clothing. Over 60% of the population in Rwanda live in poverty
and 40% in extreme poverty. A decline in agricultural production,
unfavourable world markets (notably that of coffee) and the
consequences of the 1994 genocide provide the main reasons for the
current situation.
More than a decade after the
genocide of 1994, Rwanda is still coming to terms with that orgy of
ethnic strife when 800,000 people were massacred and two million fled
the country.
The principal causes of
mortality and morbidity in Rwanda today are communicable diseases.
These illnesses can mainly be prevented through better hygiene and
behavioural change. AIDS and malaria are rife.
However
despite their hardships there is a great deal of faith and hope for the
future. Education may be their only escape from poverty. Rwanda
is investing in education and its people as it possesses few natural
resources. More children than ever before are attending school and
the country has now enjoyed over ten years of peace. There is
even repentance and forgiveness amongst those who have caused and
suffered unbelievable harm.
There are
other powerful words which were spoken by The United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan which are also written on the walls of Genocide
Memorial Site in Rwanda.’’The International Community failed Rwanda and
that must leave us always with a sense of bitter regret”…..”The
International Community is guilty of the sins of omission”.
Nelson
Mandela said the following at the Make Poverty History rally ‘While
poverty persists, there is no true freedom’. Rwanda has however enjoyed
considerable debt relief and government to government help in the last
few years. But grass roots help is required as well. Simple links such
as this cow scheme supported by the Church can make such a difference
to individual lives. While we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the
abolition of the slave trade we can show that we do care and we believe
in true freedom.
How You Can Help
Pray for the
success of ‘The Kiyombe Cow Scheme’ and the geranium co operative and
our twinning link with The Episcopal Church, Parish of Kiyombe’.
See the display on Rwanda & ‘The Kiyombe Cow Scheme’ at the back of the church
Help raise funds for more cows
Pray
for continued Peace; Justice; Repentance; Forgiveness and
Reconciliation in Rwanda where there are many deep psychological wounds
that remain after the genocide
The Episcopal Church, Parish of Kiyombe has been twinned with the Parish of Barry, All Saints' and both communities have been blessed.
In
Kiyombe, as the article states, the poorest families are now enjoying
the addition of several cows to their community that have been funded
by All Saints' and St. Baruc's.
We in the parish have been blessed by the community's response to our fund-raising. They have sent us a bible with messages written inside which are both moving and inspirational and also a letter expressing their gratitude.
Fund raising is always part of Church life as we are encouraged by Jesus himself to care for the poor and needy. However, the twinning of our two parishes has allowed us to truly appreciate the difference we can make.