By Gabrielle Bourke, Field Partnerships Advisor, World Vision Australia
As my plane descends over the "thousand hills" of Rwanda’s patchwork landscape, I am reminded of the global reach of World Vision’s work across countries, languages and cultures. I think of the history of Rwanda – the lasting impact of colonial oppression, the deep national hurt borne from the 1994 genocide, and the country’s incredible transformation into a thriving economic, cultural and educational hub in East Africa.
World Vision first began work in Rwanda in 1994 in response to the humanitarian crisis that occurred following the genocide. Our work was initially focused on emergency humanitarian relief – providing aid to displaced populations, caring for unaccompanied children, and assisting with community resettlement and peace-building.
Although the brutality and tragedy of genocide remains fresh in the Rwandan memory, it has also been a powerful catalyst for peace-building nationwide. The resilience of the Rwandan people and their insistence upon peace is perhaps best illustrated in the Rwandan practice of umuganda. On the last Saturday of each month, the Rwandan people come together to clean streets, dig trenches, paint classrooms and construct health centres – volunteering their time for the benefit of the community. The practice of umuganda speaks to the commitment of the Rwandan people to building a future of hope and empowerment.
In 2000, World Vision’s work in Rwanda switched from humanitarian relief to long-term development. We now work with over 30 communities to find long-term solutions to poverty and injustice.
Off the tarmac and into the field, I spent several days learning about World Vision’s work in Rwanda today. On the outskirts of the nation’s capital, Kigali, World Vision supports three communities in child-focused development. During my field visit, I met with the Kigali Program Manager and was introduced to the program team – comprising technical experts, program leads and administrative staff.
The local staff shared their success stories and lessons learnt from implementing programs focused on education, health, WASH (water, hygiene and sanitation), livelihoods development and food security.