2019 - ABC Kids

Rwanda 2019 - Made in His Image

"So God created mankind in His own image; in the image of God
He created them; male and female He created them."
Genesis 1:27

Home Visits

First Stop: Masizi to visit the family home of Jacqueline Niyatanga, who recently completed Senior 6 and is waiting to hear back from the university she applied to. Jacqueline is the oldest of four and the only girl. We first met Jacqueline in 2007. She and her family lived in a shack down the road from where we lived. While most kids disappeared during the day to attend school, we noticed Jacqueline and her brothers were always out and about fetching water and greeting us in the street as we walked to the church. When we inquired why they weren't attending school, we found out that the school would not enroll the kids because the parents were not married and the father refused to legally claim the children as his own. Through a lot of persuasion, we were able to get the school headmaster to agree to enroll Jacqueline and her brothers, and we committed to sponsoring the kids, ensuring the school would receive the school fees.

12 years later, Jacqueline has successfully completed Senior 6 with high marks and is preparing to attend university. Toto, the oldest of the boys dropped out of school in Senior 1 but has started a career in welding. Alfred, the third born, is in Primary 4 and doing well. Isaac, the youngest is also in Primary school. Last year, Isaac was badly burned when a drunk man threw hot oil in his face. Isaac has recovered miraculously well and is back to playing soccer with the neighborhood kids.

Busanza

In Busanza, a village just outside of Kigali, we visited two of the ABC Kids - Diane Uwineza and Desange Uwase. The church in Busanza is led by Pastor Simon Gaterega, a former Child Development Worker for ABC Kids. His church is growing so fast that they are currently constructing a larger building to accommodate all the members.

Diane's mother has 4 of her own children and has adopted 5 others. Each adopted child has a heart-breaking story that led Mama Diane to take them in at different times and care for them as her own. WIth 9 children and a husband in prison, she struggles to provide for all of these kids.

Desange and her mother were happy for our visit. The mother also struggles to care for her kids. She works temporary jobs such as helping mix and transport the cement for the construction of the new church.

Christ Gospel Fellowship Church of Busanza. The current church building has outgrown its membership capacity.

Construction of the new church building is scheduled to be complete in 2021.

ABC Kids

We spent two days in Kimironko with the ABC Kids from the nearby area as well as the kids from Ruhuha. We handed out gifts from sponsors, took updated photos of each child in the program, and on Friday we gave the kids their school supplies and hygiene products, as well as had their school fees paid for the third term.

Pastor Zephaniah and the ABC Kids from Ruhuha.

Tabagwe