Rwanda
RWANDA
Rwanda: 1 Million Meals.JPG)
In 1994, a horrifying genocide rocked the country of Rwanda, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and many others displaced. Nearly 18 years later, refugees are still struggling to find their own place to call home. Throughout 2012, Feeding The Nations goal will be to send 1 million meals to three refugee camps in Rwanda. The food will go to providing nearly 53,000 refugees with much needed nutrition.
About 58 percent of the refugees are children, many of whom have spent their entire lives living in a camp. The adults often feel rejected and hurt, having been forced from their homes and their country by war. Wanting so very much to return to Rwanda they came back. They have no place to call their own, very little available work and limited food. When they can find odd jobs to do, they are paid little. Since they are refugees and don’t have to pay for rent or food, people give them less in wages, but not enough to make a sufficient living or to send their children to school.
Who are those people? One of them is Nzabonimpa. He is 37 years old and is married with five children, ranging in age from three to 12. He first came to the camp when his wife was pregnant. They fled after militant soldiers stole his family’s cows and then returned to kill the family. He has been a refugee since 1996.
Or consider Steven who is 35 and has six children. His family was robbed and many relatives were killed, causing him to flee to the refugee camp 14 years ago.
Those 1 million meals will make a big impact on the lives of the refugees. The nutrient rich rice/vegetable meals are specially formulated with many vitamins and minerals added. This will be a change from the typical beans, and corn that makes up their diet. More importantly, it will bring hope to a hurting people.
The first shipment of 272,000 meals was sent in early March. Feeding The Nations has another 272,000 meals in our warehouse ready to be moved, but no funds for shipping. As the food is distributed, Authentic Word Ministry teams will share the Good News with the refugees, many of whom are open to hearing and receiving the Gospel. To make all of this possible, we need your help. Will you join with us in reaching these refugees?
For a little less than a nickel you can provide a hot meal to a refugee in great need. For $1.00 you can provide 20 meals, $5.00/100 meals, $10.00/200 meals and for $25.00/500 meals. Please help us send this much needed food. This will be like Christmas to so many as they never eat rice, because it is very expensive. Can you help Feeding The Nations with a one time donation, as we walk by faith for the food and the shipping cost?
If so, click here and together we will bring 1 million meals and more important the Gospel of Jesus Chri
April 2012 Update:
On April 12th, Feeding The Nations shipped the 2nd 40 foot container of food loaded out of Maryland. The three refugee/displaced camps near and around Kigali will be receiving the food. We now have in transit to Rwanda 546,000 rice/vegetable meals (42.5 tons). Each year during the month of April, a memorial week is set aside to remember the nearly 1 million lives that were lost during the 100 Day Genocide 18 years ago.
March 2012 Update:
Feeding The Nations shipped the first container to help support 53,000 displaced persons living in the three refugee camps of Gihembe, Kiziba and Nyabiheke around the capitol city of Kigali. Our goal in 2012 is to provide one million meals to those living in the camps. As soon as Feeding The Nations receives funds we will ship the next 272,160 meals.
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2006 YEAR IN REVIEW
UPDATE: FTN blessed Rwanda with 136,552 pounds of pasta, cereal, fortified rice/soy protein meals and vitamins worth $365,803.
REBUILDING RWANDA
For 100 days in 1994, genocide erupted in Rwanda with one ethnic group attempting to dominate the other. Nearly one million Rwandans were massacred. Twelve years later, the country is still trying to recover from the aftermath. With your help, Feeding The Nations (FTN) has been a part of that redevelopment, providing valuable food and supplies to those still hurting.
FTN started distributing food in collaboration with Authentic World Ministries located in Kilgali. Since May of this year, FTN has supplied two containers of dehydrated rice/vegetable meals, one container of multi-vitamins and spaghetti, and a container of
Mighty Bytes cereal.
After some delay with customs, the necessary items were distributed to four areas of Rwanda:
District of Kirehe
The district hosts thousands of refugees from Tanzania who fled to Rwanda beginning in March 2006. They had been expelled and robbed of their belongings and sought shelter in Rwanda.
District of Bugesera
Food was distributed to the region of Bugesera that has suffered starvation for the last four years. There are 17,882 people in the area with 457 orphans and children acting as heads of families. Poor families have adopted 667 orphans of genocide and 1080 children suffer malnutrition.
District of Kicukiro
Children in the poorest area of Kicukiro, Ngoma Cell, received the items. The region houses about 200 orphans and children who are heads of families.
District of Nyarugenge
The area is home to many Twa people who are of pygmy origin. The Twa live difficult lives in miserable circumstances.
In total, most of the beneficiaries were displaced children and poor families. Local authorities of each region welcomed the supplies as part of the country's attempt to rebuild and move forward.
Thank you for your support that has made this effort possible. Because of you, the orphans and poor families of Rwanda are being nourished.
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