But I haven't finished telling you our experiences in Rwanda. Monday, the 20th, was our last full day in Rwanda. After we met with World Relief the Tuesday before, we were so excited about their ministry that we re-arranged our scheduled meetings to visit on of their fields in Kigali... and I'm so glad we did.
World Relief is working with an organization called Ikirezi, who has a simple but ingenious plan to create a sustainable income for widows in this rural community. Rwanda is an amazing country, with almost a year round growing season, so we met with Nicholas (an agricultural guru who is Rwandan but was trained in the UK) to learn about what they are doing. Basically, they buy a block of farmable land and give each widow a small plot of land to plant, cultivate, and harvest geraniums, lemongrass, and patchouli, which they then extract essential oils from. These essential oils (which smell DELICIOUS) are then sold to buyers for perfumes, lotions, and oils. The women receive payment from the crop that they produce. The woman are taught all about agriculture and the distilling process so that they can do it all themselves. By empowering the widows this way, WR and Ikirezi are giving the women hope and a sense of value... which widows usually don't have in Rwanda.
Nicholas, a brilliant man with incredibly strong faith, talked us through the entire process and showed us the land. He told us about their ongoing planning to find a good crop rotation, and explained that the select the crops that they do based on the value of the oil and the amount of yield they can receive from a single growing season. After we listened, smelled, and saw everything about the farm, we started to climb up to the distillery... where the women were waiting for us to take part in their Bible Study. The women prayed with such conviction, it brought tears to my eyes. Nicholas was translating the prayers for us as best he could, and at one point, all of the women started sobbing. As we left the women, Nicholas explained what had happened.
Three men from Australia had come to the village a couple years ago. They saw that many of the widows did not have homes, and they owned a construction company. They promised to build the women 60 homes... but they told the group to make a list of the women who needed the homes and then prioritize it- so the group was choosing the residents from themselves. They started building Village of Hope, where there are currently 27 homes built and the women will start moving in over the next few weeks.
While we were with the women, Nicholas stood and addressed them in Swahili... they looked upset. After several minutes, he turned to us to translate- one of the Australians had lost their job and the construction company owned by the other two had gone bankrupt. He explained to the women that losing a job in Australia or America was not like losing a job in Rwanda... because we didn't have farm land to grow crops, and if someone couldn't find another job, they were out on the street. The men would be unable to complete the homes they had promised.
Nicholas explained that the women had been sobbing during their prayer because they were praying for these men. Not because the homes wouldn't be finished, but because they were so saddened by the hardship that these men would feel. These men were their friends, and it had nothing to do with what they were giving them.
The Village of Hope is an incredible concept. Much like a subdivision of homes, they are built similarly and in a community together. An incredible amount of planning went into these. Each are built for running water and electricity, even though those utilities aren't available in that area yet... they planned for when they would be. They also bought a brick machine, and each house is made out bricks that they make from the nearby sand, some water, and cement. The bricks are extremely durable and interlock, so they don't have to use mortar. The houses are energy efficient and 3 bedrooms each. The women that move into the homes will be asked to pay a small percentage of the home's cost, and then the deed will be given to them... so that they will have a valuable asset to pass down to their family. Most amazingly, the houses only cost about $17,000 to build and furnish... Think of what we could do.
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