Over the next few days, I will be sharing some thoughts and reflections from my recent visit to Brazzaville, Republic of Congo and Kigali, Rwanda. The trip was incredible for a variety of reasons. God is transforming lives in amazing ways, and the teams in each program are doing a great job of steadily improving our spiritual integration (SI) efforts. So please tune in over the coming days, as I share the most meaningful thoughts and impressions from the trip.
Archives For Rwanda
“Hello – My name is Fabia, how are you today?” That is all it took for my wife, Anne, to decide where she would purchase her gas once we had moved to Kigali, Rwanda. Today, we both make a real effort to return and visit Fabia. It is not because of “high performance petrol” but to enjoy and encourage the kind interaction that comes with Fabia’s consistently great customer service.
The leaders in Rwanda often publically state: “Customer service in Rwanda must improve.” This is a complaint I have heard all over the world—and very often in the USA. My belief is that customer service usually originates within the person as a sincere desire to serve and bless others, and HOPE provides clients in Rwanda training on customer service as an extension of the biblical Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). Logistically, it is much easier to provide great customer service in the developed world. Large industrial freezers with pre-cut meat and vegetables allow for quick delivery in restaurants. Fully integrated supply chains help make sure your favorite Superstore is never out of stock, and the simple swipe of credit cards ensure not coming up short on change will never be a problem Another shining example of great customer service can be seen in Emmanuel’s photography business. Continue Reading…
January 12, 2012, 5:02 EST – Kigali, Rwanda
Today was a wonderful day. I had a chance to visit two Anglican parishes where we met with members of our savings groups. One parish was in downtown Kigali, and the other one was about one hour away from downtown. It was so encouraging to meet the group members and hear their stories. It was also a nice opportunity to get to know our staff better. Chris Ordway and I traveled with Marie Jeanne, our lead trainer for our Anglican Church program; Kayira, our field coordinator for the Kigali diocese; and Panina, who is the director of programs for the Anglican Church in Kigali. Continue Reading…
January 11, 2012, 2:49 p.m. (EST) – Kigali, Rwanda
I arrived in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, in the mid-afternoon today, after about 24 hours on the move. The flights were amazingly uneventful—praise the Lord!—and I’m excited to be in Rwanda for the first time. This is the home of our largest savings program, a church partnership with the Rwandan Anglican Church, and I will spend most of the next two days in the field watching our savings groups in action. I will also be visiting Urwego Opportunity Bank, one of the largest microfinance institutions in the HOPE network. Continue Reading…
I think I was 11 the first time my family went on a mission trip. We went deep into the hills of Appalachia: to parts of this country that it’s hard to believe exist. I tagged along with a group that included professional contractors and talented electricians and plumbers, helping out where I could to work alongside a family in making significant repairs to their home. They lived in a pop-up camper with several additions made with great necessity but limited skill. Sewage flowed directly underneath their home, and the family’s living conditions were shocking to a kid who thought most people lived a lot like she did.
One of my clearest memories from this trip is of our group facilitator telling us matter-of -factly before we arrived that this family had a swimming pool. To brace us for the dissonance, he explained that the family lived on extremely limited income and hadn’t been able to give their children much, but this pool was something they had saved to afford. We might have seen it as an odd or even irresponsible use of limited funds, but psychologically, this pool—and being able to afford it—meant a lot to the family. The facilitator didn’t phrase it this way, but I think his underlying message was, “Try not to judge what you can’t understand.” Continue Reading…
Peter Greer
Nov 14 2011
By Peter Greer
Staff / Travels
At a Lancaster, Pa., breakfast attended by over 400 HOPE supporters, we welcomed a very special guest: a talking goat! HOPE President Peter Greer interviewed Colette the goat on the impact of goat ownership in Rwanda while she happily tried to munch on the microphone.
Peter: We did encourage attendees to bring friends this morning, and someone really gets points for thinking outside the box! …This is Billy the Goat.
Goat: Actually, my name is Colette.
A talking goat! You knew you came to HOPE’s breakfast to see something special! Well, Colette, it’s a privilege to have you here. This is a rare opportunity for us. May I ask you a couple questions?
Of course!
Last year we conducted an impact assessment of our savings program in Rwanda, and we saw that goat ownership had increased by 101%. Does that surprise you?
Not at all. We’re an affordable, yet impactful, asset. In Rwanda, a goat costs around $20 , and many savings groups commit to providing one goat for each member. Rwanda is also a densely populated country, where most residents live on small parcels of land. Goats don’t take up much space, and we’re known for eating whatever’s available. Our owners don’t have to worry about finding enough to feed us!
What are some of the practical ways that goats are changing lives?
Well, Peter, I’m not sure how to make this meal-time conversation, but one of my greatest contributions is what I produce after eating. … Nearly 90% of Rwanda’s population engages in subsistence farming, and good fertilizer can significantly enhance their efforts. More crops mean that families are better fed, and there may even be some left over to sell at a local market.
We’re also known to be prolific. On average a female goat has two to three kids a year, which can be sold or given to other families in need. And although we make lovely pets, goats are also an important source of…protein…in Rwanda. But don’t get any ideas! Seconds on the bacon, anyone?!
