WESTERN PROVINCE

Members of the Saddleback Church have pledged to mobilise funds to build a home for Kibuye street children. They made the commitment recently after a fact-finding tour of areas where Kibuye street children and orphans stay.

The team working in conjunction with the Rwanda Peace Team visited the area at the invitation of the Kibuye Anglican Church.

"We have come to witness for ourselves if what is in the report (about vulnerable children) that was sent to us is true, and if so, see how we can help,” said Tom Wheeler, one of the visiting delegation.

Wheeler said currently no substantial work had been done but after the fact-finding tour, the group would advocate for the Rwandan street children ‘because they had felt their plight’.

During their tour, before hosting the children to lunch, they inspected areas where most of the street kids stay. The children stay in a dark cave around town.

"We have been touched a lot by the way these kids live, but we believe something will be done soon,” remarked one of the guests. In their lengthy interaction, the Church and the guests shared many experiences with the street kids.

"They have showed us the way they cook in metallic cans which isn’t healthy but at least helps them get what to eat,” said Rev Justin Zigiranyirazo, the Archdeacon of the Church.

Calling for more interventions, Zigiranyirazo said the church has gone through a combination of success and challenges with the street children.

Among other things, the Anglican Church has been paying health insurance (mutuelle de sante) for them and it has been guiding them spiritually and physically through sports activities.

"We have always organized football, volley ball and basket ball matches plus other games depending on the children’s interest and age,” said another church official.

Once implemented, the project will have a rehabilitation centre with counselling services and dormitories. They particularly aim at resettling the children and enrolling them in school.

"A normal life requires us to leave drugs but I’m not sure if it can happen to us,” said their leader who gave his name as Rahab.

He however said that they would be able to change with time because their current habits are attributed to their poor living standards.

Commenting on their interaction with the children, a member of the visiting team said, "This is to show them that they have value both to the country and God as well.”

Meanwhile, the sector representative who was the chief guest at the ceremony testified that he had also been a street kid during his childhood.

"It all depends on the choices you make,” he said.

The leader only known as Epaphrodite said despite his childhood experience on the street he managed to change and study and ‘now he is heading over 400 people’.

Ends