The FARMS Ruhengeri committee (FARMS photo).
Rwanda (MNN) ― In Rwanda, peace and economic progress is slowly coming.
With a population of 7,398,000, this densely-populated country in east-central Africa is becoming more and more stable since the genocide of 1994, in which 800,000 died. Now, about 23 percent of the population is evangelical Christian.
FARMS International is doing all they can to help this progress. Recently, Nathan McLaughlin with FARMS visited Rwanda and had the chance to visit three of their five sub-committees.
"On our recent visit, we witnessed a progress toward peace and economic development that was very encouraging," McLaughlin said in FARMS October newsletter. However, "Rwanda is still suffering a great deal, and the human brokenness was all too evident. Launching a program in this desperate country has to be done with much prayer and wisdom."
McLaughlin went on to say in the newsletter that the missionaries who were in Rwanda looked at the situation and came up with a unique approach.
"It is always our intent to let the nationals design and implement their own program. By writing their own policy, they really own the program from the beginning," McLaughlin said. "This was very evident as I traveled through Rwanda with the FARMS Committee Chairman; this was their program."
It has been four years since FARMS first implemented this program, and they are about to hand out their fifth round of loans. In fact, the coordinator of the Association for Peace and Development in Burera said they have a 98-percent repayment rate on the loans given thus far.
McLaughlin had the chance to hear several testimonies while he was in Rwanda. These included the testimony of Ignace and her family: they took out a loan with FARMS and were able to buy a cow. The cow's calf and the fertilizer the cow produced enabled the family to gain money to plant crops. They then sold the cow, repaid FARMS, and purchased goats to sustain them and pay for their children's education.
Another family purchased banana plants with their loan. "The profits from our plantation allowed us to help families who lost loved ones in the earthquakes," said Mary Gorelth, a member of this family.
McLaughlin asked for prayer as families and individuals move toward stability and restoration, "Continue to pray for the church there as they are vital in sharing the hope of the Gospel, helping the poor and healing the deep emotional and spiritual wounds."
Click here to read more testimonies and view videos on what FARMS in doing. Also, if you would like to help FARMS financially, visit farmsinternational.com.
