AFRICA/RWANDA - GOSPEL CHARITY TO OVERCOME DIVISIONS AND CULTURE OF VIOLENCE IN ORDER TO BUILD A NEW SOCIETY

Friday, 6 June 2003

Kigali (Fides Service) – “Charity is the means for overcoming the hatred and division which persist the country and we offer a small but significant contribution in this direction” says Marie Grace Mukabyagaju, president of the St Vincent de Paul Society, National Council in Rwanda.
“The people who belong to the St Vincent de Paul Society in Rwanda come from every region of the country and our charity work draws people from other Churches and religions” the President explains. “Our main activities are hospital service and helping school children. In hospitals we guarantee daily meals for patients who are poor or without family. In Kigali hospital our work is highly appreciated and our members are helped in their work by other Christians and also Muslims who are touched at the sight of the love we show to those who suffer.
With regard to our work in schools, there are many orphans in Rwanda because of the violence. This means that children of all ages are alone and prey to delinquency. To help them we have started a project to take them off the streets. Besides paying for school fees we try to educate the children to peace and reconciliation. For this we have set up commission for animation and spirituality to build a spirit of peace, justice and charity. We also help refugees who fled persecution in the past to settle in the country”, Marie continues and adds: “We help refugees, particularly widows, to rebuild their homes and we sustain rural communities with farming and livestock breeding projects.” LM (Fides Service 6/6/2003 EM lines 38 Words: 478)


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