First Plymouth Congregational Church Committed to the children of Kenombe Village, Rwanda

by Margo Sargent

“WHAT?  You’re going where? Rwanda? Why????” my friends asked.

The opportunity I had been looking for came in 2006 when I came upon a flyer stating that members of First Plymouth Congregational Church and elsewhere were being asked to sponsor orphaned children in Kenombe Village, a poor rural area outside of Kigali, Rwanda.

I had recently retired from a 26-year teaching career and was looking for a way to “give back.” Never did I think I would soon find myself in East Africa, helping families climb out of the mire of devastation and destruction that had taken place during the l994 Genocide.

My journey began while looking at a photo of a little Rwandan boy I was asked to sponsor. Like so many, I enthusiastically signed off and sent a required amount of money. But after a year of supposed help, how was he? Were his basic needs being met? Did his surrogate family love him and was he getting medical care? The “mother-teacher” in me took over. I made plans with a friend to visit Kenombe Village.

On June 29, Terri Slivka and I survived a drive over unbelievably rutted, pot-holed dirt roads when in front of us we spotted the Association Solidarity sign where Liberate, the Director, and little children were waiting to welcome us. Tears flowed profusely as we delivered two large duffel bags full of donated school supplies, games, educational toys, and letters from church members.

During the next two hours, we learned a lot about poverty:  that these children cannot attend school unless they can pay school fees, that many walk from early dawn to get a cup of  sorghum mixed with milk and a tiny roll for breakfast, that children need school supplies in order to attend class, that many are orphans and live in homes where there is HIV-AIDS; that some don’t attend school because they have become the “parent” in charge of their younger siblings. We were told that students can learn to sew school uniforms on three donated sewing machines, but cannot afford the fabric to make them; that the children would like to play soccer, but don’t have uniforms; nor do they have a flat ball field; that there are four very old computers, but only one works, etc. In addition, there is limited electricity.

Upon our return the following day, we observed all ages of children coming down steep rocky hill to join their schoolmates in song and prayer as their Religion teacher opened the school day with a Bible lesson and serious talk in their native language, Kinyarwandan. We knew from the students’ attentiveness that he was talking about living a clean life, a righteous life, a faithful life. The beginning of the day ended with the singing of the National Anthem and their climbing up a steep, dirt hill to their dark classrooms—each with only a few desks, an old black chalkboard, and a room without books or visual aids. A few signs were posted:  No to HIV-AIDS, Use Condoms, etc.

Ah, Life is hard, but it is also good. We at First Plymouth Congregational Church can continue to “do good” by honoring our commitment to the children of Kenombe Village. Thank God for the opportunity we have been given.

More photos from Rwanda

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