The people at the source of the Nile

Where is the source of the mighty Nile River?  There are others who claim it is in Kenya, Uganda, …, but some believe it is here -  Nyabarongo River in Rwanda.  

It snakes along a valley, flowing quietly and slowly, watering the green fields along the way.  It is so pretty.  In some ways, the people who live here are in a better situation than those villagers on the mountains of Gikomero, north east of Kigali, where we have been working in the past 5 years.  Because they have water.  They still have to walk to fetch the water.  But at least they do not have far to walk. But the water is still not fit to drink.  They still have to do all the back-breaking farm work by hand, without an animal or machine to help.  

Most still cook with 3-stone (sometimes even 2 stones) stoves.  They scavenge for small branches, dead leaves, etc., for fuel.  Needless to say, it is hugely inefficient, generates excessive smoke, and is devastating for the environment. But they have few other options, and little knowledge to improve the situation. 

Most of them do not have electricity. The government works very hard, but does not have the resources to bring the power lines to cover the whole region. The villages here are only ~30 kilometres to the west of the capital of Kigali. But much of the roads are unpaved dirt tracks with big gullies carved out by the rushing rain water when it does rain. 

Many people here are still wretchedly poor.  Hundreds of people in this village are in Category 1 and 2, the poorest of the 5 categories of people of Rwanda.  Category 1 are those who have nothing other than the mud-brick house that they live in.  No land to farm, no cow to milk, no job, many old, sick or handicapped.  Category 2 are those who may have a small plot of land to grow maize, cassava, potatoes, …, a cow to milk.  Those who have more than one cow, or a stable job, would probably be classified as Category 3, or above. 

Our small advance team of 3 is here to checked out potential sites for summer 2020.  Other than this site near Mageregere to the west, we have also checked out a site in Bugesera in the south, and another site in Rwamagana to the east.  We have to discuss with our partner African Evangelical Enterprise Rwanda which site to pick for 2020. 

The more I visit these places and meet with the people, the stronger I feel that there is so much need and suffering in this world.  

Those of us blessed with more must do more to share the blessings we have received from God.