Rwanda sisters - October newsletter

Sr. Dorien Peet has sent this newsletter on the latest developments in the Rwandan sister community. 

NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

VISIT

From 20 August to 11 September, Janny Oorebeek and sr. Dorien visited the sisters in Rwanda. The first week of our stay, two board members of the Friends of Sisters in Rwanda foundation were present: René van de Kieft (chairman) and Maarten van Ginkel (treasurer). A good friend of our Amerongen sister community also participated in the trip. For the three gentlemen it was the first introduction to the sisters and their work. They were very impressed by the enthusiasm of the sisters and their projects.                      

SISTER COMMUNITY

During our stay we experienced two celebrations of the sister community: the decoration of Philomène, which after her probationary year received the uniform and was officially incorporated into the community.

August 24, the official transfer of the leadership was celebrated: sr. Marie-Louise and her substitute sr. Domitille were consecrated for their new task and sr. Berthe was thanked for the years she led the community.

SCHOOLING

The sisters are aware of the importance of education, not only for children and young people, but also for themselves. Several sisters have completed or started a study. Internal training courses have also been given in recent months, e.g. in the administrative field. It is nice to see how the community grows in independence and joint responsibility.

KINDERGARTEN AND PRIMARY SCHOOL 

Fortunately, the school, which opened last year, was back in full operation, after months of silence due to corona. It was wonderful to experience the enthusiasm of the teachers and the children!

There are now a total of 320 children at school with the sisters (kindergarten and first three classes of primary school). Of these, there are more than 100, whose parents cannot pay the school fees. From the support fund, these children are helped, not only with school fees but also with a uniform, materials and school meals. The parents meet regularly in self-help groups, to share their experiences and to save for small projects (microcredits).

EXPANSION

In August the expansion of the school started and at the end of September it was already as far as you see in this picture! 

The sisters will be very happy if more children can be accepted, because the number of applications exceeds the possibilities they have now. They find it very difficult to say 'no' to the parents, who want their child so badly to go to the school of the sisters!

In addition to classrooms, a dining room, kitchen, library and offices will be realized in the new building.

TECHNICAL SCHOOL

On 11 October, secondary schools started again. A total of 62 students are enrolled, of which 14 are girls. Unfortunately, some of them could not start yet due to lack of money. How nice it would be if we could find sponsors for some students! 

WATER PROJECT

In September, the final touches were made to the water project. Due to several setbacks, it all took longer than planned, but now there is good hope that the water, which is supplied from the new source, will continue to flow! 

During the rainy season, full use can also be made of rainwater, for which special reservoirs are available.

The presence of water is even more important in corona time, because hygiene measures must be observed and that cannot be done without water!

AGRICULTURAL PROJECT

When visiting two farmers and a farmer's wife, we could see how the  participation in the agricultural course of the sisters changed their lives:

All three now have a good income, with which they can support their families, send the children to school and offer people work. Wonderful to see how hard they worked and how the fields were irrigated with eggplants!

In September, a group of 150 farmers started again, who indicated that they would like to learn how to work their land better and generate more income.

AFTERCARE ORPHANS

In addition to her task as director of the technical school, sr. Emilienne follows the children who have lived in the orphan village and are still sponsored.

Most children are doing well, but there are also very sad situations: young girls who get pregnant, children who have a hard time in the family where they live, great poverty, bad houses ...

From the foundation we try to help sr. Emilienne by making the necessary resources available. We are grateful for the sponsor parents, who sometimes support 'their' child for years!

For some children we are looking for (new) sponsors.

FROM THE FOUNDATION:

René van de Kieft gives his impressions of the trip:

We had been looking forward to it for a long time. Postponement again and again... and then finally we fly south, exciting!

After a long drive with many holes and potholes we arrived in Rubengera, where a meeting awaited us to never forget!

Honestly, I thought sisters were polite, kind, courteous and welcoming - they were, and also with a lot of humour, but sisters dancing festively together?

Then you cannot stand still and you feel like one of the family!

I was deeply impressed by what they all do in terms of work, with great dedication, in the sewing workshop, in the kitchen, on the land, wherever.

And so many children at the school, singing, clapping their hands and proudly speaking their first English words.

Can you imagine your own children standing at the school gate early in the morning after walking a while to enter?

I feel very grateful that I was able to experience these encounters and learn so much from this warm sister community, in a beautiful country where everything seems to flourish and grow naturally.

It no longer surprises me that Janny has pledged her heart to the Rwandans, just like others who have visited the sisters.

It's great that we can make a difference as a friends foundation. And.. that you learn again to be intensely grateful for everything that is common here. 

René van de Kieft

We are very grateful that Alice van Barneveld has joined our board as secretary. In September she started her task with enthusiasm. She will introduce herself in the next newsletter.

The month of December is in sight, with everything that goes with it. Maybe you're going to send Christmas cards again this year? Then we would like to point out the beautiful cards made by the Rwandan sisters. They can be ordered by mail: zr.dorien@zdh.nl or info@zustersinrwanda.nl

POINTS TO THANK FOR:

- the beautiful time we experienced as board members with the sisters

-the sisters were able to expand their chapel, which had become too small, thanks to a donation

-the expansion of the kindergarten and primary school could be started

-God saved the sisters from illness due to Covid-19

-the schools could start again!

POINTS TO PRAY FOR:

-new sponsor parents for some orphans and students

-wisdom for sr. Emilienne in providing aftercare to the children of the former orphan village

-wisdom for sr. Marie-Louise and sr. Domitille in leading the community

-finding ways to help people out of poverty

On behalf of all board members of the Friends of Sisters in Rwanda Foundation, I thank you for all your sympathy and for your prayers.

A warm greeting and God's blessing!

Sr. Dorien Peet

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

MAMRE FJKM - Consecration of 4 new Sisters

Sister Angéline from Mamre FJKM writes:  

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The consecration of the four new Sisters: Sister Fara, Sister Pierrette, Sister Dina, Sister Minah finished safely on 24th July 2021. We are very happy to thank God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the plentiful grace of life’s donation of each. 

Some of you followed this service with Facebook F.J.K.M Ambavahadimitafo. 

The Mamre’s Sisters are happy to offer you their gratitude and their warm thanks for your prayers and best wishes because: “God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to your fellow-Christians” (Hebrews 6:10)

Thank you very much indeed.

Church bells ring in Norway on 10th anniversary of Utøya attack

Floral tributes lay outside Oslo Cathedral on Thursday.
The flowers have become a symbol of the country's response to the attack, when roses were piled outside Oslo Cathedral in the days after the mass killing. 

Church bells rang for five minutes across Norway on 22 July, marking the 10th anniversary of the twin attacks that killed 77 Norwegians and left hundreds of others scarred for life “both in body and soul,” as Oslo Bishop Kari Veiteberg put it at the memorial service in the Oslo Cathedral. Memorial services were held, from those in individual homes to churches to a service in the Oslo Cathedral.  

I remember being in Tanzania for the DRAE Assembly, followed by the DIAKONIA Executive Committee meeting. As the Executive were gathered in the small meeting room, news came through of the horrific attack and the tragic loss of life. I remember so well how shocked Rev Marianne Uri Øverland (DRAE) was as this news came through from her home country. She, along with the people in Norway, still bear the pain and sorrow of the attack. Marianne was part of the service in the Oslo Cathedral. 

At the memorial service attended by survivors and relatives of the victims, political leaders and Norway's Royal family, the Prime Minister Erna Solberg said: "It hurts to think back to that dark day in July ten years ago. Today, we mourn together. Today, we remember the 77 that never came home". 

The memorial was held in central Oslo outside what was once the prime minister's office. People also expressed their sorrow by leaving red roses at cathedral and in public places. 

Eight of the victims died when a car bomb was detonated outside a tower block housing the offices of then Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Less than two hours later, a lone gunman attacked a summer camp organized by the ruling Norwegian Labour Party, killing 69 people and injuring more than 100 others.

Norwegian Bishop Erik Varden spoke of the "grief and perplexity" of Norwegians. The attack was the deadliest violence in the country since the Second World War. Ten years, on, “the nation is still in grief, and still struggles to understand how something as brutal as that act could happen in a nation that is peaceful, and that prides itself on being peaceful. So we’re united in grief and perplexity and also in indignation that such a thing should have happened here.”

Some parents of the victims reflected on how the country has coped since the massacre, saying that “time does not heal all wounds." 

“What would those who were so brutally and unfairly killed think of us now 10 years later? I think they would be sad to know that there still are survivors and bereaved with great needs,” said Lisbeth Kristine Roeyneland, whose daughter, Synne, was killed by Breivik. Roeyneland runs the national support group for victims and families. "I think they would be disappointed in seeing the public debate in many ways has moved in the wrong direction. I also think they would be proud of us. Proud of how we reacted in the days after the terrorist attack and how our state under the rule of law firmly stood its ground in the face of brutality.”

Astrid Hoem, a survivor from Utoya who leads the AUF, the youth wing of the center-left Labor Party, said, “We have not stopped the hatred,” and urged Norway to face up to the racism in the country. “It is so brutal that it can be difficult to fathom. But it’s our responsibility to do so. Because 10 years on, we must speak the truth. We haven’t stopped the hatred. Far-right extremism is still alive. The terrorist was one of us.”

The victims came from all parts of the country and memorial services were also held across Norway, with people also laying down flowers in other cities.

The words of Shirley Erena Murray's song serve as a prayer for the people of Norway: 

SONG: When Human Voices Cannot Sing

When human voices cannot sing

and human hearts are breaking,

we bring our grief to you, O God

who knows our inner aching.

Set free our spirits from all fear - 

the cloud of dark unknowing,

and let the light, the Christ-light show

the pathway of our going.

(Words: Shirley Murray, (*v 3&4 omitted); tune: St Columba 8.7.8.7)

Interesting academic research here - a critical discourse analysis of the annual memorial speeches and coverage from 2012 to 2014 which examines how visions of national identity are produced in and through the remembrance of the terrorist attacks. 

Floods in Europe

No doubt you've seen the news of the devastation of the 'once in a century' floods in western Europe.  The floods have been fuelled by days of heavy rain, leaving thousands homeless after their dwellings were destroyed or deemed to be at risk. Elected officials are concerned about the lingering economic effects from lost homes and businesses. Elsewhere in Europe, dikes on swollen rivers are at risk of collapsing, and crews have raced to reinforce flood barriers. In one flooded German town, the ground collapsed under family homes. In another, floodwaters swept through an assisted living centre, killing 12. The number of dead has passed 125 and the search continues for hundreds of missing people. 

We are particularly mindful of the safety of Deaconess communities in Europe, and grateful for their willingness to help where possible. Please remember them in your prayers. 

We pray too for the rescuers facing such a huge task. 

This prayer by Maren Tirabassi: 

God who always walks across water, 

come to the people of Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. 

Tenderly reach out a hand
for those who grieve
so that they do not sink.

Get into the small boats of fear
of those who wait for 1300 missing.

Become the shoreline of hope
for those who work through the night
rescuing, searching,
providing shelter, food,
fresh water, medical supplies.

For those in evacuation shelters
give peace-be-still to anxiety,
and grow faith large enough
to find a sun in tomorrow. 
Amen.

DIAKONIA World Executive Committee

The DWF Executive Committee (EC) will be meeting via Zoom on Tuesday 18th/Wednesday 19th May. The EC has met many times via Zoom in the last year during COVID - and in that way COVID has enabled us to be innovative and responsive in ways that were more difficult with an annual meeting. 

The members of the EC are in many different time zones, starting with Fiji at 8am on Wednesday 19th May and Adelaide at 5.30pm, and members in the DRAE (Africa/Europe) region at 9pm and 10pm, and members of DOTAC at 3pm, 2pm, and 1pm (Winnipeg, Boise and Seattle). We have up to 1.5 hours to discuss the agenda items and then schedule another meeting to continue our discussion. 

There is also a great deal of work that happens in between meetings. 

As well, there are now a number of new Committees that have been formed in the last few months. Some more are in the process of being set up, and some will be set up later in the year. Committees already set up include DIAKAID, Donors, Financial, Justice, Member Connections, and Communications. It's tricky scheduling meetings with people in the different regions, but a very worthwhile endeavour. 

Please pray for the DWF Executive Committee and the new Committees that are taking on and developing some of the responsibilities for DIAKONIA World. 

Coronavirus expenses impacting health care expenses in Germany

The Board of Stiftung Kreuznacher Diakonie (one of the member institutions of the Kaiserswerth Association KWV) has criticised the injustices in the distribution of the Coronavirus premiums in an open letter. New laws and the corona pandemic are making health care expensive and those on public insurance are picking up the tab.

They write: The so-called Corona premiums of the past few months for people working in care were and are the right signals. But in practice, these premiums lead to massive injustices. This is partly due to the tariff structures to which such a large institution as the Kreuznacher diakonie Foundation is subject. To a large extent, however, is in the legal requirements for the distribution of state-funded premiums. This must change when new Corona premiums are decided and paid out. After all, the financial resources for the workers do not, or are, insufficiently, available to the people who bear the burden of the pandemic and make a decisive contribution to the disaster.

The letter calls on all political actors to ensure fairness in the distribution when deciding on further support measures and not to add further injustices.

Here's an article with more background information. 

(Coronavirus will continue to have an impact on financial matters, in many different ways, for many years to come and an added burden on vulnerable people). 

COVID 2020 DIAKAID GRANT - NIGERIA

The Order of Deaconesses Methodist Church Nigeria sincerely appreciates the support from the DIAKONIA World Federation through the DIAKAID. 

Our intervention was educating and creating awareness about domestic abuse/violence, sexual harassment and rape. The awareness was taken to schools because we observed that female students go through lots of sexual harassment both from their fellow students, teachers and even within the home and community. 

The awareness lecture explained the meaning of the various topics: unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome behaviour and incidences that can lead to rape. The actions to take in the event of rape either as a victim or as a witness. The interaction with the students was quite interesting as most of them, especially the hearing impaired students, contributed meaningfully to the discussions after the lecture as they are in the vulnerable group.

The students were also advised on the importance of personal hygiene through which some of them are lured by rapist. They were also advised on defence mechanism in the event of an attempted rape situation.

At the end of the awareness lecture Hygiene Packs were presented to the students. We intend to also arrange a lecture and awareness programme for the boy-child on the same topics since boys also go through these challenges. 

Dc Ronke Oworu

COVID - DIAKAID grant

Report of the Evangelical-Baptist church of Georgia 

(a member of DRAE - DIAKONIA Region of Africa and Europe)

The number of COVID-19 infected people has been increasing steadily and violently in Georgia since mid-October 2020. The hospitals are overcrowded and they can't take care of people anymore in hospitals. Many people have been left without work and are afraid of the future. 

The pandemic is particularly difficult for people with various diseases, who often have no money for medication, and for the elderly poor people who live alone. In such a difficult time, the International Humanitarian Charity Association “Beteli” received support (1,500 euros) from DIAKONIA World Federation on October, 2020 to help people in need with food parcels and medicines. 

At Beteli, St. Nino Diakonieorden works with stations in Tbilisi and in the regions. With the help of the deaconry sisters, we reached 40 poor people in need and provided them with food parcels and medicines. That was not only material help, but also good encouragement for them. 

On behalf of the International Humanitarian Charity Association “Beteli” we are very thankful to DIAKONIA World Federation for supporting the aid and support project for poor people in need and I hope that we can continue to work together in the field of helping poor people. 

Ilia Osephashvili

Bishop of Evangelical-Baptist church of Georgia

Representative of International Humanitarian Charity Association “Beteli”

World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle - Cameroon

The WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle includes the Cameroon on August 2nd-8th, 2020.

DIAKONIA World Federation has a member association in Cameroon, Communauté de l’Emmanuel (Emmanuel Community), a protestant monastic community within the "Presbyterian Church in Cameroon" (PCC). It was one of the first Protestant communities of Africa. It was founded in 1971 by Sister Madeleine Mary Handy, Cameroonian and first woman pastor of Cameroon. The Cameroon sisters are closely associated with the Deaconesses Sisterhood of Reuilly (Versailles).

The prioresses (left to right)
Rev. Sr. Madeleine M. Handy, founder and prioress 1971-1999
Rev. Sr. Judith Ngo Nyemb, prioress 1999-2012
Rev .Sr. Shalom Kiven, prioress from 2012    
                                                             

The Charisma of Emmanuel Sisters is prayer, service to the poor and needy (whether the needs are
spiritual or practical), service to the church, and ecumenism. Prayer is central in the life of the Emmanuel Sisters. Isaiah 62: 6-7 guides them to give God no rest as they watch and pray for the whole world. Being a member of this community the sister must develop an intimate fellowship with God through prayer and learn to invoke God in all circumstances through prayer.

Prayers of thanksgiving for:
* the natural resources and diverse gifts, such as the distinctive music and dance of Cameroon
* those who minister to victims of sexual violence, trafficking and other human rights abuses
* Christians and people of other faiths who courageously have pursued reconciliation and peace among those in conflict
* individuals and organizations who have provided for health clinics and schools in Cameroon

Prayers for others:
* just resolutions to the conflicts and violence among diverse groups and their leaders
* refugees who flee to other countries, and for those who host them
* economic developments that make it possible for all to rise out of poverty
* stable democratic governments that effectively serve the common good.

Deaconess Albertino Muwowo, Zambia

Deaconess Albertina Muwowo, from the United Church of Zambia, visited the Salisbury United Reformed Church in March. She is a member of Jordan United Church of Zambia, a congregation of 8,000 members in Lusaka.
Deaconess Muwowo is this year’s Research Grant recipient, spending 3 months in the UK, primarily at Westminster College, exploring intergenerational expressions in worship and church life. (The Salisbury URC minister, Revd Ana Gobledale, received the same grant in 2019, which allowed her to study in Zambia for three months.)