From July 8-27th, the Go the Second Mile Rwanda Team will be in Kigali, Rwanda, working with our friend Steven Turikunkiko. Steven, and his wife Providence, whom have established a “new community” of over 200 widows and orphans, all of whom are victims of genocide, with many being HIV positive due to massive rapes occurring during the slaughter. These women have no livelihood, to speak of, but of whom Steven is determined to help by finding them a self-sustaining means of taking care of them.
They are diligently working on a sewing project in order to make fabric into clothes and sell at the market. G2M (Go the Second Mile) delivered a sewing machine about a year and a half ago. Since then they have 10 more machines and have begun some training. The need is for much more training in order to adequately gain the skills necessary to produce appropriate clothing for market.
Steven has also discovered an enclave of about 80 children, aged 5 yrs to 20 yrs old, who are raising themselves due to genocide related issues, loss of parents, loss of supporting family, inadequate help of any kind.
We’ll be helping Steven, along with a group, Friends of Steven, to gain more valuable information to determine what is needed to further their self sustaining goals. Some of the time we will be working side by side with them, as we learn together what their needs are. We are looking forward to the opportunity of spending time with the widows and youth in gaining information that will help determine their future.
Everyone deserves an opportunity for livelihood, for working towards a goal that will create a future for them and their children. We are very excited for the opportunity to do so. We believe that poverty can be overcome by working together.
