RWANDA - A New Era for a New Generation
Breakthrough Partners recently hosted Christophe Mbonyingabo from Rwanda in both the Pacific Northwest and on the East Coast including Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Christophe spoke over 35 times to various groups and was well received by all. He shared extensively about his work with CARSA, Christian Action for Reconciliation &
Social Assistance, an affiliate partner of Breakthrough Partners and a Rwandan non-profit organization created to promote healing, forgiveness and reconciliation throughout the world. Along with these goals, it seeks to address the social needs of the families and communities it serves, fostering cooperation and collaboration with other institutions working for these same causes.

We learned about his passion for the Church of Jesus Christ to be the leader of change for a new era in his country. Through his leadership, CARSA is making a difference through trauma healing workshops, changing the mindset of Rwandese people and uniting church, government and other leaders around reconciliation efforts. He spoke of how the church in Rwanda as well as worldwide failed prior to and during the genocide that saw almost 1,000,000 Rwandans killed in only 100 days from April to July 1994. 

There is Hope
In the aftermath of this tragedy, the Rwandan government has decided there is no other choice for Rwanda but to reconcile. There is no formula for reconciliation, and Rwanda is not a large place, so people must stay in their communities and be in relationship with each other. CARSA allows people to express their feelings including their bitterness and pain, while also giving them the opportunity to talk in a safe place. CARSA’s trauma healing workshops, held in Rwanda as well as in neighboring Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, allow people to see the advantages of reconciliation. Click here for the latest CARSA Newsletter.

CARSA has plans for tangible projects to see a turnaround in the extreme poverty impacting their nation. One such initiative is called “Cows for Peace” whose objective is to strengthen the reconciliation process and improve the socioeconomic conditions of the families of genocide survivors and perpetrators through the sharing of a cow. The “Cows for Peace” initiative will reinforce the healing and reconciliation process between survivors and ex-prisoners as well as aid the integration of these ex-prisoners back into the community through income generating activities based on raising and breeding cows. Thus the cow becomes an important lifetime gift with the potential to help families become self-sufficient and to draw the community closer together. Click here to read more about this initiative.

Can You Help?  
CARSA and the team at Breakthrough Partners have developed a modest budget in order to continue this life-changing reconciliation work in Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region of Africa.  As the affiliate partner in the US, Breakthrough Partners is looking for support in raising $150,000 to continue these significant initiatives. Please pray about supporting this effort and also pass this information on to family members, friends, co-workers, and others who might be able to help sustain this important work. Call (425) 775-3362 or email us for more information about "Cows for Peace.” Click here to donate now.