Shyogwe Diocese : Rwanda

The Background
Shyogwe Diocese is located in South Central Rwanda. The Diocese originated with the building of a school in 1946. The Cathedral which was completed in 1992, is dedicated to St Peter, and the bishop is Rt Rev Jéred Kalimba, who has visited Ireland on a number of occasions. The Diocesan Development Officer is Rev John Wesley Kabango, who trained in Kimmage Manor. Whitechurch Parish has a link with the diocese. In 2007 Ken Rue, a Lay Reader of the Church of Ireland was commissioned as a Canon of Shyogwe and made the bishop’s commissary in Ireland.

The diocese is mainly rural, and the population is very poor. Roads are almost non-existent. Disease is widespread. The population is suffering greatly from the results of the genocide of 1994. AIDS/HIV is widespread and there are many widows and many children lost their parents in the genocide.

The diocese is working hard to relieve the suffering, and to bring hope to the community.

A summary of the work taking place in the Diocese of Shyogwe:

1. Evangelization:
By 2010, the number of Christians will have reached 250,000. There will be 400 well trained catechists, 40 trained pastors. This will be done through a Bible and Development school. Also a monthly in-service training in given to parish pastors.

2. Education:
The number of children who finish the primary education will increase from 15% to 40% of which 15% at least will complete the secondary level and 18% students completing the higher education. There exist 25 primary schools, 3 private secondary school (2 in Hanika parish, and 1 in Shyogwe parish) and 1 government subsidized school in Shyogwe Diocese.

3. Health:
The existing Health Centre will be well managed and offering quality services, including its expansion to become a hospital and offer x-ray services which is a great need in the Southern Province of Rwanda. 4 dispensaries will improve their work to the level of becoming health centers. These are in Hanika, Nyamagana, Gikomero and Kagarama parishes. HIV/AIDS is considered as a priority for intervention.

4. The Mothers Union and the Youth at Risk
The aim is to improve the health of families through the teaching of hygiene, literacy classes, and various sorts of craft making, agriculture /animal rearing and income generating activities. Aspects of human rights, sexual reproduction/ family planning. 40 literacy classes and 4 youth at risk exist.

5. Rural development:
14,000 households will be able to meet their basic needs with a monetary income of at least $2 (American) per day per person instead of less than $1 a day. We do capacity building for sustainable development; Child care and youth development; food security interventions and water improvement; evangelism and land management; environment management by the provision of seedlings (mainly fruit and agro forestry including tree growing).

6. Peace and reconciliation: the population will have confidence between them
and will apply peace building techniques in responding to the 1994 challenges.

7. Infrastructure and equipment: after 5 years it is planned to have built 250 chapels, 25 modern churches and 25 residences of pastors. The key achievement to allow us the implementation of the 5 year plan is the completion of building a training centre which was started 2 years ago and stopped due to lack of funds. For the objectives laid down to be achieved, it is considered that for each project a "Training
of Trainers" will be organized under the section called "Capacity building".
The goal is: to make all the structures and management system bodies more effective. In all planned actions, it is felt necessary that the development of the woman / girl be
always visible. With this intention, the number of girls who finish the secondary should increase from 25% to 60%; the women who take part in the decision-making especially those relating to the management of their households should increase
from 20 % to 50%.

John Wesley Kabango, the development officer Email: iohnweslevk@yahoo.fr. Mobile phone: 00 250 0852 84 31 Land phone: 00 250 5 62 469 (Office), 00 250 5 62 681 (Home)