Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008
Subject: AGLI--Report from North Kivu #56 -- "the little things "-- June 25, 2008
From: David Zarembka <dave@aglionline.com>
Dear All,
Here are excerpts from the report I received from Zawadi Nikuze concerning the Healing and Rebuilding Our Communtiy (HROC) program in North Kivu. If you would like the complete 7 page reports, please email me and I'll send it to you.
To refresh your memory, North Kivu, a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) west of Rwanda, is engulfed in continuing fighting with hundreds of thousands displaced people. The issue is very complex with at least five major groups--a Tutsi warlord army, Hutu who participated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the local Congolese groups called the Mai-Mai, the national Congolese army (mostly from western Congo so the soldiers do not speak Swahili and can't communicate with the local people), and MONUC, the United Nations peacekeeping force (which is not "neutral" in North Kivu as they support the government troops).
Most of the workshops reported here were done in the internally displaced camps near Goma, the capital city of North Kivu.
I particularly like this testimony since if everyone in Africa followed this, there would be a much politer society--in fact we could do this all over the world and it would be a better place.
"Most of the time we are ignorant. We live a violent life without knowing. I have realized how much I have been violent to my wife and children. Thanking a child after he has brought you something is very important. Thanking a wife after she has given you food is very important. I used to say that it’s her duty to give me food therefore there was no need to thank her. I have decided to change--the little things I used to consider of no use are very important!"
Ethnic favoritism is also a major problem in this region and here are two testimonies where people who have discriminated against others vow to change:
"Before coming to this seminar, my heart was heavy and broken. I have been a bitter person because of all what has happened to us since 1997. I had lot of things, a nice house but now I live in a tent and sleep on the ground. I am the vice president of women of the camp. Whenever we distribute things, I normally favor people of my tribe. These teachings have touched and from today I will never favor people of my tribe when distributing things."
"I am the “Chief of the block” here in the camp and I am a “Mtembo” [one of the North Kivu ethnic groups]. To be honest I don’t treat people from other ethnic groups fairly. Whenever I am distributing food, I give them less that what they are supposed to get. I have been a bitter man, planting seed of hatred. After these three days, I have decided to change and be a leader for all ethnic groups in the camp. When distributing food, I’ll give what is supposed to be given"
In so many of the testimonies, major changes in very concrete ways are so evident (after only a three day workshop!!!).
"I take care of two orphans. One of them has been behaving in a difficult manner and it was too much for me so I sent her away. Now, I have understood that she is traumatized as she lost her family in the war. I will go and get her back and help her as I can."
"I am a widow. My husband and my first born daughter were killed by Tutsi and since then I have been planting a seed of hatred in my children, telling them that Tutsis are our enemies. After hearing these teachings, I have decided to go and work on my children. Please pray for me too. I thank you for these good teachings."
"My father was killed before my eyes and some of those who killed him are here in the camp. I see them. I have been a bitter man, full of hatred and planning a revenge. When we were asked to write what has been burdening us and later on burnt, I tried to imagine that it’s the beginning of a new life. I have begun a journey I don’t care how long it will take but I know that these teachings have changed me! My concern is one, there are so many people who need these teachings, how will they benefit?"
"When RIZIKI got married she was happy that she got a Christian husband. Two weeks later, she discovered that her husband was hiding behind the house each evening to smoke and drink. She lived her dreams of a happy marriage two weeks only. What followed later were beatings every now and then. She was the breadwinner of the family but at the end of the day she received beatings and threats of being killed. Her children were not attending school for she could not afford the fees. She had even changed her name FURAHA [meaning "Happy"] to MATESO, she didn’t find that name suiting her. When she attended HROC workshop and she was asked to write down what burdens her the most, she said that she doesn’t know what to write for her life is full of problems and she can’t get enough paper to write for she has a lot--instead she started crying. The teachings helped her a lot and she’s now living a new life, trying to overcome and giving hope to her children."
"I have been touched by these teachings. I am living here in an IDP camp after fleeing for my life. I was doing well. I was farming and producing for the market but now I have to survive waiting for food from somewhere. I always think of how to revenge and I hate anyone who is not from my ethnic group. After the session of a tree of mistrust I realized that my thoughts of revenge and hate contribute to it. If I want a better DRC I have to contribute by changing and being part of a trust tree and loving others. Now I have decided to change in order to plant a tree of trust."
But the workshops sometimes had their difficulties:
"As the training was going on, a man in uniform came and begun to attack the facilitators asking for money. The president of the camp called the police and the man was put in."
"The selection of participants was not balanced. One ethnic group had more than 15 people!"
"Participants didn’t come as they were invited. They preferred to go for Roger West (International Evangelist, Reinrard BONNKE’s son) seminar in the morning for they were given sitting allowance. [Note: it is a common practice in this part of Africa for non-profit organizations and churches to pay people--give them a sitting allowance--to attend a seminar. AGLI's programs do not do this and so sometimes people refuse to come to the AVP or HROC workshops because they are not being "paid." Frankly, if they don't come for this reason, I am glad that they are not there.]
"Only one woman in the workshop."
Peace,
Dave
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:44:15 +0300
Subject: AGLI--Report from Kenya--"I thought it was a dream "--June 26, 2008
From: David Zarembka <davidzarembka@juno.com>
Dear All,
Here is the latest report from John Muhanji, Director of African Ministries of Friends United Meeting, on the return of the internally displaced people to Sugoi. Here is what John said about the first attempt on June 19--"But hell broke loose when they took the other IDPs to Sugoi from Eldoret show ground. The D.O [District Officer] called me today and wished that I was with him. They were almost being killed by the community people who never wanted to see them back."
Peace,
Dave
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Dear Friends,
God is and has always been faithful to us in our ministry. We have continued to experience his miracles all the time since we started the peace mission in Kenya. In our smallness and humbleness we have seen mountain moving and deep valleys being leveled.
I traveled to Nairobi on Saturday 21st so that I could attend a visa interview at the USA Embassy on Monday 23rd. Before I traveled in the evening, I attended a very successful prayer meeting for all the USFW Kenya [United Society of Friends Women--Kenya] women held at Mbale Friends High School. This was a meeting that gave me hope and strength after weeks of exhaustion. I felt filled with fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. We had a prayer meeting for peace where I gave them the problem that we had in Sugoi in Eldoret. We had women drawn from all the 15 yearly meetings in Kenya in attendance just for a one day prayers for peace in Kenya and Africa. Dorothy Selebwa the Clerk of USFW Kenya presided over the prayer meeting and led all women in praying for the Fiends Church Peace Team of which she is a member. After a very successful prayer meeting at Mbale School which was attended by over 1,300 women, I traveled to Kisumu to connect to Nairobi.
I went to the American embassy on Monday 23rd morning for the visa interview and was given the visa. I am now sure I will travel to the FUM Triennial this year [in July in North Carolina]. While in Nairobi on Tuesday 24th, I was called on the phone by the District Officer, Turbo Division, that they would like to resettle back the IDPs from Sugoi on Wednesday 25th and senior government officials would be in attendance. I informed Joseph Mamai [Chairman of Friends Church Peace Teams] to contact other members of FCPT to be present in Sugoi. I traveled from Nairobi on Wednesday morning 25th to Kisumu, then Eldoret/Sugoi.
Friends, I would like to report that the prayers that were offered on Saturday were truly answered and I thought it was a dream I was imagining. The elders of Sugoi had met after the ugly incident that happened on Thursday 19th where the IDPs were chased away. These elders rebuked themselves and vowed never to repeat such an action in their lives with their neighbors. The Kalenjin community elders went to the camp [at Eldoret showgrounds] and asked their neighbors to join them at home. They went to bring them to their land. The elders agreed to host them in their homes rather than building another camp with tents. Families divided among themselves the IDPs who had come. It was a time of joy and many shed tears of joy. It was a great reunion among the themselves.
There was a man who owned a school and an orphanage which were both destroyed badly by the villagers out of anger from the post election violence. It is sad when you look at what used to be a home now looking like a ruin or which has been hit by a tornado. The old man, called Muchemi, talked with tears in his eyes, that he does not count what he lost in the violence, but he is happy that his old friends have welcomed them back.
When the high powered government officials arrived, it was around 5.00 pm and the people had been waiting for them patiently since 8.00 am in the morning. They came, talked briefly and left in a hurry, but we continued with our program of the receiving community taking them to their good neighbors. It was joy as they embraced each other. I felt tears in my eyes after seeing the old man Muchemi who lost 600 bags of maize [corn], 500 bags of dried coffee ready for export, a school and an orphanage for the destitute children from the area. He was very brave when he extended an olive branch to those who did the demonic act. He asked to be forgiven if ever he annoyed anybody, and many others followed.
The work of the FCPT is very much evident on the ground and both the IDPs and the elders talked as if nothing had ever happened. The community of the Kalejin and the Kikuyus have appreciated the work FCPT has done and is still committed to work with them in resettlement and organizing more peace activities for the youth. Please continue to pray that the peace we have witnessed today 25th July may remain forever.
God's blessing to all of you.
-- John Muhanji Director, Africa Ministries Office P. O. Box 478, Kisumu. Kenya
Dave