DWS Country Programs
Rwanda / Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC)
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Traumatized child survivor of genocide at Nyarubuye in Kibungo. © LWF/DWS Rwanda/T. Lohnes |
Rwandan society remains dislocated and impoverished ten years after the 1994 genocide. 2003 saw important steps in rebuilding civil society with elections and a new constitution, and the start up of Gacaca traditional courts to deal with genocide perpetrators in their communities of origin. The aim for the LWF/DWS Rwanda Program is to maintain and strengthen the peace building and reconciliation processes, working in partnership with Rwandan churches.
Cross-Cutting Issues, Rwanda
The DWS program in Rwanda began in August 1994 with emergency aid to victims and internally displaced persons after the genocide, and assisting returning refugees with construction of shelters and reconstruction of schools, health services and water systems. Trauma healing was incorporated into the program to help address personal and community rage, hostility and antagonism, and to develop capacities to come to terms with the past and to live together as a community.
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A man before a Gacaca court at Mugina in Gitarama Province, December 2003. |
From 1999, the program shifted to the empowerment of vulnerable communities to achieve self-sufficiency. An integrated approach emphasized capacity building of local partners and community based organizations, and addressed crosscutting issues of HIV/AIDS, the environment, peace and reconciliation, and emergency preparedness.
With the start up of the Gacaca courts and release of prisoners, the DWS program is supporting partners to establish community based counseling services and structures for conflict resolution, aimed at promoting healing and reducing the renewed trauma that prisoner release could cause. Strong support continues for partners, especially churches, in HIV/AIDS awareness raising and advocacy against stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Integrated Rural Development, Rwanda
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A classroom in Kisangani.
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Integrated rural development in Rwanda focuses on food security, water, sanitation and environmental protection, by working with partners to develop alternative food crops, improve food processing and storage and protect natural habitats. Workshops on micro-credit and income generation were conducted for people living with HIV/AIDS, and communities were supported in building shelter for AIDS orphans.
DWS Rwanda continues to manage warehouse operations for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and World Food Programme (WFP) in a number of districts, especially in the northwest where rebel attacks and disruptions of community life frequently take place.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
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Following a volcanic eruption in
January 2002, a boy plays with a
self-made scooter in the city of Goma.
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The DRC has been in the grip of a complex emergency since late 1996, involving civil war, the intervention of armies from neighboring countries, and the effective partition of the country into western and eastern sectors after the assassination of the president in 2001. Despite UN peacekeeping forces and various peace efforts, inter-ethnic and rebel clashes continue. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and fear returning. The LWF/WS Rwanda/DRC Program provides emergency assistance and relief in partnership with the member churches of the Christian Council in DRC. In 2004, DWS and its partners will develop a two-year project outline for reconstruction efforts.
Emergency Response
With its operational presence, DWS Rwanda/DRC implements or facilitates emergency response on behalf of ACT (Action by Churches Together). Emergencies arise with continuing insecurity and the displacement of large populations, and follow natural disasters such as the volcanic eruption near Goma in 2001.
Web site of the LWF/DWS Rwanda-DRC program.
For further information please contact:
Program Officer Dr Colette Bouka-Coula.
Local representative
Ms Hermine Nikolaisen, Representative/Director.
