| In Rwanda only 60% of the population can read and write. This leaves 40%, who are mainly the women and girls. The Inkuru Nziza Church works throughout Rwanda in conjunction with the local government leaders who can identify those who are illiterate. Enabling the local community to gain literacy skills, enhances both morale and confidence. It raises the standard of information sharing in a geographical area, which in turn impacts local health care initiatives, general education and can feed new students into the 16 Vocational Training Centres. It improves self-worth for each participant. For the church, it means that local Christians can read the Bible for themselves, learn truths and discern what God’s plan is for their lives, and then use this knowledge to help others. The leaders of each project come together twice a year in a training centre in Kigali, the capital, to be updated on different aspects of literacy teaching. The literacy students attend two sessions per week over an 18 month to 24-month period. The literacy training books are approved enabling the students to gain a credible certificate on completion of the course. There is a spiritual dimension to this programme in that, at graduation, each student receives a Bible which she can now read for herself and can use to improve her reading skills. Graduation is a significant event in the villages where the classes are run, with local government officials joining with the families to celebrate the achievements of the students. Congolese ladies are also trained in refugee camps in Rwanda. |
