Fleeing, But With Hope
Written by: Heidi Kittredge
This afternoon we met with 10 women that fled Goma, DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). They are now members of Harvest Christian Church in Gisenyi. Goma is 5 minutes from the border of DRC and Rwanda. Goma is not protected by the DRC government.
AWHI is sharing testimonies directly from these 10 women.
Security issues in Goma began in 2012 and got worse in 2018 and continues today. Hundreds of people are attacked every day.
We are told members from other tribes want those who speak Kinyarwanda (native language of Rwanda) to leave the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). But, those who speak Kinyarwanda were born and raised in the DRC and are citizens. The DRC is their home and has been for generations. Many Rwandans fled Rwanda to escape the genocide in 1994.
On February 6, 2023, tribes destroyed 3 churches, including the one the women attended. The tribes took iron sheets (roofs), tiles, doors and windows and burned the churches. Members of the churches reported the destruction and although the government asked for a budget to rebuild the churches, which was provided, nothing was done.
The 10 women we met with today in Gisenyi began to flee the DRC in 2023 from February to November. Each of the women reached a breaking point at different times during this period.
“One man was stoned to death openly. This is when I realized there was no protection.” - Julienne
“One day, a man came to visit my home. As he returned to his home, he was kidnapped. The ransom was $3,000 (U.S.). Many people collected the $3,000. The ransom was paid and he returned to his family. That was the day I decided to leave.” - Diamant
“I was attacked by a tribe member with stones.” - Chantal
“They burned down my house.” -Jolie
“My husband did not speak Kinyarwanda, but I did. They wanted to attack me. My husband protected me and was attacked. He later died from his injuries.” - Christine
“Once churches were burned, the owner of the house I rented from asked us to move because he did not want their house destroyed.” - Aline. She arrived in Rwanda in February 2023.
“I went out to get spaghetti for my child. Three men tried to stone me. My neighbors came to protect me. I had a good job, but living a safe life was more important.” - Jeanne.
These women all had thriving small businesses in the DRC. They sold milk, mobile phones, cooking oil and other small items. They came to Rwanda with their families with nothing. They lost everything. Husbands have yet to find work. The women and their families are currently being supported by the church community. But that is not enough.
When asked what are your hopes for the future? The response was, “Because of Jesus, we have hope.”
“I lost my job, but I can work. I have my life. I can do something in my life. In partnership with others, life will come back and continue.” - Jolie
Through our donors, AWHI is able to provide each of the women a $100 microloan. The fruits of this blessing will take some time. If anyone is interested in providing additional assistance for these women and their families, please reach out to info@awhi.org.
