Friday November 28,
Shadowing Pastors at Home - Gasaka Digital Savings For Life
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Ps 118:24
Today we had the privilege to step into the lives of some of the Pastors here in Nyamagabe. We were split into 3 groups, and all ended up with the same type of visit. We were given a tour of their homes and then asked to help prepare a meal of maize. This included cleaning and cooking the maize over a charcoal stove as well as boiling it. We then shared the meal together. When this was finished we did some other tasks around the house. We helped clean up the meal, which was always a task for the women of the house. With programs from World Relief changing the mindset of the family dynamic work with everyone pitching in on the household chores now. Later we were able to help cut wood for the cooking fire. Collecting and cutting firewood is a constant task as it is the cheapest way to cook food. Most homes also have a gas stove but it is used sparingly as it is quite expensive. Teams also helped in the cleaning and weeding of their gardens. Whether in the kitchen garden which is close to the house or the main large garden if the family has one is also a task that never ends. The growing season does not end which adds a tediousness to the never ending growth of weeds. The best part of the day was our time spent working shoulder to shoulder together with these Pastors and their families to build relationships. By the time we left, new friends had been made in the Body of Christ.
After lunch we walked through town to sit in on a meeting of the Wasaka Digital Life Savings Group. This
is a group of 25 people in Nyamagabe. The group was started in June of 2025 with the help of World Relief
staff. All the members can put money in and buy up to 5 shares, that are sold at a rate of 500.00 RWF. World Relief gives basic guidelines and then each group sets their own rules.
This Waskak group wants their people to aspire to:
1. A healthy relationship with God
2. Healthy marriages and relationships with family and neighbors
3. Good health standards in the house
4. Emotional stability
5. Making wise choices in life
If they are aligned, they then must meet the following requirements to ensure a healthy family:
1. Children must attend school
2. A kitchen garden (small garden right outside the house)
3. There is no malnourishment allowed
4. Hygiene standards (a clean pit latrine)
5. Children must be vaccinated
6. They must have a clothesline
When meeting, they always meet in a circle to build relationships. They have built their own community
which comes together when there are celebrations, sorrow or illness. We listened to four members talk about the World Relief program, and how it has changed their lives. They have been able to get loans to start and grow small businesses or purchasing products to expand existing businesses. They performed a drama skit showing how World Relief has trained the group and they have passed this knowledge through the members of the Digital Savings Group (shown below). The members have learned about how better communication leads to stronger marriages. Their relationship with God has improved through the accountability of the program.
This was an amazing day to be part of. Being able to witness first hand benefits to the people of Rwanda through our partners at World Relief has been amazing.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support for this team.
