Paul’s successful completion of his studies in Groningen and his return to Africa
From September 2019 to July 2020 Paul spent an extensive study time at the Protestant Theological University and the University of Groningen where he successfully completed a one-year Master’s in theology, department of Intercultural theology with a special focus on violent conflicts, community healing, and reconciliation. About the origin of his research interest, Paul says ̋The origins of my research interest dates back to my personal childhood experiences. As I grew up the question about violence, particularly inter-ethnic violence, became even more vivid when my father was killed by members of Babembe ethnic groups only because he was a Tutsi. My father was not killed alone as it is mentioned in the United Nations report of the mapping exercise. The report says, “In September 1996, Bembe armed units killed an unknown number of Banyamulenge at Lubonja village in the Nganja sector of the Fizi territory. The victims were mostly women who had left Nganja for Minembwe. Two pastors were also killed in the same village in similar circumstances”. One of the pastors happened to be my father. That horrific event happened very far from where the war had started. However, the media discourse attributed the beginning of the war to Tutsis. The overwhelming media perception framed Tutsis as instigators of war threatening other communities. Thus exacerbating existing conflicts between ethnic groups. As a result, many Tutsi innocent families were coldly killed with spears and machetes. Over the years the project to revisit the Eastern Congo mission field has grown due to the consistency of interethnic violence between ethnic groups. I believe that while a military approach may stop physical violence which may be seen by the naked eye such as fighting between groups, it can hardly help communities to live together in peace. The gospel message of Jesus Christ, when placed in a contextual hermeneutical framework, could. It can help people to embrace one another, even their enemies. This Christian approach to reconciliation works both as a means of stopping the conflict but also of deconstructing dominant narratives that sustain it. Particularly my work at A Cup for Humanity reinforced the desire to deepen my theological knowledge in order to acquire more skills that would help me to contribute to developing a peace-making model that would promote peaceful interethnic coexistence between rival ethnic groups. Insights from my research confirmed that a community- based reconciliation model fits best to deconstruct narratives that sustain exclusionary boundaries between ethnic groups that mitigating violent conflicts in the Eastern Congo. I hope that stakeholders will benefit from my research findings and use them to contribute to a sustainable peaceful eastern Congo. Paul now is in Rwanda where he is working for A Cup for Humanity.
Community development program
It takes a thriving community to transform the lives of individuals. A Cup for Humanity strives to create opportunities to invigorate communities across Rwanda and the Eastern Congo. Besides Education, reconciliation, and Refugee empowerment, we have added a new pillar which is community development. Under this pillar falls the sewing machine workshop which is meant to equip vulnerable women with skills that would help families to generate income and embrace a better life.
A Cup for Humanity operates its first workshop in Kigali where six women already completed the first intake. Same as the rest of other activities in the country, the center was affected by the corona crisis. As work resumes slowly we are planning to reopen the workshop in October 2020. In order to train more women in Rwanda, A Cup of Humanity is planning to invest in expanding the center. This will require buying more modern equipment and recruiting more qualified trainers. We strive to make this program a beacon of social transformation and poverty alleviation among women in Rwanda and the DRC.
International trips to Rwanda and the DRC
In A Cup for Humanity, we believe in harmony, unity, and transparency. We are planning to offer opportunities for individuals, teams,s, and churches to visit our projects in Rwanda as well as the DRC. we believe that there are many church groups and volunteer teams who want to travel and share the experience with projects abroad, further discipleship, and deepen the spiritual life while making a difference in the world. Such opportunities are golden moments for sponsors to meet their sponsored children and gain the first-hand experience of how their donations are making positive impacts in society. Besides, individuals with different skills such as doctors, nurses, agriculturalists, artists among others will be given the opportunity to serve and make positive impacts among communities. News about visiting Rwanda or the DRC through us will be provided on our website very soon.
Meet Trauma therapist experts program
At A Cup for Humanity we believe that financial prosperity is possible when it is coupled with bodily wellbeing. Consequently, in a post-conflict society, it is paramount to invest in the well-being of victims of war and genocide. Victims of war and genocide suffer from an unspeakable level of trauma and stress which do not only hinder them from living a normal human life but the process renders them vulnerable in society. Among the victims, women and children are affected disproportionately. According to recent studies on life expectancy among unarmed civilians caught in armed conflict, women are the primary adult victims of war.
For example, the unique harm of war on women is the trauma inflicted by killers, rape camps, sex trafficking for prostitution, and increased domestic violence. In addition, widows of war and women refugees of war are particularly vulnerable to poverty, prostitution, and higher illness and death following armed conflict. Due to trauma-related effects, many young women and children quit from leading a normal course of life by dropping from school, stopping from pursuing their dream, and in the end fall into an endless circle of vulnerability.
Therefore, ACfH has as one of its priority, to initiate healing campaigns that are meant to bring together victims of war and other human rights abuses with trauma therapist experts. The main goal of such campaigns is to provide affordable trauma care to as many people in our communities as possible. Next year in 2021 two Trauma therapist experts from the Netherlands will visit Rwanda and meet genocide survivors and refugees in the first healing campaign which will be organized in conjunction with local churches. We plan to make such campaigns a yearly event both in Rwanda and the DRC separately
Expected results
Family members experience at first hand the consequences of the complaints on the part of parents and/or children. When several family members have been hit by extremely awful events, such as a confrontation with violence, family life may be seriously disrupted as well as the community and the cycle goes on and on. In the same way, when healing takes place at the family level, victims get a good transition to healing which positively benefits the entire community. We believe that the family-based healing approach is a great contribution to mitigating violence and developing a nonviolent generation.
Book Release: Remember to rebuild
In the efforts to honoring the victims of the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda and more particularly members of her family, Blanche(who is married to Paul Mutama) has decided to write a book on how she survived the most atrocious genocide of the 20th century which took all members of her family and left her alone to tell the story. After twenty-six years of silence, she has now gained some strength to let the world know her personal experience during the genocide, how she survived, and the journey she has taken to embrace life again and forgive her killers. The book is part of condemning hatred and promoting love and reconciliation. More about Blanche and her story will be resealed in the book. Keep an eye on our website to know when the book will be released and how to get it.
Land for A Cup for Humanity in Kigali
A Cup for Humanity received a special gift; we are very happy and grateful that we acquired land in Kigali in Rwanda. In the future, our land will be used to build modern infrastructures that will host our projects such as offices and schools among others. We are looking forward to developing the land and use it for our future projects.
Corona crisis
As alluded above the corona crisis has affected a lot of our activities. For the last couple of months, we could not travel to visit our sponsored kids and their families in Uvira/Eastern Congo. Also, kids were forced to postpone their studies and stayed at home. The good news is that the new academic year will start early this month(October) in the Democratic Republic of Congo which will allow children to go back to school. Despite the Corona crisis, we are committed to continuing to support poor children by helping them to go to school through sponsoring their education and giving them moral support. We encourage everyone to abide by health experts’ preventive measure, stay positive until we all get victory over the virus.
A word for the donors
We would like to thank you all for your outstanding support. Your donation helps to change people’s lives. Because of your support poor children are gaining the education, families are getting out of poverty and communities are embracing peace. We can not thank you enough. We hope to keep working together as we develop a non-violent and resilient generation.