A trip with Comfort International is always special. With it, you will always accumulate an abundance of unforgettable memories. You will meet incredible people, see beautiful sights, eat strange and unique foods, see miracles, have your heart broken and made whole again. You will discover or rediscover a deep love for the people of Rwanda, D. R. Congo, Burundi, South Sudan and anywhere else from where we meet the resilient and wonderful partners and people that we work with. You will struggle with heat, pain, hunger, disappointment and grief as they do, experiencing empathy perhaps in a way you never have before, knowing that it cannot come close to the suffering of many that we meet. And you will see the transformative power of love, and know that it was all worth it. All of the fundraising, volunteering, travelling, saving, crying and praying; to know that even just one person’s life has been touched, changed or even saved. And it will make you hungry for more.
This at least has been my experience and for the 13 of us who ventured out to meet our partners in Africa this Summer, this was intensified due to the fact that this was the first trip in around 3 years due to the pandemic. It was a wonderful joy to see our partners across central Africa, many whom we have known and had friendship with for many, many years, and some new faces who have come on board during the pandemic. There is far too much to write in one blog post but I will focus on some personal highlights, and over the coming days we will look at certain specific projects we visited over our 2 weeks there.
One of the personal highlights for me was visiting the land which has been bought and designated for the Comfort Transformation Centre (CTC). This is to be a purpose-built centre which will be the hub for many of Comfort Rwanda projects, including Comfort Babies and Street Kids Rescue Project. This is one of the biggest projects Comfort International has committed to and is a huge undertaking, but as our partner David drew the outline of the plans for the housing, accommodation, kitchens, library, sports field and many other elements on the red earth of the ground, it suddenly became real and incredibly exciting. This came shortly after spending the day with many of the kids from the Batsinda and Gasanze street kids rescue projects, who, not so long ago, were sleeping in the dump which towers behind the city where they now play, sing and go to school. We heard many stories of how their lives have been changed and their hopes and dreams for the future, as well as how the community has rallied around these children and this project – families have been reunited, and many have taken on personal responsibility to make sure that the children never end up having to go back and sleep on the dump.
However, we were also struck by how much work still needs done. There are many that still need help and life is still hard for many that are on the project, which stresses the need for a centre such as this. The centre is in a fantastic location, and it is so exciting to see all of the opportunities it would afford. The most fun was had when we joined in with making mud bricks which are made from breaking up soil, mixing with water by stamping, pressing hard into moulds and leaving to dry in the beating African sun for days. These can be used either for some of the outbuildings on the land or can be sold to supplement funds for the building projects. The team contributed to helping make about 500 bricks but after we left the Rwandans brought the total up to around 2000! We had a wonderful time laughing, sweating, “helping” and joining in with many boys and young men who are on the project, building towards their own futures.
Another unforgettable moment was the day we arrived in Goma in D. R. Congo. It had been a long journey and the team had been struggling with many obstacles and set backs including illness and the disappointment of a valued member of the team, Fiona, not being able to come with us. As well as this, we are always struck by the extra dimension of poverty and strife that we find in Congo. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. The devastation of the volcano Nyiragongo is clear to see all around, with people building, farming and living on top of volcanic rock and rubble. As well as this they must live in an area of extreme conflict and instability. Comfort Congo has been working with many of the poorest and most vulnerable and we went to visit the Village of Hope where many of the projects are based. The welcome we received there was one that I will never forget in my whole life. As we came through the gates in the ambulance we are driven around in, we were met with a wall of sound – singing, dancing, praising and cheering. Gathered there were members of the Children of Liberty (ex-child soldiers), Street Kids Rescue, Heshima group (survivors of sexual violence) and Mums and Babies group. This was a diverse group of people who have been through and still live through unimaginable hardship. The support we provide is significant but it in no way means that their lives are free from difficulty. However, the joy that emanated from their singing, embracing and welcoming brought many of us to tears. It is humbling and wonderful to be surrounded by such inspiring people and to know that you are involved in something which is truly changing people’s lives. We spent the afternoon sharing with them, singing, doing drama, sharing words of encouragement and hearing their stories and songs in return. These are precious moments; bonds made that will never be broken, ground taken towards building a Kingdom of love, equality, joy and peace.
There is so much to tell of our time in Rwanda and Congo, and then from a smaller team, of an extraordinary visit to the extremely volatile Juba in South Sudan. Over the coming days and weeks, we will aim to share with you photos and stories of as much of the trip as we can. However, suffice to say that we were much encouraged by our visit and we believe both ourselves and our partners were galvanised and strengthened to continue our mission in reaching out to those in need and working towards a better future for those who once had no hope. If there was ever any doubt as to whether it is necessary for us to keep visiting our partners and projects, it is abolished by the welcome we receive, the encouragement afforded to our hearts, and the constructive education of ourselves that we might come back and better serve the people we aim to help, to meet the great need which exists there by sharing this wonderful experience which has so touched our hearts.
