Widows 

The widow’s ministry, which started in 2002, presently works in 4 areas of the city of Kigali.  The staffs of the widow’s ministry go into the different areas every week, and works one-on-one and in large group meetings with the widows.  The ministry concentrates on working with widows in an effort to help them become self-sufficient by training them in small businesses and the Word of God, especially in the areas of healing and reconciliation.  We also look at issues that are consistently affecting their lives, such as parenting and what they can do to help support one another in all areas of their lives. 

The widow’s ministry has been able to give financial gifts, provided from friends and visiting teams of the YWAM base, to the widows.  With these financial gifts we have been able to help start small businesses for over 40 widows.  Some of the businesses include a hair salon, a seamstress, and a couple of small stores.  The widow’s ministry also has been able to provide goats for many widows and their families, which helps generate an income for them.  Bibles have also been given to many of the widows.  

The widow’s ministry started working with 20 widows in a village and is now working with over 700 widows and their children during school holidays.  Recently we have been working at recording the widow’s children who are not in school because of an inability to pay school fees.  We have recorded 300 children so far.  Approximately 400 of the widows we work with have HIV as do a lot of their children. 

In the future the widow’s ministry hopes to be able to help support many more widows to start small businesses and become even more independent.  We also hope to be able to help the widows who cannot afford it, send their children to school.