It’s a great time to share a bit of love and a bit of hope! We’re sending out so much love to all of you as we continue to struggle with the impacts of COVID-19, with an extra dose for all our fellow Victorians as we feel the pain of stage four restrictions.
As we stand together and support each other as Victorians, and as Australians, we’re so grateful for the ways that you have stood with our neighbours across the world as well – practicing generosity and thinking of others. We’ve got some good news stories to share, so read on to give yourself a bit of a pick-me-up today!
As part of our response to COVID-19 in Rwanda, we distributed food to families who found themselves literally starving, and in even more desperate times than their usual daily struggles, due to lockdown that totally restricted the ability to earn any form of income.
Here’s how your generosity made a difference:
“I cannot get enough words to express my gratitude to those who thought of us and gave us food. I am a genocide survivor. There are five of us living together at home, and I am providing for everyone when I worked – even in the normal situation, I hardly can survive. When the lockdown started, I got really worried about how things will go. Surprisingly, I was contacted through my community small group leader and given food. It was not me alone, but many of us were given food. I am happy that we were helped to get through the lockdown. I praise God.” – Judith
“The lockdown was a time where we could not get any work – all work was closed. Movement was not allowed and we are only able to get food at home when my husband or I have worked. I was happy to receive food which helped us to survive during the lockdown. I could not figure out how my children would survive. Things are now eased, we can at least get some work if we adhere to the pandemic preventative measures. We praise God we got food during the time when we were hopeless.” – Isabelle
As restrictions eased, wearing facemasks became mandatory in Rwanda, and people are not allowed to leave their homes without one. Many of those we work with in communities could not afford to buy masks, making it impossible to go out to buy food, or seek medical attention, or visit their neighbours for some connection. Providing masks enabled people to go out safely, and for our community small groups to meet together to encourage and support one another, and for the small group leaders to connect and help the members:
“I volunteer as an overseer of seven community small groups, and I visit them all at least once a month. I was worried how I will be able to visit without facemasks. When we received the masks, my worries were answered. I now visit the groups, talk to them, and help them walk the journey of healing, forgiveness and reconciliation that they have started. I also visit some members at home.” – Xavier
“When we received the masks, I was able to move around visiting our community small groups, mobilising them to come together to help one of our members, Bibiane, to make bricks and construct her house. Bibiane’s house was destroyed by natural disasters and she had been living at her neighbour’s house for months. We gave some masks to the group members, and they were able to meet together and do the work. The bricks were made and the house was repaired – it is now at the level of being ready for a roof. The masks helped us very much because otherwise we would not have been able to move outside our homes. We also have two group members who are sick, they have been injured and have broken bones – we’ve been able to visit them in their homes and comfort them.”
THANK YOU for the incredible difference you’ve made! We absolutely love seeing generosity make an impact, bringing empowerment and hope not only for those we give to, but for us as well!
Want to do more?
You could Give today to help us to:
Provide more masks to enable access to basic needs, as well as connection and support in communities
Assist individual families still struggling with lack of food
Repair and rebuild homes destroyed by recent flooding in Rwanda
You could Become a CBL partner, making a monthly gift - click here to support
You could share with your friends to empower others to be involved in making a difference
You could Take the #endCOVIDforall pledge to continue in solidarity with others - click here to sign
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