In 1994, a brutal genocide turned the beautiful land of a thousand hills into a land of a million tears. At that time Rwanda ceased to exist as a nation. Nearly one million people, a tenth of the population, were dead. Three million people had fled the country. Numerous people were displaced. The government, the economy, the education system, the infrastructure, and the social fabric of the nation had been destroyed.

It seemed that nothing was spared. Trust was broken between neighbors, families were shattered, land was lost, and faith was broken. All that was left was deep pain, anger, frustration, and many questions. How could this happen? Why did it happen? How could a neighbor kill a neighbor? A friend a friend?

If Rwanda was a primarily Christian nation why did it seem to make no difference? Where was God? Did he forget about Rwanda? How could a Priest betray his parish? A father betray his children? A husband betray his wife? How does a people rebuild from such devastation? How could anyone find the strength to forgive…to reconcile…to rebuild…to move on? Was there any hope for the future?

Just as the genocide in Rwanda is not the beginning of the story for the people of Rwanda, it is also not the end. It’s people have been forced to dig deep and examine every aspect of their society for if they refuse to find forgiveness and reconciliation, the seeds of hatred and resentment that fueled genocide will be passed on to the next generation.
God has not forgotten about Rwanda. In the twelve years since the genocide he has been working through his people to bring forgiveness, reconciliation, and a hope for the future. It will take a long time for Rwanda to fully heal. But twelve years after one of the most devastating events in world history Rwanda has seen a miraculous turnaround. There is currently a unique window of opportunity to invest in this country and ensure that turnaround remains permanent. At Wellspring we are privileged to be one part of the work God is doing to restore and transform a new generation…and perhaps, an entire nation.