Rwanda

Damascus Trust has been running the Support A Parish programme in partnership with the Anglican Dioceses of Byumba (since 2008) and Gasabo (since 2015). We currently support 18 parishes each month.

Whilst each diocese pays a basic stipend, the local parishes need to share in the support of their pastor and his family. Many of the poorest parishes cannot afford to do this, so the money that is given through Damascus Trust enables these parishes to have their own pastor. This also allows the pastors to fulfil their ministry without the burden of finding other work. To discover how you can be part of the SAP Programme, click here.

Byumba Diocese is about an hour’s drive north of Kigali and in a very hilly area extending up to the Ugandan border. Most people survive through subsistence farming as well as seasonal employment. Gasabo Diocese is on the north side of Kigali and is partly urban and partly rural, which presents its own challenges. All parishes have several congregations in different locations, so travelling between congregations is costly for pastors, both in time and money. Rising living costs have also put extra strain on pastors and their families. So our financial support makes a big difference. 

Damascus Trust has run conferences for pastors and wives, as well as for young people and we have established a Water-Harvesting Project Scheme in 33 parishes. Other self-help initiatives include UBUSHUTI, our trading name for selling baskets and cards made by our partners in Rwanda.

There is opportunity for Christians from the UK to be part of a DT team visit to Rwanda. For more details, please see our Teams page.

View photos of our work in Rwanda here.