We help to construct a Children Sharing Centre in Nyagatare (Rwanda)

The Rwanda Campaign "1-2-Help" Reviews the Successes of it's First Year

On Reformation day 2008 (October 31) the One-World-Group of Ruhla, Germany, looked back on the first anniversary commemorating the launch of the 1-2-Help campaign to underwrite the Children and Youth Centre in Nyagatare, Rwanda.

In February 2007 three members of the Group went to Rwanda and met associates of their co-operative partner, ASSIST-RUANDA e.V.. The theme of the conference was to discuss future projects and goals. The resultant resolution was to build the Centre in the economically underdeveloped northeastern region of the country. Therein the resident youth would receive comprehensive support in aspects of self-reliance.

The three German visitors were seen off with the strong commitment to advertise in Germany and throughout Europe for financial support. Approximately 440,000 Euro (approx. 660,000 USD) would be required to meet the construction costs of this large undertaking. Immediately after their return, the One-World-Group delegation began to design a plan as to how to bring this matter before the populace.

After several months of preparation the plan was ready for implementation. Reformation Day 2007 was set as the official kick-off date for the 1 2 Help-Rwanda campaign. Since then the ecumenical group has tirelessly persevered to bring public attention to the Project. This solicitation has produced a wide variety of results.

When considering that from a small German village in 2007 the One-World-Group launched without major endorsement and was absolutely unknown with no public presence whatsoever, our small initiative can look at our short-term results with deep gratitude. And amazingly, tangible evidence stands today in a small Rwandan village constructed from the remnants of unimaginable social circumstances.

Thanks solely to donations, the first building of The Centre, the library, is finished, equipped and currently a fully operational facility. The required 12,000 Euro (approx.16,800 USD) came from European sources.
Since then, construction of the multi-purpose hall, the second building, has begun. The funding for constructing the building's foundation came from One-World-Group. Funding for the completion of the Hall has been otherwise secured by our partner, ASSIST-RWANDA.

The third building has been agreed upon as the next funding project of the One-World-Group. This facility will consist predominately of classrooms and serve vocational education needs. The cost will be 40,000 Euro (approx. 56,000 USD). One forth of the neccessary support (10,000 Euro/14,000 USD) is pledged from the Evangelical Development Service (EED) in Bonn, Germany. 7500 Euro has already been transfered. This means that One-World-Group together with ASSIST-RWANDA must raise 30,000 Euro (42,000 USD) within the next year. This is a large task but not impossible because since the beginning of the campaign, donations in this amount have already been collected.
Up to this point the first to have stepped forward was the interdenominational Africa Circle in Stendal, Germany, then followed 131 individual donors,as well as collections from different church organizations, confirmation classes, school and community groups, commercial firms and a contribution from "Arbeitsstelle Eine Welt" in Magdeburg, Germany. ASSIST-RWANDA contributed from associate resources and proceeds from local youth work projects.

The One-World-Group advisory board is especially grateful that from the beginning there have been committed supporters whose endorsement has not only been financial but particularly in the realm of moral support. At the top of the list is our chief project supporter and State Parlimentarian Gustav Bergeman of Kittelsthal, Germany. He is personally responsible for influencing former Thueringen State Governor (Prime Minister) Dr. Berhard Vogel to be the One-World-Group patron. Also our initiative received the meaningful endorsement from Thueringen State Bishop of the Evangelical Church, Dr. Christoph Kähler. Austrian actress Anna Moik-Stoetzer adopted a personal interest and makes public appearances lecturing for Project benefit and reading Rwandan fairy tales. Her last two year-end performances were in Vienna, Austria and Ruhla, Germany.

American Randell Anderson has joined us. He divides his time between Germany and the US. His interest was piqued at the Wutha-Farnroda Germany 2007 World Day of Prayer service and since then he has lectured and informed others in the U.S. Consequently, donations have been received from the Evangelical United Church of Christ in Marysville, Kansas and from the Africa Office of the United Church of Christ headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

The intention of the One-World-Group is to be the cornerstone from which an international campaign grows and manifests into a Rwandan Children's Sharing Centre. This universal focus of love is in a remote corner of the world where in 1994 the world looked away as genocide claimed 1,000,000 victims in just 100 days. There is a constant muffled call for humanitarian assistance from this socially uprooted element of mankind. The surviving orphans of this holocaust are struggling with the reconciliation of their plight and are striving to return to self-reliance.

Many have already responded to the call of the One-World-Group. These countries include Germany, Luxemburg, France, Canada, Austria, England and the U.S. We look forward to a much greater international influence. We recognize those who continually and voluntarily work in support of this Project.

Much appreciated are our translators in Germany, France, Uruguay and the US who have given Project materials an international presence.
We are grateful for the artists and performers who have provided links from their internet sites to ours. Our partnership with the Marysville, Kansas, USA, Evangelical United Church of Christ is invaluable as they have agreed to be the recipient of US donations and transfer these monies on to Rwanda.

We thank our members who have tirelessly manned event booths and educated visitors as to the dire living conditions, problems and challenges presently facing the Rwandan citizenry. Even in the face of occassional adversity, they have succeeded in rallying considerable support.
The One-World-Group exists today because of one reason: the unselfish commitment of our aforementioned supporters, volunteers and contributors. We stand fast in our partnership with ASSIST-RWANDA in this hopeful process: one day soon the Nyagatare Rwandan Children's Centre will be fully constructed and operating at full capacity as a servant and tribute to the betterment of mankind.

Pastor Gerhard Reuther, Chairman of the Ecumenical One-World-Group