Cyimbili, Western Rwanda
Cyimbili was one of the largest coffee plantations in Rwanda. It contained nearly 24 thousand plants, each producing about 4 pounds of coffee per year. The plantation provided jobs and services for the local community, and it was a hub of stability and outreach to thousands of people. But the Rwandan genocide in 1994 changed all that. In the turmoil of those events the plantation was abandoned and production diminished. It no longer served as an economic center and the hopes of the local community withered away with the plants.
A God-orchestrated opportunity to bring hope and transformation to Cyimbili is what launched Hope for a Thousand Hills in 2008. Over the course of four years, and for some years after, Hope volunteers, local staff, partner churches, and others poured themselves into projects and relationships that made a significant impact.
Welcome to Cyimbili : Watch this video from 2011 for a tour of the community and a glimpse of the project while it was underway.
Impact
On the coffee plantation, we brought immense gains to local coffee production with a washing station, new plants, and improved growing techniques.
In the community we brought clean water, electricity, sanitation systems, improved the roads, built bridges, and repaired buildings.
For the local church we provided pastoral leadership training and mentoring for the students. Most importantly, we had the opportunity to build relationships that opened doors for sharing our lives and faith. The hope of Jesus Christ has been firmly planted and so many lives have been eternally transformed by the truth and grace of the Gospel
For Cyimbili, the tragedy and pain of the past – while never forgotten – has softened by the reality of a better present and the prospect of an even brighter future both physically and spiritually.
We have many to thank for their partnership and support over those years. But perhaps the best reward for all of us is seeing the vision of this movement now refocused on another community with similar needs. The knowledge gained and the relationships forged over the course of our time in Cyimbili are now seeds for a new God-orchestrated work of transformation in Shanga.
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. Galatians 6:9
Address
PO Box 1384 | Wayne, NJ 07474-1384
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973.907.6688
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info@h4th.org