Prison Fellowship Rwanda/Ubumwe Project

PROJECT UBUMWE (together/united) conceived by Prison Fellowship Rwanda in partnership with the Word for All Nations to help encouraging inmates that desired to seek for forgiveness (those that have personally written confession letters to the prison directors) disclosing every detail of their crime by confessing their crimes committed during 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

This project idea came and started in March 2015 while PFR was preaching at Bugesera prison where almost more than 1,000 inmates wished to meet and ask for forgiveness to their victims.

While at Bugesera prison, the number of inmates that had written letters overwhelmed PFR and challenged us to conceive of a framework within which we could prepare the perpetrators, the victims and the families for such a meeting.

We decided to launch a pilot project to test and validate the methodology that we want to follow as we bring the parties together (from May-Nov 2015 the pilot project showed that the meetings went well)

11 imates in Bugesera prison & 11 direct victims from Mayange sector as well as 13 inmates from Ngoma prison & 13 direct victims from Ngoma district, Gatsibo were taught reconciliation process and met in confession and asking forgiveness meetings at both prisons and communities.

In 2016, 12 chaplains recruited from 4. Number of inmates per prison increased from 11 in Bugesera prison to 30, and 10 from Ngoma women prison. More communities have been increased from 10 to 15 communities/sectors.

At the end of the year 120 prisoners, 120 their families and 120 victims will have participated in PU.

Project Ubumwe is an effort to effect reconciliation, unity and peace-building;

Government of Rwanda has embarked on an ambitious justice, reconciliation and unity process, with the ultimate aim of enabling all Rwandans to heal their wounds of the conflict and once again live side by side in peace.

On other side, both groups ie inmates, victims and the families of inmates must be constantly reminded about the necessity of social coexistence, and the urgency of forging ahead in the path of development, thus creating a positive, peaceful legacy for future generations.

PFR work with PU is support to GoR mechanisms that were put in place to foster U&R in the country. such mechanism are NURC, Gacaca courts, Ndi Umunyarwanda, Ingando, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DRC), Socio Therapy Community Groups, Itorero initiatives, etc.

GOAL & OUTCOMES

1. Bring the perpetrators, victims, their families and communities together – in other words, all those affected by the Genocide - in order to affect reconciliation and restoration on a deep heart and practical level that will have the following outcomes:

2. Free the perpetrators from bo***ge of shame & and Genocide ideology,
3. Free the victims from the bo***ge of unforgiveness, hatred, revenge,
4. Free families of perpetrators from shame and Genocide ideology & denial of crimes committed by their beloved in prisons. So that all of them can become contributing members of the New Rwanda regarding of themselves as Rwandans, not as communities identified and separated by ethnicity;

5. Heal the wounds and memories of the trauma of the Genocide against the Tutsi;
6. Foster peace-building in all the communities of Rwanda creating a peaceful legacy for future generations of Rwandans;
7. Encourage and help all the parties to work together for the development and economic upliftment of their communities, which also leads to building trust and social cohesion;
8. Be a model for all other prisons and communities in Rwanda (and other countries) in post-conflict situations) to follow;
Achievements:

These achievements comprised of pilot project conducted in 2015 and 6 months project activities in 2016.

Project Ubumwe Pilot project in 2015:
Ngoma prison: 13 prisoners, 13 families of perpetrators and 13 genocide survivors
Bugesera prison: 11 prisoners, 11 families of perpetrators and 11 genocide survivors.

Project Ubumwe in 2016
Ngoma prison: 10 prisoners, 10 families of perpetrators and 10 genocide survivors
Bugesera prison: 30 prisoners, 30 families of perpetrators and 30 genocide survivors
Rwamagana prison: 20 prisoners, 20 families of perpetrators and 20 genocide survivors
Need:

The need is to continue foster unity and reconciliation in the Rwanda in a practical deep heart. This is one way to create a sustainable unity and reconciliation. With the availability of funds, the projects will be carried out more than 3 prisons in the first year and increased for the next 3 years to 5 prisons.

The community events are needed to sensitize the population on the positive impact to participant and be part of the reconciliation process in Rwanda.

Conclusion

Government of Rwanda recommended the project through National Unity and reconciliation Commission (NURC) and Rwanda Correctional service (RCS) which supports Prison Fellowship Rwanda with a full access into prisons, communities so that the Project Ubumwe continued to be implemented.
Please be part of us to implement this noble project in Rwanda.