Bath residents and members of local businesses recently attended a special event hosted by international development charity Send a Cow at their offices in Newton St Loe.
The event offered an opportunity to hear from Andre Nsengiyumva, Send a Cow’s Director for Rwanda and Burundi who was visiting the UK.
Speaking from his own experiences, Andre Nsengiyumva described what it was like growing up in a country which has suffered from prolonged periods of conflict, as well as discussing the impact of instability and violence on the lives of farmers working with Send a Cow.
He said: “As a charity, we are always working to bring neighbours together and to try to heal old wounds and divisions. We do this in many ways including working with farmers in local groups, rather than on an individual basis, and by encouraging farmers to pass on skills, seeds or livestock to their neighbours.
“This helps to strengthen communities as well as helping others to lift themselves out of poverty.
‘’The communities we work with include both victims and perpetrators of violence but today there is a great sense of harmony as they work together to build better futures.’’
As well as listening to Andre and meeting charity staff, guests heard the powerful story of Helena. A 62-year-old survivor of the Rwandan genocide, Helena sought reconciliation with her neighbours despite their involvement in the infamous 1994 massacre which killed several members of her own family.
Paul Stuart, the CEO of Send a Cow, said: “At Send a Cow we have had the privilege to meet many courageous people across our programmes like Helena. We long to do more to provide them with the hope and means to secure their own futures and facilitate reconciliation.”
Send a Cow has been working in Africa for almost 30 years providing some of the continent’s poorest people with training, tools, seeds and livestock to lift themselves out of poverty. The charity currently works in seven countries in Africa and works with over 300,000 people a year.
The event was well-attended by local businesses, including Emery, who were thanked by Send a Cow’s CEO for constructing an extension to their offices.
To find out more about Send a Cow, visit www.sendacow.org.
