Author: Samson Iradukunda

Ava’s Jammies is an initiative by Ava Holtzman, a nine-year old American girl and daughter to Marc Holtzman, the Chairman of BK Group Plc while the Point Foundation is a UK voluntary and nonprofit organization committed to specific projects to support youth and children living in poverty in Rwanda and South Africa.

Marc Holtzman who represented Ava’s Jammies at the event held at Kigali Marriott Hotel handed the $60,000 cheque to Viateur Uwambajimana, who represented The Point Foundation which will implement the project which will among other activities, provide the youth with vocational skills.

The youth to benefit from the trainings are the disabled and other vulnerable, mostly those in the first and second Ubudehe categories in Bugesera District.

“This long term project will be implemented through Mwogo Integrated Development Programme. Part of the support will be used to provide the vulnerable youth with vocational trainings free of charge for nine months while they will undergo two months in internships,” Uwambajimana said.

Under the project implementation, a Vocational Training Centre was established in Bugesera District and already 45 youths are acquiring skills in hairdressing and tailoring.

Uwambajimana explained that after acquiring trainings, the youths will be supported to create cooperatives and start income generating projects.

Marc Holtzman, who spoke on behalf of Ava’s Jammies Organization, said the support was given following her daughter’s initiative to support vulnerable children.

“My family loves Rwanda. This is an activity of my 10-year old daughter Ava and it is just the beginning. Ava’s message is that no child should be left behind and everybody deserves the best in life,” said Holtzman, an American who owns dual citizenships among them Rwandan.

Holtzman commended President Kagame “who always sensitizes us to help others. What we do as Ava’s Jammies is based on that.”

Ava Holtzman first arrived in Rwanda in 2009 when she was eighteen months old. In 2014, Ava’s Jammies donated to children at Gisimba Orphanage in Kigali and since then, the Organization has donated over 3200 pajamas to children across Rwanda.

The platform of the event, “World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office” meeting, was formed by an international peace NGO under the UN ECOSOC, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), in cooperation with Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), a non-profit corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Philippines.

Religious leaders of various sects reaching an agreement for the importance of finding the most trustworthy scripture through comparative studies on religious scriptures for peace and the truth to achieve religious reconciliation through interfaith dialogue was discussed at this event.

Mr. Roberto Mata, the Operations Manager of Islamic Studies Call and Guidance of Philippines, said, “If we eventually find the trustworthy Scripture and if that scripture is proven the trustworthy Scripture then we have to accept it wholeheartedly even if it is not our own Scripture, for the sake of our unification.”

Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL said, “Although religion has to do good and deliver hope to the world, many of today’s conflicts are caused by religion. Isn’t it worse than a non-believer? That is why religions must return to the truth. Religions will become one under trustworthy Scripture. Therefore, religious leaders worldwide should participate in the WARP Office meeting and proceed the comparative studies on scriptures.”

At the event, the voices of denouncing religious organizations and religious leaders who destroy peace and human rights, and use religion a means of profits followed. Not only the leaders of religion but the civil society also urged for banning illegal acts of violation of human rights.

Mr. Shin Chang Kim, the representative of the Global Citizens’ Human Rights Coalition to Call for the Shutdown of the CCK, shared the cases of victims that have suffered under coercive conversion by Christian Council of Korea (CCK), which brought out a civic demonstration against human rights violation.

Rev. Marcel Tanguilan, Pastor of the Knox United Methodist Church, rebuked the coercive conversion, quoting it as “devilish acts”, carried out by the corrupted religious groups whereas Rev. Jun Ewick, Senior pastor of New life Evangelical Holy Church, called for the closure of such religious groups.

The meeting ended by delivering a commemorative plaque that holds the pledge of the religious leaders accomplishing the search of the trustworthy scripture in this very year, 2019. The Plaque was delivered to chairman Man Hee Lee, the founder of the Peace Initiative: World Alliance of Religions’ Peace [WARP] Office.

According to HWPL, WARP Office meeting is being hosted in 219 locations from 128 countries to encourage religious harmony to promote peace-building, as it is witnessed that religion has recently triggered global conflicts. HWPL says that comparative studies on religious scripture can pave the way to finding common core values of humanity transcending differences.

Elder Stevenson and his wife Lesa are in Rwanda for a three-day visit as part of a visit to the Church congregation in the African region. This is Stevenson’s first visit to the country. His official itinerary also included Uganda.

In a message he wrote in the visitor’s book, Elder Stevenson said that he feels much sorrow as he remembers the heroes and the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

“It has been a deeply touching experience for my wife and I to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and witness the record of the terrible consequences of human conflict promoted by hatred based on perceived differences.” He observed

He further noted his gratitude for the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which stands as a reminder to all that love for fellow men and women as taught by Jesus Christ should never be taken for granted.

“I echo President Russel M Nelson, Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: Only the Comprehension of the true Fatherhood of God can bring the full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women. Such comprehension comes only as men and women fully embrace the true gospel of Jesus Christ with humility and full purpose of heart.” Stevenson added.

The objective of this historic visit by the apostle to Rwanda is to fulfill the divinely appointed mandate of apostles of Jesus Christ to declare his word among his people.

Elder Stevenson was leading one of the world’s largest sports equipment corporate of more than five thousand employees before being called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on 3rd October 2015. Immediately after his visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, he was so touched by the spirit of reconciliation of the Rwandan people and made a cheque of five million Rwandan Frank as a symbolic donation in support to Aegis Trust work to prevent genocide, crimes against humanity and mass atrocities. As part of his responsibilities, he travels throughout the world as a representative of Jesus Christ, building faith, providing instruction and blessing and uplifting all to whom he will meet.

Faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ for Latter-day Saints include Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen whose best selling book “how will you measure your life” had been tweeted at 12:32 am in August 28, 2018, by President Paul Kagame as his number one must read book to the youth, Chairman of the Marriott Hotels J.W. Bill Marriott Family, the late Stephen R. Covey author of the seven habits of highly effective people book and former U.S. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leads free family history and genealogy records known as familySearch.org which provided U.S. Former President Barrack Obama and the British Prime Minister Theresa May with their historical family tree.

On Monday, the BPR management and its clients met to celebrate the re-opening of the branches.

The Gisozi BPR branch manager, Gatera Kayoboke Claude said that the renovated building will help to improve the banking environment which is mutually beneficial to both staff and clients.

“As we receive them in a good area, more clients will come and we are ready to provide the best services to our clients,” he promised.

The BPR Head of Retail Mugisha Shema said that Gisozi branch has been receiving many clients and that’s why they renovated the building so as to give enough space for its clients.
Gisozi branch receives 10,000 clients whereas Nyabugogo branch receives 7,000 per day.

BPR clients have been impressed by the new look of the buildings. Nshogoza Seleman a client of BPR Nyabugogo branch since 1997 says: “We are happy for these new buildings. We were receiving good service but I believe it’s going to be better with this impressive banking environment.”

BPR began operations in 1975. 80% of its customers are from personal and Small and Medium Entreprises customers with the rest (20%) being corporate. The bank’s rate of non-performing loans improved from 13% three years ago to 7.8% currently.

BPR has recently announced 2% reduction of its base lending rate from 16.5% to 14.5% to go into effect from 1st March 2019.