Grants from the Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) have been given to
start up a new Brethren Disaster Ministries rebuilding site in
southeastern Indiana, and to help a church group that is aiding
Congolese refugees fleeing violence on the border with Rwanda.
An allocation of $20,000 opens a new Brethren Disaster Ministries
rebuilding project site in Holton, Ind., following a tornado that
destroyed nearly 20 homes and damaged dozens of others in March.
This fall, district disaster coordinators in the region were
contacted by the local recovery agency seeking volunteers to assist with
construction of new homes to replace those that had been destroyed. In
response, Brethren Disaster Ministries staff have been collaborating
with district coordinators to develop a joint response that couples
regional and national resources to address the need.
The EDF grant will underwrite operational expenses related to
volunteer support including housing, food, and travel expenses incurred
on site as well as volunteer training, tools, and equipment needed for
rebuilding and repair.
A grant of $8,000 has been made to Gisenyi Friends Church located on
the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in
an area where violence has been a part of life for years as different
armed groups fight with government forces or each other.
Recent violence has focused around the city of Goma, in an area
considered the front line between government troops and the M23 rebel
group. The ACT Alliance, in which the Church of the Brethren
participates, has expressed “extreme” concern for the situation of
displaced Congolese civilians in the province, especially children and
other vulnerable groups.
Gisenyi Friends Church, a Quaker congregation, is at the edge of this
area and has been receiving many Congolese people displaced by the
violence. Pastor Etienne is a graduate of Earlham School of Religion in
Richmond, Ind., a sister school to Bethany Theological Seminary. The
town of Gisenyi is near Goma but across the border in the country of
Rwanda.
The Gisenyi church’s committee on social justice has appealed for
help with immediate needs for the displaced Congolese. The church hopes
to support at least 275 families, and is attempting to care for the most
needy and vulnerable, particularly women and abandoned children, as
well as rape survivors. The grant will help the Gisenyi Friends purchase
corn and beans for refugees and will cover transportation costs for
delivery of the food.
Source: 12/13/2012 Newsline
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