The following pages contain information about the children that FUMC supports through the ZOE

project. FUMC supports groups in two countries, Rwanda and Kenya.

You can click on any page to go directly to that page.

Umugisha (Blessing) Working Group, Rwanda

1. List of names of Rwandan children supported

2. An article on group formation

3. Head of Household: Jean Baptiste Ndayisaba, 17

4. Head of Household: Philomen Ayishakiye, 15

5. Head of Household: Bellancille, 19 and Siblings: Pronie, 16 and Faida, 13

Ikizere Working Group, Mutere Sector, Rwanda

Partnered with Nancy and Dan Barber, 2014-2016

1. List of names of Rwanda children supported

Amani “Peace” Athi Working Group, Kenya

1. List of names of Kenyan children supported

2. Article on group formation

Umugisha Working Group: Muganza Sector, Rwanda

Below are the names and ages of children and their young caregivers Hendersonville UMC is

supporting through the ZOE Hope Companion empowerment program. Names in bold are the eldest

child in each family or those who live independently. The dependents are listed below the family

elder. Occasionally, there will be a dependent listed who is older than the ZOE identified family

leader. In these cases, the older sibling is unable to take the lead for the ZOE empowerment

program due to disability, illness or other reason. Rwandans typically have two names, a

Kinyarwanda name and a Western name (French or English) given at baptism. Neither is a family

name, so unless the family has intentionally adopted this practice, you cannot determine family

relations by a last name.

Please pray for these young people as they journey out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency.

Stephano Ndimubanzi Emmanuel- 20 -Marie Goreth Niyomugabo -18 -Kwizera -15 -Nyiracumu-10 -Erichabimana -14 -Twagirimana-11 Alexia Byukusenge - -18 -Pierre Celestin Uwimanimpaye -19 -Josiane Nishimwe -13 -Vivine Muhawenimana -6 Venantie Ntawubakirundi - -15 -Jean Claude Ndaberetse -21 Jean Claude Bizumuremyi - -19 -Jean Claude Nsengiyaremye -16 Gerardine Usanase- -14 -Marie Agnes Muhimpundu -13 -John Habineza -12 -Donacien Nyiramuhire -10 Stephanie Uwizeyimana - -21 -Antoine Bigirubwira -20 Nyiramana - -20 - Seraphine Niyonsenga-20 -Emmanuel Mukurwa -18 Bizumuremyi- -18 -Emmanuel Nsengiyaremye-16 Eric Habimana- -14 -Twagirimana-11 Jeanette Ntakirutimana- -18 -Emmanuelia Nshimiyimana-15

Christophe Habarugira- -20 -Claudine Uwingabire-18 Claudine Uwimana- -15 -Samuel Hakizimana-14 Pronie Iradukunda- -16 -Faida Uwumukiza-13 Chantal Uyisaba- -17 -Goretti Uwamahoro-20 -Hanyurwimfura-12 -Samuel Muhoza-10 Vestine Niyonizeye- -20 -Augustin Bizimana-18 Emmanuel Nduwamungu- -17 -Vestine Mukashema-21 Balthazar Tuyisenge- -17 -Emashel Dushime-9 Jean Damascene Muhayimana- -21 -Louise Dusabamahoro-20 Emmanuel Ntivuguruzwa- -21 -Marie Agnes Niyikora-16 Candida Niyonagira- -22 -Immaculee Niyonizeye-20 -Beata Mugiraneza-19 Beata Musabyimana- -16 -Nsabimana-7 Angelique Uwase- -14 -Ange Umugwaneza-10 -Clementine Uwayezu-12

Etienne Bizimana- -21 -Elisabeth Mukamanzi-18 -Selaphine Mukanoheli-16 -Selaphie Mukeshimana-7 Emmanuel Sibomana- -20 -Jean Marie Vianney Dusengimana--17 -Emmanuel Tegamatwi-16 -Beatrice Twagiramariya-13 Baptiste Mutabazi - -15

Jean Baptiste Ndayisaba - -17

Innocent Misigare - -20

Claudine Nyiraneza- -16

Emmanuel Ndagijimana- -21

Clementine Musabyimana- -19

Beata Ayingeneye- -21

Françoise Nyirabucyeye- -15

Innocent Nteziryayo- -19

Jacqueline Mushimiyimana- -20

Violette Tuyishimire- -16

Philomen Ayishakiye- -15

Umugisha (Blessing) Working Group, Rwanda – Hendersonville FUMC

Focus On: Working Group Formation Poverty often means a life lived in isolation, unconnected even from those who share the same struggles

and challenges. A ZOE working group provides orphans and vulnerable children a community where

they experience understanding, compassion and acceptance. Together, they begin their journey towards

a better life.

To form a working group, ZOE social workers first contact community leaders and local officials to

educate them about the empowerment approach and to ask for their help in identifying children.

During the first meeting, the children and their young caregivers learn how they will change and

improve their lives within three years. Then ZOE takes a step back.

Working group members elect their own leadership, make rules to guide their meetings, choose a group

name and decide where to hold weekly gatherings. These once-marginalized children learn from ZOE

staff that their community and their Hope Companion partner have faith in their ability to succeed.

The eldest child from each family attends the weekly meetings to discuss their activities and share both

success stories and challenges. Additionally, ZOE’s staff and selected community members host regional

training sessions covering food security, health and disease prevention, business management and child

rights.

One of the first actions the group takes is to select a project, such as a group farm, which they undertake

together to quickly secure food and generate income. Because of your support, ZOE is then able to

provide the basic training and resources they need to begin.

(Back to Introduction)

Umugisha (Blessing) Working Group, Rwanda – Hendersonville FUMC

Head of Household: Jean Baptiste Ndayisaba, 17, pictured here with one of the goats distributed to the

Umugisha Working Group members after they received training in animal husbandry.

Challenges Faced: The greatest challenge for Jean Baptiste Ndayisaba has been loneliness. No parents,

no siblings, no one to provide emotional or physical support. Jean Baptiste suffered terribly after his

parents died: eating only every other day, malnourished, infected with worms, not attending school,

home in disrepair, no friends or relatives for social interaction, and no church support. When he was

identified and invited to join the Umugisha Working Group, he began his journey out of abject poverty.

And it started with a dream.

Focus on: The Dream

Most orphans and vulnerable children entering the ZOE empowerment program face a daily struggle to

survive. With their energy consumed by the need to find food for themselves and their siblings, there is

neither time to think about the future nor reason to hope for something better. But through ZOE and

your partnership, the children learn to imagine a new life and prepare to make it a reality.

During one of the early working group meetings, the ZOE social worker will lead members through an

exercise called the Dream process where they explore their current situation and then consider what

they want and how to get it. They then create a poster of their responses to a standard set of questions

the social worker provides. The head of each family presents their Dream to the rest of the working

group members who express support and give feedback. These Dream documents help the social

worker better understand the conditions of the children’s lives so they can address specific needs or

traumas suffered. The family keeps a copy of their Dream, often displaying it in their home to provide

daily motivation as they strive to create their new life.

The following is the response from Jean Baptiste Ndayisaba to the dream questions:

1. What makes you feel sad? Parents’ death

2. What makes you happy? Food

3. What are things that you do not like? When someone beats kids.

4. What is it that you dream of when you imagine your future? Having enough food to eat and a

repaired house.

5. To achieve your dream for the future, what must you do every day? Obey God, love other

children and neighbors, work hard.

What Jean Baptiste Ndayisaba has achievemented because of your partnership:

Food Security: The entire Umugisha Working Group received training in February on how to

create a kitchen garden and how to grow and manage a cash crop. Along with the other

members of his working group, Jean Baptiste received a hoe and vegetable seeds (carrots,

cabbages, onions and beet root, beans) which he immediately began to grow. By June he had

his first harvest.

Income Generation: Jean Baptiste has planted a banana farm. Many other ZOE children have

also begun banana farms with start plants from ZOE and have found this activity provides a

reliable source of income.

Health and Disease Prevention: The ZOE social worker who is working with the Umugisha

Working Group made sure Jean Baptiste received medical treatment for his case of worms as

soon as possible. In May, he attended a health and hygiene training session to learn what steps

he can take to avoid diseases and illnesses common to his region.

Community Connections: The ZOE working group is making sure Jean Baptist is no longer

isolated from a community. Not only does he join other group members for community work

projects, he also receives visits at his home from his peers and ZOE staff. Jean Baptist also

began attending prayer meetings with other group members in February and by April was

comfortable enough to attend church services.

(Back to Introduction)

Umugisha (Blessing) Working Group, Rwanda – partnered with FUMC,

Hendersonville

Head of Household: Philomen Ayishakiye, 15

Challenges Faced: Philomen Ayishakiye was slowly

fading from her community. The death of her

parents left her alone with no siblings or relatives

with whom to live or even visit. Others shunned

her and even abused her because of her low status.

School was too socially painful for her to attend.

Philomen spent her days working to pay for

housing and sometimes begging in order to eat her

single daily meal. She suffered chronic stomach

pains and malnutrition as well as social isolation.

Philomen needed help in many areas of her life,

but ZOE’s first concern was to make sure she had

access to a steady source of nutritional food.

Focus On: Food Security

Food scarcity and hunger is an everyday struggle for most children entering the ZOE empowerment

program. Because they lack status or an adult advocate, when orphans and vulnerable children try to

work to support themselves and their dependents they are paid extremely low wages, small amounts of

food, or in exchange for lodging. Children often go two or three days without eating. Even if they have

a meal or two a day, the nutritional quality is often poor.

With guidance provided by ZOE's social workers, new working groups explore their options for food

security and create a detailed plan to achieve their goals. Within the year, sometimes within several

months, children are harvesting crops for their own sustenance and to sell for profit. Most of families

also plant kitchen gardens to provide a variety of food for their daily meals and to counter malnutrition.

In some regions, ZOE distributes goats to families after they have received appropriate training. The

goats in Rwanda are usually dairy goats which provide milk, fertilizer and offspring to be sold or shared

with other ZOE families. In Kenya, goats are raised as livestock and sold for meat.

The ZOE method of empowerment means the children are not told what to do, but take an active role in

developing a plan to become food secure and self-sufficient. The working group discusses what

resources they can access (i.e. land, government services to support agriculture, which children can

work the land, etc.) and what items they need to purchase. Because of your partnership, ZOE is able to

provide the training, seeds and tools the children need to implement their plans.

Philomen’s Dream

During the first or second meeting of a working group, each family completes the Dream process to help

them examine their current situation and set goals for transforming their lives. These are Phiomen’s

“Dream” responses:

1. What is something that has happened in your life which makes you feel sad? Parents’ death

2. What makes you happy? Food

3. What are things in the community that you do not like? When someone beats kids

4. What is it that you dream of when you imagine your future? A goat, having enough food to eat,

a proper house

5. To achieve your dream for the future, what must you do every day? Work hard and pray

Family specific achievements because of your partnership

In February, Philomen attended ZOE led training in food security and nutrition and received a hoe and

vegetable seeds to begin her own garden. Although ZOE refrains from distributing “relief” supplies, if

Philomen’s life was at risk ZOE would provide assistance. More often, the other children in the working

group share what they can until the first harvest is gathered. However, in June, your partnership

enabled Philomen to achieve another part of her dream – she received a goat—and was on her way to

food security.

So that Philomen could earn money to support herself, ZOE provided her training and resources to start

a banana farm. In addition to learning on how to grow banana trees, she also received training on how

to manage both the business side of the farm and the money she will earn. Her working group members

provide support to plant and tend the farm and to think through a plan for harvesting, ripening and

getting the bananas to market.

Philomen no longer has to face her challenges alone. Each week she meets with the other children in

her Umugisha Working Group and they share their difficulties, celebrate successes and join in prayer

and devotionals. She also knows she has the prayers and support of FUMC Hendersonville. Together

Umugisha, ZOE and FUMC Hendersonville will help Philomen complete her dream to have a house of her

own.

(Back to Introduction)

Umugisha (Blessing) Working Group, Rwanda – Hendersonville FUMC

Head of Household: Bellancille, 19

Siblings: Pronie, 16 and Faida, 13

Challenges: The children’s parents died in 2008 and 2010

leaving them with no place to live and no way to support

themselves. Fortunately an aunt took them into her home,

but she could not afford to feed them. In order to work to

get food, the older two children had to drop out of school.

Even then, they were eating only four times each week.

Bellancille may have left to look for work because her

name is not on the original list, but now she is back with

the family and working to make them food secure, thanks

to help from your partnership with ZOE.

Family achievements because of your partnership:

Bellancille and her siblings have accomplished much in the

past year. First she participated in the agriculture and nutrition training as well as training in small

animal husbandry. After completing the training, she received a hoe and vegetable seeds and a goat.

She planted a kitchen garden, and the goat provided protein for the family and fertilizer for the garden.

However, it is not enough for the children to grow food for themselves; they need to generate income

to help them support themselves and meet their other needs.

Bellancille attended training to start an income generating activity. She learned about business and

money management. Then she developed a business plan which she presented to her working group.

Your partnership provides the funds for business micro-grants, but the working group manages the

money and approves the grants. As of February of this year she has received banana, maize, and soya

seeds along with manure and technical support to start her farm. And she has opened a bank account!

She is achieving her dream to grow her own food without having to work for others.

This year ZOE provided the funds for her youngest sibling to attend school, but as Bellancille sells her

farm goods, she will be able to pay for Faida’s education.

Bellancille’s Life Dream

Early in the first year, each working group member completes the Dream process to help them examine

their current situation and set goals for transforming their lives. After a discussion with her family, these

are Bellancille’s “Dream” responses:

Thanks to your partnership, Bellancille has a new life with her own food to eat—a dream come true.

1. What makes you feel sad? Parent’s death

2. What makes you happy? To eat beans and rice

3. What happens in the community that you do not like? Insults

4. What is your dream for the future? To have my own food without working for others; to grow my

own food; to have a goat; to have a house

5. What will be your guiding principles to achieve your dream? To work hard; savings

(Back to Introduction)

Amani “Peace” Athi Working Group, Kenya On the following page is the list of names recorded by our ZOE social worker during group formation;

there are 30 households for a total of 113 members (including the mentor and her family). The first

name in bold is the head of the household, followed by their siblings. Occasionally, an older person lives

with the family, but is unable to provide for them due to age or illness. Although ZOE's original name

lists include both first and last names, ZOE uses first names only in public lists to preserve the privacy of

children in the program.

Please note, children joining the ZOE program are living in extreme poverty situations. Often they have

no parents or birth documentation and have suffered multiple traumas in their young lives. Occasionally

the children give conflicting information on their names and ages. Additional orphans are frequently

adopted by the group, and a small percentage of children will leave the group due to family reunification

or other reasons. ZOE strives to keep the list as up-to-date as possible. All the names on this list

represent real children in need of your prayers.

Jackline, 19 Ann, 18 Benson, 11 Gladys, 8 Nicholas, 6 Eunice, 19 Julius, 18 Hennery, 17 Isaac, 7 Bessy, 1 Ireene, 16 Deffinah, 10 Calvin, 4 Nalingtone, 15 Sharon, 8 Emily, 17 John, 12 Jusubu, 7 Lucy, 19 Raphael, 18 Kenneth, 9 Emily, 8 Pius, 4 Elosy, 1 Hellen, 20 Harrison, 15 Silas, 12 Kenneth, 10 Collins, 1

Ireene, 16 Timothy, 12 Robbin, 9 Lenah, 6 Fosiah, 13 Fedis, 18 Victory, 10 Rashid, 5 Lovein, 1 Eunice, 16 Nancy, 12 Collins, 1 Japhet, 17 Mukiri, 15 Angela, 10 Amos, 7 Precious, 3 Amos, 17 Dennis, 14 Christopher, 20 Maureen, 18 Blessy, 7 Marrychristine, 4 Faith, 18 Kelvin, 11 Derrick, 9 Isaac, 1 Mark, 1

Eunice, 18 Dennis, 15 Hellen, 10 Linet, 15 Pius, 11 Eliphas, 7 Phigan, 5 Mark, 3 Jane, 20 Betty, 19 Rondy, 6 Doreen, 18 Frankline, 15 Duncan, 17 Mohamed, 14 Alphamah, 20 Petdealer, 2 Patrick, 20 Phineas, 12 Evans, 7 Elias, 6 Joy, 5 Jack, 19 Lee, 16 Esther, 13 Raymond, 10 Edward, 17

Nanice, 20 James, 15 Sophia, 12 Josphine, 1 Godfrey Naomi, 11 Jackline, 14 Bonface, 19 Winjoy, 6 Sharon, 6 Eric, 9 Eric, 18 Melody, 11 Nancy, 20 James, 14 Blessy, 2 Sharon, 16 Ivyone, 10 Vigner, 10 Serianne, 6 Fiola, 4 Esther (Mentor) Wickliff, 20 Ann Maureen, 18 Kelvin, 13 Cynthia Rita, 9 Marklex, 3 Junior, 2 Solomon, 16

(Back to Introduction)

Focus On: Working Group Formation Poverty often means a life lived in isolation, unconnected even from those who share the same struggles

and challenges. A ZOE working group provides orphans and vulnerable children a community where

they experience understanding, compassion and acceptance. Together, they begin their journey towards

a better life.

To form a working group, ZOE social workers first contact community leaders and local officials to

educate them about the empowerment approach and to ask for their help in identifying children.

During the first meeting, the children and their young caregivers learn how they will change and

improve their lives within three years. Then ZOE takes a step back.

Working group members elect their own leadership, make rules to guide their meetings, choose a group

name and decide where to hold weekly gatherings. These once-marginalized children learn from ZOE

staff that their community and their Hope Companion partner have faith in their ability to succeed.

The eldest child from each family attends weekly meetings to discuss their activities, both achievements

and challenges, and to share in prayer and reflection with each other. Additionally, ZOE’s staff and

selected community members host regional training sessions covering food security, health and disease

prevention, business management and child rights.

One of the first actions the group takes is to select a project, such as a group farm, which they undertake

together to quickly secure food and generate income. Because of your support, ZOE is then able to

provide the basic training and resources they need to begin.

(Back to Introduction)