Home reconstruction

The Need

Over the last two years, families all over the world have been told to stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19. But what if home isn’t a safe place—or if you don’t have a home at all?

In Rwanda, families have been facing the dual threats of a global pandemic as well as the impact of disastrous storms, floods, landslides and fires. In 2018 and 2019, thousands of Rwandans were left homeless after their dwellings were damaged or destroyed. Many of the families Compassion is serving had already been living in precarious conditions, their homes poorly constructed and in bad shape. When heavy, prolonged storms produced landslides and floods, these homes were leveled to the ground, displacing families indefinitely.

Without the funds to construct new houses, families had to resort to begging for shelter from their neighbours. Some ended up living in people’s kitchens, animal sheds or storerooms, and often had to find new places to stay each night. Many families had lost all their personal belongings to the storms and were left completely destitute. During the rainy, cold season, children living in these conditions constantly suffered from coughs and colds. Their attendance at school and centre programming was also suffering. When the pandemic hit, children and families living in such terrible conditions were terrified of falling prey to the virus.

Eight of our frontline church partners in Rwanda identified 26 families whose homes had been demolished in rainstorms, floods, landslides and fires before the pandemic hit. Some church members were able to combine what little funds they had to rent homes for families, giving them a few months of respite. But these families needed a permanent solution. Facing the added threat of COVID-19, these families desperately needed safe shelter—as soon as possible.

Our Response

With your support, we were able to build new homes for 26 families impacted by natural disasters in Rwanda, benefiting a total of 46 adults and 109 children.

Representatives from each church met in October 2020 to plan and prepare. With strict government restrictions still in place, construction could not take place right away. Churches instead focused on meeting with caregivers from each family, who agreed to volunteer their help in construction efforts. When restrictions permitted, churches quickly purchased building materials and hired qualified contractors.

Caregivers provided the land as a local contribution. Those who did not own land worked in partnership with local authorities to acquire it. Families also provided unskilled labour, fetching water for use during construction and leveling and preparing the ground before construction began. Because of the pandemic restrictions, they also helped church partners to supervise the building project, reporting back to centre staff on the progress. The funds budgeted for monitoring were used to cover increased costs for foundation work and finishes and fixtures.

A total of 26 houses were constructed, each including a main living/sitting room, three bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and toilet. Windows and doors were installed and houses were painted. Families also received some basic household furniture to ensure a smooth transition into their new homes.

After the houses were finished, churches organized special dedication ceremonies, which were also attended by local government representatives as well as staff from Compassion’s national office in Rwanda.

Activities

Preparation: Church staff met with caregivers in small groups to plan the construction process and secure their participation.

Construction: In total, 26 new homes were built, each containing a living room, three bedrooms, a kitchen and toilet. Families also received basic household furniture.

Dedication ceremony: Each church held special ceremonies to dedicate the homes, thank God publicly and pray over each family. Ceremonies were attended by local government representatives as well as staff from Compassion’s national office in Rwanda.

Your Gift Provides...

House construction for 26 families from 8 Compassion centres, including:

● Materials for foundation (cement, sand, ballast, stones)
● Soakways for pit latrines
● Flooring
● Walls (cement, sand, reinforcement bars, lintel ballast, mud bricks)
● Roofing (timber, wood preservative, iron sheets, ridge covers, hoop iron, roofing nails)
● Finishings and fixtures:
○ 52 metallic doors (2 per home)
○ 156 windows (6 per home)
○ Plaster, sand and cement
○ Ventilation blocks
○ Red oxide paint
● Skilled labour
● Water for construction
● Transportation
● Household furniture