First Lady Jeannette Kagame has commended Africa New Life Ministries for its contribution to helping Rwandans rebuild their lives, restore hope and strengthen families following the country’s painful history.
She made the remarks during celebrations marking 25 years of the ministry’s work in Rwanda, praising the organisation for going beyond preaching to provide people with opportunities to rebuild their lives.
Jeannette Kagame said Africa New Life Ministries began its work when Rwanda was still recovering from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, at a time when many people had returned from exile while others were struggling with the effects of the country’s traumatic past.
Many returnees spoke different languages depending on the countries where they had lived, while those who had remained in Rwanda were also dealing with the wounds of history, she said.
“Although we were all Rwandans, we were like strangers to one another, carrying wounds and the heavy burden of our memories, with different understandings of what it meant to call somewhere home,” she said.
She noted that many people at the time struggled to identify where they truly belonged, adding that Africa New Life Ministries helped address this challenge by providing a sense of family and belonging.
“You decided that the church would become home for many people,” she said.
Jeannette Kagame said that as Rwanda worked to restore dignity and address the consequences of its history, the ministry helped people access more than spiritual guidance.
Its activities extended to education, healthcare, clean water and other social services, while helping beneficiaries develop the means to support themselves, she said.
“You gave them the word of God, restoring their hope, and provided schools, clean water, healthcare and other forms of support. All these helped restore their dignity,” she said.
She stressed that families need more than material support; they also need hope and the ability to sustain their livelihoods.
She said Africa New Life Ministries should therefore be recognised not simply as a church carrying out its religious activities, but as a partner in rebuilding Rwandan society.
“Africa New Life Ministries, you have not been just another organisation or church operating in Rwanda. You have been a valuable partner in the journey of rebuilding Rwandan society,” she said.
The impact of the ministry’s work was reflected in testimonies from beneficiaries whose lives had been transformed.
Marie Rose Nyiraneza said the support her family received helped educate her children and enabled her husband to find work, while their tailoring business improved their livelihoods.
“Today, our children have received an education, my husband has something to do, and our tailoring business has helped us achieve a lot. We have even bought a vehicle to support the business,” she said.
Dr Claude Sebakwiye also credited the ministry with helping him continue his education when financial difficulties threatened to force him out of school.
He said his mother approached Africa New Life Ministries for assistance, and the organisation helped him remain in school.
“They became good parents who listened to my mother and helped me. I was given the opportunity to continue the education I was about to abandon,” he said.
Sebakwiye completed his studies in 2023, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in general medicine and surgery.
Jeannette Kagame said the ministry’s contribution was evident in the renewed hope it had given people and the opportunities it had created for them to participate in the country’s social and economic development.
She praised the organisation for providing a family environment for people who had lost their parents or lacked family support because of the country’s history.
“We thank you for becoming parents to those who might otherwise never have known their fathers or mothers because they were orphaned by history,” she said.
She added that the Christian message should go beyond preaching about heaven and also contribute to building communities and improving people’s lives in the present.
As it marks 25 years in Rwanda, Africa New Life Ministries continues to implement programmes in education, healthcare, social welfare and other development areas.
Jeannette Kagame urged the ministry’s leaders and partners to continue caring for people, restoring hope and helping them become responsible citizens.
“May your words continue to comfort people, may your counsel help them make good decisions, and may your example inspire people not only to grow in their faith but also to become better citizens,” she said.
She also thanked the founders of Africa New Life Ministries and its partners, saying the impact of their work could be seen in the lives they had transformed, the families they had supported and the hope they had helped restore.
