28/05/03 Reality of Rwanda brought to South Island

As CEO of World Vision New Zealand, Helen Green has seen a number of horrific sights over the last few years, but nothing could have prepared her for the loss and desolation she witnessed in Rwanda a few months ago

“It’s as though the country is still stunned and dazed by what happened during the 1994 genocide,” she says. “It was a 100-day frenzy of killing that resulted in the deaths of a million people. It was termed ‘the fastest, most efficient killing spree of the twentieth century’, and the country is only now embarking on a process of truth and justice, nine years later.”

Over 300,000 children were left homeless orphans, says Mrs Green, who is visiting the South Island next month, from 9 to 14 June.

As a result of her visit to Rwanda, World Vision New Zealand is now aiming to establish child sponsorship programmes totally funded by New Zealand supporters.

“It will take a few years to get off the ground, as with every new child sponsorship project, especially in a country that is still traumatised, as Rwanda is,” she says. “But child sponsorship is the best way of ensuring on going development work in a needy country. It’s a steady and successful system that ensures the children benefit, as well as the whole community in which they live.”

She says she will never forget the children in Rwanda, who look like old men and women.

“What they have lived through is almost unbearable – many witnessing parents being killed, mothers raped, some of them have been raped themselves. But, with the help of generous New Zealanders, I hope we can in some measure restore these children and give them the hope of a better future.”

Mrs Green will be speaking at public meetings in these South Island centres:
June 9 Greymouth 7pm Union Hotel
June 10 Christchurch 7pm City Church
June 11 Oamaru 1pm Salvation Army
June 11 Dunedin 7pm Shoreline
June 12 Gore 1pm Gore Baptist
June 12 Invercargill 7pm City Baptist
June 13 Alexandra 6pm Alexandra Baptist