Close to Shyira Parish.

      Shyira is in North West Rwanda, and is probably in one of the most deprived regions of the country. St. Luke's, Formby, is linked to St. Mark's, and we give information about St. Mark's parish below. 

The first section was written by Emmanuel, Pastor of Shyira,  and the second section is an impression from one of our members who has visited Shyira.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Shyira Parish is one of 45 parishes forming Shyira Diocese. It is the oldest Parish in the diocese, having been established in 1931 by the first Anglican missionaries, Rev. Jackson Versity and Dr Tarbot. This was the only missionary post in the whole North - West of Rwanda but from here, the missionaries extended their work and other parishes were formed.

Though the first missionaries were to proclaim the Good News, teaching how to read and write was among their priorities. That is why normal school (the present Shyira High school) was started in 1967. Healing Ministry was not forgotten - there was a clinic which later was developed and reached the status of being a Hospital. This health centre was the only referring medical facility in the whole region. It is claimed that many people would come from our neighbouring countries, Uganda and Congo, because of its reputation. Indeed, some Arabs would come from Ruhango in Gitarama province, Rwamagana, Kibungo province, and even Kabale and Gisoro in Uganda to visit Shyira Maternity.

A roadway in Shyira

As Shyira was developing and growing spiritually, economically and socially, it was selected in 1984 to be the Headquarters of the Diocese of Shyira. During this time, Shyira Hill had many activities: nursery school, primary school, technical school for boys and girls (CEFA: Centre de formation Artisanale), normal secondary school, St Augustin junior seminary, and Bihembe secondary school created by parents in collaboration with the church leaders whose objective were to promote Culture and Education in the region.

Because the first missionary evangelists were to proclaim the Gospel in various forms, and seeing that Shyira was an evangelical and strategic post, in 1933 - 1935, the Christians of the Hill experienced and witnessed as the “fire of evangelism” broke out in the whole of Rwanda and beyond. This is commonly known as the “EAST AFRICA REVIVAL MOVEMENT”. However hosting the diocesan headquarters did not last for long because in 1993 the Bishop's offices were moved to Gisenyi. The reasons were that Shyira is an isolated place without some communication facilities like telephone and fax and it does not have electricity.

St Mark's, Shyira, is now the smallest parish in the Diocese because there are only two Sub-parishes, Shyira and Kana, with the total number of 1084 people including nominal Christians. There are 308 women, 138 men, 117 teenage boys, 209 teenage girls and 176 children.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

During and after the genocide and massacres of April - July 1994, Shyira Parish lost a good number of Christians who were murdered. Infrastructures were damaged, the hospital was devastated, the Church building was damaged, the holy table was burnt, the pews were used as firewood, Mothers Union and youth activities were seriously affected and all Holy Communion utensils were stolen

Though, the loss is enormous, we deplore deeply many souls who perished during that hurting, horrible and mourning situation. The immediate post genocide period was more and more terrible than ever. Shyira Parish was the centre of infiltrating militias who controlled the area for quite a long time until their leader was killed by the Regular Army. In that situation, houses were burnt and people died in the exchange of bullets. After the war, Shyira Parish remained with a lot of orphans, widows, homeless people and HIV/AIDS victims (HIV/AIDS was deliberately spread in the genocide).

Another category is formed by the traumatised people due to the hardship and crises they passed through. Although Shyira Parish faced many and various challenges, caused mainly by wars, the people did not remain in the total darkness of depression. Jesus Christ is shining in their lives, and though we are engaged in spiritual warfare we have hope to finish it victoriously. We came out of that worldly suffering. The Holy Sprit continues to touch and revive many hearts.

REALISATIONS and ACHIEVEMENTS

Even though people passed a terrible and shocking time, there is a deep and rooted hope in Jesus Christ that God will restore what we have lost.

Repentance and witness are significant effects in our present lives. Also, we have been able to achieve the following:

We express, first of all, our most and sincere gratitude to you for your gift of chalice and paten. 50 pews with a capacity of six people each have been replaced. However the way is too long because we need at least 400 pews.

Rev. Emmanuel with Jeannine and children.

Though Shyira Hospital has lost its status of being "Hospital" and become "Health Centre" the Diocesan Bishop invited and convinced two skilled and experienced doctors who will come in December 2002. In addition to that we expect another doctor in the coming months who will begin the preparatory work for those doctors. Thank you also for your concern to restore the Maternity Hospital. We appreciate your support for our primary and secondary schools, both now reopened but working in hard conditions and with many problems.

Shyira Diocese, assisted by Norwegian Church Aid, had a shelter program and one hundred homes were built. In collaboration with our evangelism committee, we carried out outreach missions in and outside Shyira, A weekly women's fellowship, a daily morning Bible study, visiting and praying for sick people in our Health Centre; Saturday prayer meetings, counselling and follow up, and Sunday school are our weekly schedule as far as evangelisation is concerned.

We have established a rotating program during which our institutions (schools and hospital) have their special thanksgiving Sundays, at least once a term. Tuesdays is a time reserved for home-to-home evangelism. This results into a high number of converts but we now have a big problem to nurture them.

OUR VISION

We are totally convinced that if something is done on the following, Shyira Parish will recover its status:

1. Rehabilitation of infrastructures which existed before the wars: Nursery School, Primary School, St Augustin Junior Seminary, Shyira High School Bihembe Secondary School, Technical School for boys and girls and Shyira Hospital.

2. Seeing that there is a chronic poverty among people, developmental projects have to be urgently started. Micro projects reflecting to the peoples reality are animal farming and a micro-credit project. The parish as an institution has to be funded. Here an income generating project and fighting against illiteracy are our priorities.

3 . Wars destroyed infrastructures, lives and our environment. That is why environment protection and restoration, helping people to be good steward of God's nature, are important to us

4. As we have mentioned previously, one of the effects of genocide is HIV/AIDS propagation. Now there is a high rate of AIDS victims, including orphans of AIDS who most of the time are "child-headed families" or street children. An AIDS prevention program is envisaged to alleviate if not eradicate this disease.

5. One of the scars left by the wars, is traumatised people. These are widows and orphans who are living in deep mourning and inexpressible suffering; and for whom the message and Ministry of Healing and Reconciliation is very important. We need your experience and skills as far as this kind of ministry is concerned.

All of these priorities will be meaningless if they aren't Christ-centred. That is why, Brothers and Sisters, we are here to seek and exchange our spiritual programs. We are registering a high number of new converts, but Discipleship and Hospital fellowship Ministry are two major areas to be developed as a team. Since we are one Body in Christ, despite differences in our skin and geographical location and even family backgrounds, I do feel your empathy and willingness to us. Pray and act so that God may rectify the kind of life we, your Brothers and Sisters, are living in. May God use us all as his empty vessels to release his people from the bondage of Satan.

Rev. Emmanuel NDIMUKAGA
St Mark's Church Shyira
Shyira Diocese

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Baby in hospital ward

The church building has been damaged, pews and the altar destroyed, and items of value stolen.

It is our hope and prayer that we shall be able to raise the money necessary to rebuild the maternity hospital, and that we shall be able to provide some training for staff. Anything we can do must provide help and encouragement to people who are deeply traumatised by the genocide and its aftermath.

Maternity hospital toilet

The damaged roof  lets water into the hospital

With money raised so for the old maternity hospital has  been demolished. It had become unsafe and its demolition could  not be avoided. The foundations of the new hospital have been laid, the walls constructed and the roof beams added.

In April 2004 the new hospital was opened. Follow the hospital link on the pop-up menu for an account of the opening