Life Lifting Hands, Inc.

Current Activities

In view of its recent tragic events, and the prevailing peculiar needs, Rwanda, the tiny landlocked, poor country in Central Africa with 8.5 million people, is the focus of our efforts at this point. 2 projects are ongoing in the community of Sheli, known as Sheli Cellule, which is located in Kamonyi District (county), in the Southern Province (formerly as Gitarama Prefecture), just south of Kigali.
 

Sheli is located south-west of Kigali, the Kamonyi district of Rwanda

1. Cow Project - Life Lifting Hands, Inc. in collaboration with Sheli Cellule authorities and a local organization, helps to buy cows ($360 each) and bulls ($1000 each) from neighboring communities to distribute to needy families, one cow per family. A cow represents a lifeline to a poor Rwandan family as it provides multiple benefits such as:

• Milk to improve nutrition and combat prevailing malnutrition particularly in vulnerable groups, namely children and the elderly.
• Income through the sale of excess milk.
• Manure to improve soil productivity. The vast majority of Rwandans depend solely on traditional, subsistence farming, on depleted land due to overcultivation and erosion, which results in chronic food shortages and perennial hunger.
• As the cow reproduces over the years old ones can be sold for an income while young ones are kept to continue this cycle. Thus a cow is an important lifetime gift with the potential to help a family to become self-sufficient.

The cows that are purchased are Ankole cows traditionally raised in Rwanda, and they normally do not produce much milk. However, the bulls that we are purchasing with your generous donations are hybrid bulls. The offspring of these bulls will produce more milk and be healthier over all. Life Lifting Hands, Inc. will continue to buy and distribute bulls to rural families as the funds become available. Raising cows of high quality is the quickest self-sustainable way to reduce poverty and eliminate chronic famine for Rwandan rural families.

Click on the following links to see previous distributions:

     January 23, 2006: 18 cows to 18 families
     June 23, 2006: 20 cows to 20 families
     August 6, 2006: 20 cows and 2 bulls to families
     January, 2007: 30 cows and 2 bulls to families
     March, 2007: cows and bulls to families
     June, 2008: Kalamazoo Pastor visits Rwanda.
     December, 2008: 18 Cows Donated on December 8, 2008
     February, 2009: Pictures arriving in early 2009

We have raised enough money at this point to purchase 18 cows on December 8, 2008.

We are currently taking donations that will go towards our next disbursement in February, 2009.

If you would like to purchase a cow, a bull or make a smaller donation, you can send us a check or money order to the address at the bottom of the page. Thank you so much for your support!

We will continue to purchase and distribute cows and bulls as funds become available until every needy family in Sheli community has a cow. Many cows are needed to that effect.

After serving Sheli Cellule, this project will be replicated in other cellules of Kamonyi District.

2. Education Project - Life Lifting Hands, Inc. assists needy and worthy children who finish successfully the national exam for 6 graders but who cannot continue their education do to a lack of funds. In February, 2007, thanks to your generous donations, we were able to pay school fees for 12 children which enabled them to start the 1st year of the 6-year secondary education. This year (2008), your contributions covered the cost of 15 students.

January, 2009 will begin a new enrollment and we need to raise $350 per student for all 15 students.

This program helps to empower poor children with education and gives them hope for a better future. We hope to continue supporting these children and to assist more in the same conditions as funds become available. $350 covers all the school expenses for 1 child for 1 year.

See the students we are currently sponsoring.

See previous pictures of students we sponsored in the past.

3. Water Project - Life Lifting Hands, Inc. has finished conducting a survey and feasibility study for a Community Well Project to supply clean and safe drinking water to Sheli and neighboring communities. However, we have a few road blocks that are preventing us from pursuing this project at this time. As a result, we will not be taking any donations until we are able to work out the kinks.