Field visit by RDIS staff members in Cyangugu diocese, in January 2018
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From 24th to 26th January 2018, two senior staff members of RDIS went for a field visit in the area of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Cyangugu diocese. As one can see in the few pictures below, all ongoing projects in this area are running well thanks to the good work of local RDIS staff members, stakeholders and the excellent leadership of the diocese.
1. Visit to the tree nursery beds which are located in Rusizi district:
Since many years ago RDIS is collaborating with government leadership especially at local levels (District, Sectors, Cells and Villages) in establishing, running and managing tree nurseries, which reach nearly half of the population of Rwanda from Gitarama (RDIS headquarter) to Cyangugu, i.e. the wide area of Southern and Western Provinces. This project is in line with the mission of RDIS organisation of safeguarding the environment and increasing production for sustainable and holistic development of the communities.
The tree nursery project produces tree seedlings, which are distributed freely to community members and institutions in the area. This successful project is implemented by RDIS organisation with support from Rwanda Aid.
By the end of December 2017 the project had distributed and aided to plant 200,000 tree seedlings for fruit and agro-forestry. Each tree nursery bed had 25,000 seedlings for agro-forestry, i.e. forestry and fruit trees.
The field visit was a good opportunity to meet with the sponsor of Rwandan Aid, Ms Alison Wright <
A group picture with Ms Alison Wright and some staff members of Rwanda Aid
Accomplishments and Call for Support 2017
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Dear Friends/Colleagues/Partners/Collaborators,
I cannot thank you enough for the work and accomplishments and achievements we got this year. Thank you all for your contributions!
In this year, we thought it would be ideal to share with you some of our accomplishments by this means - email and website. But more importantly, knowing that we are getting close to the end of the year, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
We have achieved a great deal despite of some challenges.
1. CCER - Improved Cook Stoves project:
Among the major issues that challenge the environment in Rwanda is the wide use of open firewood stoves for cooking and for boiling drinking water. Similarly, the hunting, cutting, fetching and carrying of the tree logs and branches by man primarily living in rural communities have caused increasing deforestation despite the RDIS’s forestation and tree planting efforts. While the entire process is useful to enable households to have food on table, RDIS decided to come up with a project that would enable the local communities to continue using firewood for cooking in a sustainable and ecologically friendly way. This means we had to find an innovative solution of reducing the problem while promoting peoples welfare and standards of living. The only way to go was therefore to initiate Climate Change mitigation projects. Hence the planning and implementation of this project under the name: Carbon Emission Reduction for Self-sustainable Environmental Care Project (CCER).
UEM Volunteer Linus Kühnhold from Germany, 2023/2024
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Greetings!
My name is Linus Kühnhold, a 19-year-old from Germany who served as a volunteer for RDIS from August 2023 to August 2024. This opportunity has taken me to Rwanda, where I've been immersed in various projects and involved in meetings.
During my time in RDIS, I delved into projects, witnessing how initiatives work. Among them improved cook stoves, ceramic water filters, solar panels, climate smart agriculture, tree nurseries, and construction of houses. It has been inspiring to see how these projects positively impact people's lives. When not working on field with coordinators, I assisted at my mentor Jonas's school or engage in meetings in Muhanga in the RDIS headquarter.
I am immensely thankful to the United Evangelical Mission (UEM), the Anglican Church and RDIS for this enriching year. It has not only strengthened me personally but also broadened my understanding of work in Non-Governmental Organisation´s like RDIS and in a different country.
Thank you.
UEM Volunteer Hendrik Ziemann from Germany, 2022/23
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I'm Hendrik, 21 years old, and I'm having the honour to be the volunteer of RDIS from October 2022 till August 2023.
I got sent by the United Evangelical Mission (UEM), which is a long-term partner of RDIS and the four dioceses of the Anglican Church of Rwanda: Butare, Cyangugu, Kigeme and Shyogwe. UEM has multiple volunteer and other programs. Sponsored by Engagement Global, UEM enhances young people to learn and to step in touch with different social backgrounds, which they are not familiar with from their homes. I'm the first volunteer after the global pandemic of Covid-19.
My daily activities are mainly based on office and administrative tasks. Hereby I am assisting my colleagues in their responsibilities.
I'm grateful for the opportunity, which RDIS is giving me and the different aspects where I got enabled to learn about their work and the social-economic context in which RDIS is operating.
These experiences are influencing my view on my studies (Social Science at the University of Cologne) and my personal life. The staff of RDIS aims to change the life of their beneficiaries. They have changed mine as well.
Thank you RDIS for this enriching year.
Hendrik Ziemann
International volunteer service invites young individuals, aged 18-28, to spend a year contributing to a foreign country. Working together, cultural exchange and learning from each other on a daily basis are the focus of the voluntary service.
The Rural Development Interdiocesan Service (RDIS) in Rwanda periodically provides placements for the North-South program. This forms a part of the United Evangelical Mission's (UEM) volunteer service, itself a component of the broader weltwärts program.
UEM Volunteer Ansgar Utrata from Germany, 2018/19
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My name is Ansgar Utrata, I am 19 years old and I come from Germany. I spent the last year (September 2018 to August 2019) in Rwanda working for RDIS as a volunteer. 
My sending organization is called United Evangelical Mission (UEM) where I participated in the North-South volunteer program. After my high school graduation, I wanted to do a voluntary service in order to develop as a person, get to know a new culture and make first practical experiences.
I was active in many different areas. Most of the time, I was doing office activities. For example, I helped to develop promotional material like a calendar about RDIS and a leaflet about a project. Or, when RDIS was working on a short film about the stove project, I recorded the German narrator voice. My personal highlight was to represent the organization at a booth at an international forum about the clean cooking sector in Convention Center Kigali. Often RDIS hosted international visitors, particularly from Germany. I was glad to accompany them on many interesting visits which was a nice change to everyday life. Additionally, I offered a German Class for beginners two times a week.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have spent two weeks in every of the other three zones of RDIS -Cyangugu, Butare and Kigeme. There I was working with the Field-Coordinators and we did numerous field-visits. In that way, I saw how our projects, like the improved cook stove, the ceramic water filter or the solar panel, help the rural population. Beside work, I had the chance to explore the cities.
The atmosphere in the head office was pleasant. From the beginning on, I participated in our meetings, so I felt completely integrated. I could learn a lot from my colleagues. Also, my English and French skills have improved significantly.
My voluntary service for RDIS influenced my choice of studies. I wanted to link my passion for languages with the field of management. After my return to Europe, I will study “Franco-German and International Management” in France and Germany.
Thank you RDIS for this wonderful and enriching year!
Ansgar Utrata
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https://twitter.com/RDISforRwanda/status/1165591046467792896?s=20
About our Organisation
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The Rural Development Interdiocesan Service (RDIS) with registration No. 13/RGB/NGO/2015 is an organization for promoting sustainable development in five dioceses of the Anglican Church of Rwanda: Butare, Cyangugu, Kigeme, Nyaruguru and Shyogwe. We do this by mobilizing the local church members to be involved in developing their local community, and so lifting themselves out of poverty.
The project’s coordination office is currently based in Nyamabuye Sector, Gitarama Cell, Muhanga District, a few kilometers from Gitarama town , Near WASAC and RBA Muhanga ,The organization is located in central Rwanda. RDIS’ activities are concentrated in the centre and the south-western part of the country where the four dioceses are located, serving nearly half of the Rwandan population. S.a. Organisational structure.
The project can be traced back to 1991 when three other dioceses were carved out of the then Butare Diocese from which the Rural Development Service, which had started in the 1960s, became an Inter-Diocesan Service, currently called RDIS.
The activities were disrupted by the 1994 genocide which caused massive destruction on RDIS’ project, taking the lives of many people including the then project coordinator and leaving behind formidable challenges: nearly half a million orphans, 1 in 4 women being widowed, and poverty being increased in many families.
The project operations were re-launched in 1995 following a meeting by the dioceses’ management under the present name of Rural Development Inter-Diocesan Service and a team of development workers started working from scratch.
Our Vision: A Holy Soul in a Healthy Body.
Our Mission: To safeguard environment, increase the production aiming at sustainable and holistic development
Our Values: Excellent Service, Transparency, Accountability, and Partnership.
Empowering Communities: A Journey Through RDIS's Sustainable Development Projects
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For about three decades, the Rural Development Interdiocesan Service (RDIS) has been at the forefront of sustainable and holistic development, successfully implementing a multitude of interventions aimed at poverty eradication and environmental protection. Our approach is rooted in community engagement, where we mobilize villagers to take an active role in their development journey.
Through capacity building, training, and practical support, we address key areas that are pivotal to the growth and prosperity of the communities we serve. These areas include modern agriculture, environmental protection, income generation initiatives, water and sanitation, and the establishment of savings and credit cooperatives.
We invite you to explore our ongoing and past projects, each is a testament to our commitment to fostering sustainable development and empowering communities. Discover how RDIS is making a difference and join us in our mission to create a more sustainable and equitable world.
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