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Pray for Uganda After Bomb Blasts Kill The Innocent

ALARM requests prayers for Uganda after 74 innocent civilians were killed in Uganda as they watched the World Cup final on TV this past Sunday, July 11th 2010. The bomb blasts came two days after a commander with the Somali group, al-Shabab, called for militants to attack sites in Uganda and Burundi, two nations that contribute troops to the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia. Your prayers are much appreciated.

Learn more by clicking on the links below:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/12/fbi-to-assist-in-uganda-bombing-inv...

http://larrykinglive.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/12/death-toll-rises-to-74-in-...

Learning Forgiveness While on the Job

This past May (2010) a group of three students from l’Ecoles des Techniques Commerciales (ECOTEC), had an opportunity to intern with ALARM-Burundi. The three individuals were: Jacqueline Ntiyankundiye, Marie Rose Mukerabirori, and Vianney Sibomana. According to Jacqueline, “The internship opportunity with ALARM was an answer to prayer.

Working at ALARM allowed me to personally experience the impact of servant leadership as a motivating factor that can transform communities. The staff at ALARM taught me a lot about working together towards a common goal, consultation, dialogue and delegation of responsibilities. Now I realize how ALARM’s work of developing men and women leaders in the church, will help transform and reconcile communities. It was interesting to see how ALARM’s staff members,” Jacqueline continued, “are so commitment to interpreting the ministry’s vision through various activities. I think many organizations in Burundi don’t develop very well because they lack a clear vision. The mutual support, compassion, love, and unity of ALARM’s staff members really touched my heart.

Micro Finance Training for ALARM Staff

ALARM has a special burden for the women of Africa, many of whom have suffered a particularly harsh fate as a result of abject poverty and waves of violence that have ravaged so much of the African continent. Widowed, abandoned, or violated, they are often powerless and voiceless. Through various initiatives, ALARM is empowering women in communities where they have been sidelined as a result of political circumstances, socio-cultural beliefs and antiquated traditions.

Through training in servant leadership, Bible study methods, conflict resolution, biblical forgiveness, and reconciliation ALARM is equipping African women to take on transformational leadership roles in their churches and communities. To address issues of abject poverty and the marginalization of women, ALARM offers women training in establishing and running a small business as well as managing micro finance loans.

This particular program helps women break the cycle of poverty, restore their dignity, and become more self sufficient.

Congolese Former Child Soldiers Start Peace Clubs

Twenty-five Congolese former child soldiers have formed a Village Peace Club under ALARM-Congo’s Peace & Justice Department. These young men were once abducted from their home villages and brutally forced to join rebel militia groups. Members of such groups indiscriminately kill innocent people, rape women, and wreaked havoc on poor communities. Some of the young men in this club were child soldiers for up to six years and fled their homes in fear of being abducted again (Baraka escaped but was abducted again three times). These young men now live in Goma, eastern Congo.

ALARM-Congo’s Country Director, Marie Jeanne Hamuli left, presents a bicycle to a young man who was once a child soldier

For the past six years various human rights organizations have been trying to rescue child soldiers (boys and girls) from armed militia groups, and sending them to Transit Centers before returning them to their families.

Servant Leadership Training for Police Officers

ALARM-Burundi recently completed four, 3-day workshops in Servant Leadership. The first such workshop was held in Ngozi for 50 Police officers. The police officers at this particular training represented the following four districts: Ngozi, Muyinga, Kirundo, and Kayanza. The second and third workshops were held in Bujumbura where over 80 officers from six districts (Bujumbura, Cibitoke, Bubanza, Bururi, Makamba, and Mwaro) attended. The last workshop was held in Gitega and was attended by 57 police officers from the following districts: Gitega, Karuzi, Ruyigi, Cankuzo, Rutana, and Muramvya.

Topics covered during the workshops included:
a. Servant leadership
b. Conflict management
c. Forgiveness and reconciliation

ALARM-Burundi’s Country Director, Deogratias Nshimiyimana, led the workshops and taught on Servant Leadership and Conflict Management. The police officers also had the opportunity to meet and listen to Sgt. Kibinge wa Muturi, founder of the Christian Police Association (CPA) in Kenya. The association provides chaplaincy services in every police post in Kenya, along with copies of the Christian Police Magazine. Sgt.