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Kigali, Rwanda  Kigali, the capital city of the country of Rwanda, has a population of approximately 700,000 people. Although the Rwandan Genocide occurred many years ago, the people of Rwanda are still struggling to put it behind them. Grace Shalom Church is located in an area of Kigali, Rwanda known as Gacuriro.  The neighborhood of Gacuriro is undergoing a great deal of change. Houses and other buildings which are considered to be "substandard" are being demolished and new buildings are coming up in their place. Grace Shalom's church building is one that is considered substandard and will have to be demolished and rebuilt.  The pastor of Grace Shalom Church is Pastor Samuel Ndahimana. He works in cooperation with Pastor John Rudasumbwa who is the leader of all the Shalom churches in the country of Rwanda. (left) Pastor Stephen Bamuleke, Pastor John Rudasumbwa, Pastor Samuel Ndahimana, and his wife, Janvier.  Rwanda is known as the "land of a thousand hills" and the city of Kigali is no exception. It sprawls out over a large area and is built on several different hills.  The area of Gacuriro is quickly becoming one of the nicer areas in the city but this change is creating problems for Grace Shalom. Many of the members of this church have lost their homes because they were considered substandard and they have been forced to move outside the city because of the rise in housing costs in this area.  Grace Shalom Church does have its own primary school, Complexe Scholaire Grace de Dieu (Grace of God Grade School), with approximately 160 students. Fortunately the school's buildings meet the new building standards for the neighborhood and will not have to be rebuilt. We have recently learned that this school will be forced to relocate at the request of the government of Rwanda. Until we know the new location of the school and which children will be able to make the switch to the school's new location, we have removed the Rwandan children from our website.
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