Population: 10.9 million (2011)
Size: 26, 338 Km²
Major Languages: Kinyarwanda, French, English and Kiswahili.
Major Religions: Christianity (90%), Islam (4%), Indigenous beliefs (6%).
Known as the Land of a thousand hills, Rwanda is a country full of natural beauty and wonder, with volcanoes to the north, tropical forests in the south west, and vast savannah to the east. Despite being situated only 2° south of the equator, Rwanda’s climate is temperate due to its altitude. This allows for the growth of many tropical species of plant, however temperatures still remain pleasant throughout the year with seasons defined as ‘rainy’ or ‘dry’. This ‘paradise’ however is marred by events of the past, most notably, in 1994 when 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu’s were massacred in the continents worst genocide. Today Rwanda is striving to rebuild itself, Politically it is now stable and can boast to be the most secure country in the east-African community. Economically it is growing fast with tea and coffee production being among its main source of foreign exchange. Despite this, almost 90% of Rwandans, rely on subsistence farming, with 76% (UNDP, 2011) living below the ‘poverty line’. In line with the government, RDIS is striving to empower people to improve in all areas of their everyday lives; farming, education and income-generating projects. RDIS however aims to go one step further and promote, through the Church spiritual transformation in communities as well.
LEFT: The RDIS zone of action – four dioceses of the Anglican Church of Rwanda: Butare, Cyangugu, Kigeme and Shyogwe.
RDIS Rwanda 