CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1. Findings of the research
The first objective was to discuss the factors behind the plight of genocide widows in Rwanda. After an analyzing the background to the genocide this study established that the issue of ethnicity which is the main factor behind the divisions among the Rwandans is a recent development in the history of the country. Although introduced and exploited by colonizers and Church leaders to protect their interests, indigenous politicians also accepted and used it to design discriminatory measures which eventually led to the genocide in 1994.
The second objective was to investigate the role of the Christian community in Kigali- Ville in creating awareness about the plight of genocide widows. This study established the fact that the events of April 1994 left the survivors including the widows with many problems. In addition to losing their husbands, genocide widows lost property, were beaten and injured, raped, lost confidence in their personal and social relationships and were psychologically and spiritually affected. In brief, genocide widows were left in total poverty. This study also found out that Christian NGOs have put in place mechanisms of creating awareness about the plight of genocide widows within the Rwandan society in general and Christian community in particular. Christian NGOs create that awareness through urging people (mostly
Christians in their neighborhood, small church groups, prayer groups and other social gatherings) to know and meet one another's needs with particular emphasis on the vulnerable among whom genocide widows. When this occurs, Christian NGOs come in as facilitators with the aim of complementing those efforts.
The third, the fourth and the firth objectives concern different aspects of the Christian response to genocide widows' plight namely: to explore the mechanisms that the Christian community in Rwanda has established to help widows of April 1994 genocide recover from their trauma; to evaluate the contribution of the Christian NGOs in helping genocide widows to regain their social status, justice and dignity;
and to analyze how the Christian community is facilitating reconciliation of the widows with their offenders and the rest of the Rwandan society.
This study found evidence of deep depression among genocide widows after the genocide. Eleven years after the tragedy, in spite of commendable efforts directed towards helping those emotionally disturbed, many widows still need help. In this regard this study found out that Christian NGOs have established various mechanisms of helping emotionally damaged genocide widows, namely. through fellowships, prayer meetings and emotions control sessions (gestion des emotions).
This study also found out that Christian NGOs have put in place different strategies to help genocide widows to regain their social status, justice and dignity. This has been done through various activities, including income generating activities and social gatherings which also foster the process of emotional healing and reconciliation between the offended and the offenders.
In evaluating the role of NGOs, the researcher examined the issues surrounding the term "development" and highlighted the reasons why the concept of transformation is considered to be an appropriate measuring tool for Christian response to human needs.
Using the adapted model of integral human transformation, this study investigated the response of Christian NGOs to the needs of genocide widows with particular emphasis not only on effectiveness but also on the balance of the efforts directed towards various problems facing genocide widows. The adapted model of integral human transformation submits the importance of treating all the needs equally which makes it
relevant to genocide widows' context whose needs are many and inter-related. From emergency period to long-term programs, this study noted the following areas of effectiveness as well as the shortcomings of Christian NGOs in their endeavour to respond to the needs of genocide widows.
Christian NGOs have established adequate mechanisms to respond to the needs of genocide widows. In addition, they have mobilized available human and financial resources to implement their programs of meeting genocide widows' needs. This finding was confirmed by the control group which was composed of three Churches namely the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church and the Good News Church.
Christian Churches have among their obligations to care for the vulnerable people among them widows and orphans, but unlike Christian NGOs their efforts are often hampered by lack of sufficient human and financial resources.
Nevertheless in the light of the churches regular and close relationships with the poor among them genocide widows and also based on their collaboration with Christian NGOs, churches validated the assumptions of this study, which were: widows in Kigali-Ville province suffer socially, spiritually and economically due to the experiences of April 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Christian NGOs operating in Kigali-Ville have responded to genocide widows' social, economic, spiritual and psychological needs; the Christian community has facilitated reconciliation of genocide widows with their offenders and the rest of the Rwandan society; and the Christian community has established various mechanisms to help genocide widows to recover from their trauma.
This study also established that the main difference between Christian NGOs and secular NGOs or other secular bodies in relation to responding to the needs of genocide widows is that Christian NGOs emphasize the spiritual aspect of a person's life. In particular they focus their efforts on restoring broken relationships both horizontal (between people) and vertical (between people and God) through fellowships, visits and prayer meetings.