Retired Norwich head teacher, Claude Scott, is to return to Rwanda in February on a mission to provide clean water for thousands of people.
77 year old Claude is no stranger to Africa. Back in 2010 he visited the place in eastern Congo, where he had lived with his parents, between 1939 and 1946. He was able to see again the very house they lived in and visit many churches in that area, founded as a result of my father’s pioneering missionary work.
In total contrast to little Rwanda which borders it to the north-east, the Democratic Republic of Congo is a vast country (as big as Europe), blessed with huge reserves of mineral wealth, but blighted by corruption, so endemic that its population remains poor and at constant risk of violence, rape and pillage from the various rival groups that vie for local supremacy.
This will be Mr Scott’s fifth visit to Rwanda. Although he grew up in Congo, it was a volunteer trip to neighbouring Rwanda that re-ignited his involvement in the region. That first trip took nine boxes of water filters to communities still reeling from the 1994 Rwanda genocide. This time, the Blakeney man will take nine others from the Africa Glaven Mission to Rwanda, with 40 boxes of water filters, enough to allow almost 10,000 people to benefit from clean water – thanks to fundraising in the UK.
The plan is to provide enough safe drinking water for half the population of Nkombo island, the poorest part of Rwanda. Mr Scott said Rwanda Aid, a larger charity, saw this as a pilot project to which they will contribute the rest of the filters to cover the island. They also plan to build a family home, and provide six community water filters to Congo, which has been made possible by £12,000 of fundraising.
His first trip in 2010 saw him visit some of the churches established by his father seven decades earlier, which inspired him to return and train Christian pastors.
Mr Scott, who has three children and 12 grandchildren, travels with his wife Ethne, 69.
Each person has paid for their own travel and trip, so all donations will be spent on charitable projects.
To find out more visit www.africaglavenmission.wordpress.com
Pictured top is Claude Scott with three Congolese pastors.
Read this story at EDP24
Read the full article here
