"Our Response" aims to make difference in Rwanda

By Rachel Kytonen
rachel.kytonen@ecm-inc.com
Isanti County News
September 30, 2009

Photo:
Upper: Children from Kivuruga, Rwanda were all smiles for this photo taken in 2009. Our Response is a partnership with World Vision to increase awareness of—and support for—the people of Kivuruga. Courtesy of Ellen Harasimowicz

Lower: Bob Jonsson, Mark Holm, Steve Fredlund and Mark Radeke have formed the Our Response organization, and will be going to Kivuruga, Rwanda Nov. 1-13.

An effort to fight global poverty, disease and suffering—and provide basic human needs and create long-term sustainability for the people of Kivuruga, Rwanda—is underway in Cambridge.

Local pastors Steve Fredlund, New Hope Community Church; Mark Radeke, River of Life and Bob Jonsson, First Baptist, have formed a partnership between Cambridge and World Vision for the purpose of increasing awareness of—and support for—the people of Kivuruga.

“Our mission is to ignite a community-wide financial response to global poverty, disease and suffering,” Fredlund said. “Specifically, what we are trying to do in Kivuruga is to both provide basic human needs and create long-term sustainability.”

Fredlund, Radeke and Jonsson felt a “call to action” following their attendance at the 2006 Transforming Church Initiative hosted by Bethel Seminary and featuring World Vision.

In March 2008, the group agreed on its short-term and long-term impacts in Kivuruga, and the local impact of this project.

Over the next few months, the group investigated different potential partners before deciding upon World Vision.

Fredlund explained John Good of World Vision came to Cambridge and shared their vision for assistance, their model for financing and their emerging formula for church/area development program (ADP), the team was convinced it had found its appropriate partner.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and justice.

“Although Our Response is founded by church leaders, we want people to know it’s a community-wide effort,” Fredlund explained. “We really want to raise awareness. This is an emergency situation. People are dying all the time from preventable causes. There’s a 9/11 happening everyday other there in Africa.”

Radeke, Jonsson and Fredlund, together with East Central Young Life Area Director Mark Holm, will head to Kivuruga on Nov. 1 and return Nov. 13.

Located in central Africa, Rwanda is a small, mountainous country, that generally has a warm climate, though cooler in the mountain regions.

Fredlund explained Kivuruga has approximately 35,000 people, similar in size to Isanti County.

Community support

As far as a community, Fredlund explained Our Response has partnered with World Vision to increase the sponsorships in Kivuruga.

He said the standard sponsorship of $35 per month provides many thing such as clean water, nutritious food, health care, care for sick or dying parents, educational opportunities, spiritual nature and HIV/AIDS counseling.

Fredlund said all administrative expenses for Our Response have been covered by an individual donation.

He said cash donations to Our Response would be allocated based on current needs which may include trips to or from Rwanda, special community projects or used for additional child sponsorships.

The organization is planning an official community launch for Thursday, Dec. 3, where they will talk about their visit to Rwanda, and have representatives on hand from World Vision.

The exact time and location of the meeting has yet to be determined.

For more information on Our Response, or if you would like to get more involved with the organization, contact Steve Fredlund at 651-587-5435 or email steve@newhopecambridge.org.

The organization also has a Web site at http://ourresponse.wordpress.com/ , and can be found on Facebook.

For more information on World Vision, visit http://www.worldvision.org/hope.