DEVELOPING TIMES: alive from Beni, DRC

Welcome

Mission Statement
Rural Empowerment Initiatives (REI) mission is to collaborate in the reduction of poverty through investment in rural areas and training of local people.

Vision Statement
REI's vision is to treat every created being with dignity, respect and love. We strive to work with those most in need by empowering people to recognize their God given talents, enabling them to make the world a better place and providing them hope for the future.

Our Principles
REI believes that all people are created equal.
REI will develop small to medium businesses (SMEs) as one approach to reach those most in need by creating jobs that build the economy in rural areas.
REI's partner businesses will be led, managed and majority owned by local people.
REI will always seek a triple bottom line of economic, spiritual and social transformation.
REI seeks to build sustainable community-oriented business models.
REI's focus of support is to the economically disadvantaged.
REI will seek attractive market and growth opportunities.
REI will incubate pilot projects with capable management.
REI believes in collaboration. We seek partners whose strengths complement our own in an effort to build well-rounded projects of lasting economic value for the communities in which we work.
REI is inspired by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and is therefore rooted in the Christian faith.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

alive from Beni, DRC

Greetings from Beni, DRC

I arrived safely yesterday(Wednesday) at 3:30 Beni time. (that's 5:30 am CST) I started this journey Monday at 4;30 CST...
Tired and excited were the feelings of the day. I did not sleep the night before, because I slept all the way from Amsterdam to Entebbe. When I got to my motel, I was wide awake...last night i caught up and I am on Congo time.
Today was amazing. I had the opportunity to sit in on two classes at UCBC. This is the university that has been started and been in session for three weeks now. 90 plus student and more signed up today.
To see the looks on these student faces I cannot describe in a post. Hope...is the best way to describe it.I also had the opportunity to share during chapel. I was very humbled by this. What do I know about suffering?
No ESPN...no running hot water...these young adults have seen suffering first hand for the last eight years and now there is hope in the North Kivu region and the Congo.

Alive and well from the Congo,
rick