On the night of May 24th, Volcano Nyirangogo located on the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo began to erupt. Lava flowed into the nearby cities of Congo with multiple earthquakes following, reaching 5.3 on the Richter Scale. They caused serious damage to Rwandan towns in the area, and formed an enormous crack extending from the volcano all the way to Lake Kivu. Methane trapped under the bottom of the lake has also been released due to the earthquake, threatening the lives of thousands of residents. As a result, 600,000 Congolese citizens have been evacuated from endangered territories.
In Rubona and Gisa where Global Help to Heal has a preschool, many houses have been damaged or destroyed, including those of the families in our program. Our property is no exception – there are deep cracks, some of which run through the entire wall. The house belonging to our local coordinator Victoire, faced a lot of wreckage. She is currently staying with relatives, after leaving the area with her husband and five children. If you would like to take part in helping those who were affected, please see the contacts below. May God bless and reward you for your participation!
Our workers started distributing food to people who are in need because of the earthquake.
