THE GOBOKA RWANDA TRUST

Ephaste at the Methodist Church in Bakewell meeting some of the supporters that came to welcome him on his first trip to Europe. Some of those present had been to Rwanda while others are people who support the G R Trust but may never travel to Rwanda.

Ephaste with four of the fundraisers in Castleton who helped purchase 'Castleton' and 'Peveril' - the cows purchased by the group who are hoping to travel to Rwanda in 2018 to meet the cows!

The Rwanda Cafe and Craft Fair is held once a month at Bakewell Town Hall.

Ephaste arrived in time to meet some of the stall holders.

At Chopsticks in Northallerton, Ephaste was presented with T-Shirts and a Fleece to keep him warm while here in chilly England!

For someone from Central Africa, an opportunity for a quick trip to see the ocean can't be missed. Here is Ephaste at Whitby with a whale bone and a thousand year-old Abbey.

We made Ephaste get out of the car to experience ice falling from the sky in the form of hailstones. 

And another first - SNOW! You don't get much chance to throw a snowball in Rwanda, and even here in the UK it's pretty rare in April but there it was - not enough to make a snowman though :(

​

Ephaste took part in a morning Assembly at Old Hall School which was led by Miss Lauren Thomas. He was personally able to thank the school for their support in providing a cow, lightening conductors and a suite of new desks to their link school in Rwanda.   Ephaste then visited several classes and answered questions posed by the children, before joining in a game of football at lunchtime and enjoying a roast beef dinner with the children.  He was presented with footballs, a frisby and skipping ropes to take back to Gitsimbwe Primary School - Old Hall's link school in Rwanda.

Ephaste and Heather led the morning Assembly for 320 Year 10 pupils - talking about the work of the Goboka Rwanda Trust and the impact their work has on the lives of people in Rwanda.

After lunch they returned to meet with the Ethnic and Diversity Group - together with some of the pupils who had attended the Assembly - to hear Ephaste's story of his life as a 17 year old during the time of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda.

On Friday the 28th April Ephaste travelled to Birmingham and The Queens Foundation Theological

College at Edgbaston where he went on a tour hosted by Rev Dr P Nzacahayo, a Lecturer at the College and fellow Rwandan.

From here Ephaste was collected by Rev Phil Hoar and taken for a weekend stay in Stourport on Stour, Worcestershire. Rev Hoar has visited Rwanda several times in recent years and is working with refugees in his area.

The congregation Ephaste met from Trinity Church in Stourport on severn

Ephaste had a busy time in the West Midlands visiting Leamore School, a Food Bank and the local Synod. A group from this area visited Rwanda in 2008 and they still visit and have links with a village in the Western Province.