The 1994 genocide and war in the small nation of Rwanda resulted in over 1,000,000

 brutally killed and left thousands of widows and orphans with virtually no means of support. Extreme poverty is the ordeal of the day for these 'survivors', who lost spouses, children, parents, siblings and their homes.   

While working with World Relief, a survivor of the 1994 genocide, Jean Gakwandi, received a number of widows and orphans in his office, who came to be helped after they were stripped of their relatives and all their property. These were people who were deeply traumatized and hopeless. They expressed feeling of guilt and yet they were the victims. Anger, resentment, deep sorrow and sometimes hatred tortured them unceasingly. Their interactions, which as a rule ended in deep weeping, showed that there was deep sorrow and hurt in their inner being that could not be met by only material assistance. On asking God what he should do, the answer came through Scripture. Isaiah 40:1, “comfort, comfort my people says your God”. This answer from God was later confirmed in 2 Cor 1:3 “we are comforted so that we can comfort others”. Thus, the call was shared with other dedicated Rwandan Christians and Solace Ministries was created as a Rwandan charitable organization in July of 1996. This small, dedicated group, themselves survivors, obediently answered this call, their own experience made them keenly aware of the need for solid Christian counseling to bring healing to their country. The cry for help they heard encompassed not only material needs but emotional, spiritual and psychological needs. It was clear that these needs could only be met with a holistic approach of meeting both material as well as spiritual needs.

    Today Solace Ministries has expanded their ministry to include child-headed households and the ever present HIV/AIDS pandemic.

    Solace Ministries counts among its members and supporters Christians from around the world who have joined hands to heed the call to "Comfort my people".