Almost exactly three years ago, I posted a blog and video showing laborers from our local Umudugudu (village) building a new building on Hope Haven’s campus in Rwanda. Little did I know that three years later we would be in the middle of a $7M+ new campus build using many of the same laborers!
Since the beginning of Hope Haven’s construction activities nine years ago, we have always insisted on using local labor. We employ top-notch engineers from around Rwanda to design and oversee each step of the build, but we insist that they hire local labor. This is just one more way we can ensure that we lift up the entire community we serve.
On the campus construction project today, you can see mothers, fathers, siblings and other relatives of our students working hard to provide for their families. The work is hard. Very hard. But they know they are part of something meaningful.
Here were some of my initial observations after watching these joy-filled workers in action: In Africa, songs that are sung while working are often accompanied by whistles or shrieks, and, of course, someone has to keep the rhythm going by clapping or stomping. It is a magnificent thing to experience!
We often fail to remember that work is a gift from God. It was a pre-Fall of Man activity that God gave to Adam and Eve as a way to join in creation and stewardship. Genesis 2:15 states, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
When done well, work provides dignity, fulfillment and joy!
Our Hope Haven neighbors are often hired to do special projects and they quickly come together as a team. In fact, one of our key staff members was hired a couple of years ago because our Managing Director observed how hard she worked on the construction crew. We hired her as a full-time employee. Today, she thrives in her new role as a manager of other workers!
Mother and daughter, Jessica and Kate Maggard, recently spent a week serving at Hope Haven Rwanda as part of an unforgettable adventure! As we spontaneously walked through the construction site one day, they were blown away by the efficiency and enthusiasm of these workers. Jessica has extensive international experience and she was thrilled to expose her daughter to Hope Haven’s intentional approach to international community development.
May God help us always remember that meaningful work is a gift. Can you take a moment now to thank God for the small slice of His Kingdom that He has called you manage? Or maybe He is leading you to pursue some other type of work that would be more fulfilling? One of my friends recently took a significant cut in pay to be part of something that she felt passionate about. What kind of work brings you the most joy?