A Needs Assessment for Rusomo and Rukira Districts of the Kibungo Province
A Research Study Proposal for the Lutheran Church of Rwanda

The population of this research study is the people of Kibungo Province in southeastern Rwanda who live in Rusomo and Lukira Districts.  The goal of this research study is to gather information regarding the needs of this population, with the hope that it may lead to holistic development in the community served by the Lutheran Church of Rwanda (LCR), which was established by returnees after the war in 1994. Among returnees were Lutheran Christians and pastors mostly from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). Most of returnees settled in Kibungo Province and wanted to retain their Lutheran heritage. Christians and pastors first planted the church in Rukira and Rusumo Districts. Later, the church spread to the northwestern part of Rwanda too.  Today, the number of Christians served by the LCR is estimated to be 15,000 in rural areas. The mission of the church focuses on holistic ministry that has to go hand in hand with peacebuilding.

However, for holistic ministry and peacebuilding to take place, a careful research study needs to be carried out.  This is a proposal that aims to gather perceptions on how individuals perceive LCR’s parish-based development in Rusumo and Rukira Districts.  The research will also inquire about the LCR’s strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats.  The personal interviews will take place in the two districts from the last week of July through the end of August. The total budget is estimated to be US$808.