The Cité of nazareth

The Cité of Nazareth, Mbare-Rwanda.

The “Cité of Nazareth” was wanted by Pope John Paul II in order to give help to orphans of the terrible Genocide of 1994.

The Cité was built in the same place where the 8th of September 1990 the Blessed Pope John Paul II had celebrated Holy Mass: a 12 hectare area donated by the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda.

H.E. Mgr. Salvatore Pennacchio, then Papal Nuncio in Rwanda, took the project of Pope John Paul II to heart and with some of his oldest friends founded the Nolite Timere Onlus, focused on child sponsorship.

The Cité of Nazareth is 50 km far from Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda and it is administered by the Diocese of Kabgayi, the Episcopal Conference and the Apostolic Nunciature of Rwanda.  The Nolite Timere Onlus is a no-profit charitable institution constituted in order to assist orphans of the terrible genocide of 1994, and it is exclusively committed to child sponsorship.

The main purpose of the Nolite Timere Onlus is to give orphans and poor children a house to stay, food, health care and culture, spiritual assistance. At present, the Cité welcomes 429 children coming from nine Dioceses around the country.

The Cité is composed by 6 groups of houses, with 30 beds each. Children are divided by sex and age. Another group of buildings is destined to the five Nuns of the Congregation of Sister Benebikira, who manage the Cité, to administrative offices, to the secretariat and to the infirmary.

Each house is followed by a welfare officer who reports everything can happen to every child, education, health and spiritual growing.

One of the most interesting aspect of the organization of the Cité is the children are divided in small groups, where the older guys take care of the younger children, so that they can learn how to face up to their responsabilities.

Besides those buildings destined to housing, to administrative offices and to the infirmary, there is another huge building destined to cooking and where guys can watch television or play various games.

A multipurpose structure is used to play various sports. During the mission of 2010, a beautiful ceremony was organized there in order to award the best guys in sports or studies

In 2008 a small house was built (80mq2, 5 rooms, 2 bathrooms and a living room) in order to celebrate parish activities. It can be used by all missionaries who visit the Cité. Besides, this house hosts the volunteers of the Nolite Timere Onlus during their mission in Rwanda.