History
Rwanda Outreach and Community (ROC) Partners was formed to invest in people through the purchase of the Vision 2020 property that enables education, community development, and faith-based initiatives.
The following is a brief history of how ROC came to existence and of God's working through His servants.
- God blessed the leadership and preserved the life of Paul Kagame who became Rwanda's president in 2000 and on 25th August 2003, H.E. Paul Kagame won a landslide victory in the first ever democratically contested multiparty elections.
- In 2003 President Paul Kagame was hosted in Minneapolis by Richard and Pat Lawson, owners of Lawson Software and Oklahoma Christian University Trustees. President Kagame invites the Lawsons to visit Rwanda.
- Dave and Jana Jenkins, missionaries in neighboring Uganda who witnessed the Rwandan genocide in 1994, are invited to be guest lecturers at Oklahoma Christian University in 2004-2005.
- In November 2004 Oklahoma Christian President and Mrs. Mike O'Neal traveled to the country of Rwanda with Trustee and Mrs. Richard Lawson and Dave Jenkins, OC visiting lecturer. With President Paul Kagame, partnerships were discussed which would potentially involve some kind of student and faculty exchange with OC and Universities and students in Rwanda.
- In the spring of 2005, the Lawsons and OC students send a container-load of blankets and supplies to help the child-headed households in Rwanda.
- In the summer of 2005 the Jenkins moved to Kigali. The first group of a dozen OC students went to Rwanda to teach and serve.
- In March 2006 Ambassador to the U.S. Dr. Zac Nsenga visits Oklahoma Christian University.
- In April 2006 President and Mrs. Kagame, Ambassador Nsenga, and four cabinet ministers spend a day at Oklahoma Christian University as part of an economic development tour in the United States. At that time President Kagame was presented with an honorary doctorate and served as the Inaugural Kirkpatrick Lecturer, addressing students, faculty, and a large civic crowd about the progress Rwanda is making as a nation. The Rwanda-OC Presidential Scholar agreement is signed.
- In the summer of 2006 a second group of OC faculty and students including Director of the North Institute for Teaching and Learning, Bryan Hixson, and chemistry professor, Dr. Holly Hixson travel to Rwanda to serve.
- In August of 2006 the first ten Rwanda scholars were selected from among the top 24 scores on a nationwide examination and enroll at Oklahoma Christian University.
- The Jenkins provided leadership to establish Kigali International Community School (KICS) in partnership with families from Food for the Hungry International, World Relief, Bridge to Rwanda, and USAID. The school launched on site with around 40 students from nine nationalities. The school was established to meet a need of some missionary families and other aid and development worker families and has grown into a leading K-12 school in Rwanda with students from 30 nationalities. While the focus was meeting needs of these families efforts have led to the school being home of around 35% Rwandese children.
- In June of 2006 the Jenkins service and efforts result in the first church registration in about four years.
- In October a professional architect & engineer are sent by the Jenkins sponsoring congregation to Rwanda to help identify and assess land or facilities for the new church. In the process they met with government officials and visited the Vision 2020 facility and obtained blueprints for what would become the home of the church and KICS. The Rwandan government offered this facility with the hope that it would take steps toward development of a middle class community.
- In the winter of 2006 the Oklahoma nonprofit, Rwanda Outreach and Community Foundation (now Rwanda Outreach and Community (ROC) Partners) is formed with the purpose of raising funds for the Vision 2020 property.
- On March 1, 2007 ROC takes access to these incredible facilities.
- On March 4, 2007 Christ's Church in Rwanda (CCR) opened its doors for the first time.
- In April 2007 KICS moved its operations to these facilities as a partner to ROC in an effort to demonstrate model community. KICS begins in ROC facilities with around 45 students. Additionally, Food for the Hungry became a partner through renting of a portion of the school space.
- In August 2007 Bryan Hixson (Executive Site Director) and Dr. Holly Hixson (Director ROC Education Projects) moved to Rwanda to serve the work on site.
- After about six months of existence CCR is averaging about 100.
- By March 2008 CCR is averaging around 145 in Sunday attendance and adds a youth ministry.
- In August 2008 CCR is averaging around 240 in Sunday attendance. FHI moves out of the property to make room for KICS growth. KICS grows to around 200 students from 32 nationalities.
- By August of 2008 ROC has facilitated many different education and community development projects including Let’s Start Talking, Peace Through Business, Rwanda Presidential Scholars, English and technology training and more.
- In October 2008 CCR & ROC in partnership with MINALOC host the CCR Freedom 5K race.
- In February 2009 ROC starts a second year with Peace Through Business, doubling the number of women trained and continuing its mentorship program in the U.S.
- In March 2009 ROC launched its fourth year of support of the Presidential Scholars program. Since its inception the scholars program has realized an increase from 10 scholarships to over 90 in its fourth year.
- In June 2009 ROC assumed oversight of Kigali International Community School and signed a partnership agreement with Africa Inland Mission, who has been leading Christian-based school efforts in Africa for over 100 years.
- In May 2010 ROC begins a partnership with Rwanda Presidential Scholars and their project to serve their own nation through Rwandans4Water. R4R is drilling wells and teaching other Rwandans to continue the work.
- In November 2010 KICS hosts an accreditation visit from the Association of Christian Schools International and receives a very positive report in its effort to receive international accreditation in 2012
- In March 2011 CCR launches a second service with an average attendance in the two services of over 400.
- In June 2011 KICS launches an improvement and expansion project that includes a science laboratory, library, dinning hall, and band room.
- In July 2011 the 4th group of Peace Through Business graduates head to the U.S. with Dr. Hixson to receive training, mentorship, and networking before returning to Rwanda to pay it forward. The 2011 U.S. visit includes a trip to Capital Hill and meeting U.S. leaders.
THE FUTURE OF ROC WILL CONTINUE TO TRANSFORM COMMUNITY BY TRANSFORMING LIVES.
