Gahini
Encyclopedia
Gahini is a village and sector
in Kayonza District
, Eastern Province, Rwanda
. It is situated on a hill, at an altitude of 1,520 metres (4,990 ft) above sea-level, close to the eastern edge of Lake Muhazi
and 73 kilometres (45.4 mi) by road from the capital, Kigali
. The village is the centre of one of the nine diocese
s of the Eglise Episcopale au Rwanda (EER), the Anglican church of Rwanda, and one of the four Rwandan sites chosen by the Church Missionary Society (CMS), who built a large mission
, hospital
and school
s in the village.
and Belgian
rule the village became an important transport junction linking the lake with the north-south and eastbound roads. From 1922 the area was temporarily under British
control as part of the surveying process for the proposed Cape-Cairo railway
, which enabled Doctors Leonard Sharp and Zoe Stanley Smith of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), to start missionary and medical work across eastern Ruanda. This land was returned to Belgium in 1924 but the rulers allowed the CMS to continue its work, which meant a permanent mission could then be set up. Geoffrey Holmes, a good friend of the Rwandan King Musinga, was in charge of this enterprise and he chose Gahini to be the site. He was joined by Rev Herbert Jackson and Kosiya Shalita, a native of Gahini who had fled to Uganda
30 years earlier, become a christian, and now wished to return home.
treatment and an eye clinic used by patients from across Rwanda.
The Muhazi lake shore at Gahini is popular with tourists and features two resorts: the Seeds of Peace centre, which offers accommodation, and Jambo Beach. These are used both as stop off points for journeys to or from Akagera National Park
, and as venues for lake tourism, offering boating, fishing and bird watching.
Sectors of Rwanda
Sectors are the third level administrative subdivision in the African nation of Rwanda. The Provinces of Rwanda are subdivided into 30 districts . Each district is in turn divided into sectors. There are 416 Sectors...
in Kayonza District
Kayonza District
Kayonza is a district in Eastern Province, Rwanda. Its capital is Kayonza town.- Sectors :Kayonza district is divided into 12 sectors : Gahini, Kabare, Kabarondo, Mukarange, Murama, Murundi, Mwiri, Ndego, Nyamirama, Rukara, Ruramira and Rwinkwavu.- References :* — Province, District and...
, Eastern Province, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. It is situated on a hill, at an altitude of 1,520 metres (4,990 ft) above sea-level, close to the eastern edge of Lake Muhazi
Lake Muhazi
Lake Muhazi is a long thin shallow lake in the east of Rwanda. The bulk of the lake lies in the Eastern Province, with the western end forming the border between the Northern and Kigali Provinces. It is a flooded valley lake, lying predominantly in an east to west direction, but with numerous...
and 73 kilometres (45.4 mi) by road from the capital, Kigali
Kigali
Kigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...
. The village is the centre of one of the nine diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
s of the Eglise Episcopale au Rwanda (EER), the Anglican church of Rwanda, and one of the four Rwandan sites chosen by the Church Missionary Society (CMS), who built a large mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
, hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
and school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s in the village.
History
Little is known of Gahini in pre-colonial times, but under GermanGerman East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
and Belgian
Ruanda-Urundi
Ruanda-Urundi was a Belgian suzerainty from 1916 to 1924, a League of Nations Class B Mandate from 1924 to 1945 and then a United Nations trust territory until 1962, when it became the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi.- Overview :...
rule the village became an important transport junction linking the lake with the north-south and eastbound roads. From 1922 the area was temporarily under British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
control as part of the surveying process for the proposed Cape-Cairo railway
Cape-Cairo railway
The Cape to Cairo Railway is an uncompleted project to cross Africa from south to north by rail. This plan was initiated at the end of the 18th century, during the time of colonial rule, largely under the vision of Cecil Rhodes, in the attempt to connect adjacent African possessions of the British...
, which enabled Doctors Leonard Sharp and Zoe Stanley Smith of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), to start missionary and medical work across eastern Ruanda. This land was returned to Belgium in 1924 but the rulers allowed the CMS to continue its work, which meant a permanent mission could then be set up. Geoffrey Holmes, a good friend of the Rwandan King Musinga, was in charge of this enterprise and he chose Gahini to be the site. He was joined by Rev Herbert Jackson and Kosiya Shalita, a native of Gahini who had fled to Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
30 years earlier, become a christian, and now wished to return home.
Economy and tourism
Gahini hospital, established and maintained by the CMS, is one of the largest in the Eastern Province with facilities including maternity, orthopaedic surgery, HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
treatment and an eye clinic used by patients from across Rwanda.
The Muhazi lake shore at Gahini is popular with tourists and features two resorts: the Seeds of Peace centre, which offers accommodation, and Jambo Beach. These are used both as stop off points for journeys to or from Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park
The Akagera National Park covers 1,200km² in eastern Rwanda, against the Tanzanian border. It was founded in 1934 to protect animals and vegetation in three ecoregions: savannah, mountain and swamp. The park is named for the Kagera River which flows along its eastern boundary feeding into several...
, and as venues for lake tourism, offering boating, fishing and bird watching.