Throughout the World, the integration of technology into various activities and businesses is becoming very needful. The Coronavirus pandemic has approved and accelerated the necessity of switching over from analog to digital technology in almost all sectors of life. Nowadays, some churches are struggling to integrate technology into many church activities and Shyogwe Diocese is not left behind in this process of digitalisation. Many meetings, workshops and trainings in the Diocese are now conducted virtually and very recently an application called “DREAMSAVE” has been introduced to improve the functionality of “Savings and credits groups”.
EAR Shyogwe Diocese has been using traditional techniques in “savings and Credits groups” among its members for 11 years. Traditionally, the group members used papers, notebooks and pens for writing and recording all Savings and all groups’ information and this would take them much time and sometimes causes problems of poor documentation and filing. To figure out this challenge, Shyogwe Diocese in partnership with “Hope International-Rwanda” has introduced a new technology called “DreamSave Application (By DreamStart Labs)” in 16 savings and credits groups from 8 pilot parishes out of 36 parishes in total. The pilot parishes are Rugendabari, Cyimana, Hanika, Shori, Gisanga, Cyeru, Shaki and Murehe and this program will piloted for a period of 12 months to analyse the performance and the interest of this program. This application will help the group members to digitally keep saving and credits information using Smart Phones distributed to groups.
Diocesan officer who is in charge of this church program, Mr. NSABIMANA Leonard, said that 16 Smartphones with DreamSave Application are now being distributed to 16 groups after training them how to use these devices. The Diocesan target is to equip all 182 groups in the next years. A huge thank you and Special welcome are given to whoever wants to partner with the Diocese for life transformation of God’s People.
By SEBAHIRE Marcel