Partnership Overview

Paulin is a man with a vision. He wants to fight against poverty in his community and see his community escape the vicious cycle of poverty they are in. In 2016 he, along with some members of the chaplaincy church at the Marine Military Base of Bukavu, established ACLUP (DRC08) to address the poverty which was observed among the Christian community. The leaders of the chaplaincy church observed a large number of military and police wives and widows who were very poor, and this became a burden for them. It was felt the church needed to be a place where people are assisted both spiritually and physically and so a way was formed to bring a sustainable solution to the poverty observed among the members. In 2021, ACLUP, with the assistance of BHW, also began installing water tanks, pipes and taps in impoverished communities with no clean water supply (DRC08a and b). 

In addition to establishing ACLUP, for a number of years Paulin has also been seeking to make a difference using his own personal meagre income and has been doing what he can to take care of 20 orphans (DRC10). His vision is to help these orphans so that one day they can become independent. He has set up an agri-food project with Foundations for Farming training, along with a goat programme, in an effort to increase the financial self-sustainability of both the orphans and their guardians.

Paulin's extensive involvement in the community means that he struggles to generate an income to enable him to provide for his family. He does however have 4 hectares of land and after being trained in Foundations for Farming in 2023 Paulin was keen to start productively farming this land to generate an income to support himself and approached BHW for assistance.  

History of Partnership

BHW's New Partnership Facilitator (NPF) has known Paulin since 2014 when he first visited Burundi and Paulin was working with our partner there, HAWODI (BUR01). He attended some of Paulin's training sessions and visited a number of projects with him. In 2015 Paulin shifted from Burundi back to the DR Congo because of his family and for work with a university. He continued to communicate with BHW's NPF and kept him up to date with developments with ACLUP. It took another 4 years before BHW's NPF was able to visit in 2019 when he spent time with Paulin and the team understanding how the program was set up and how it operated. Following that visit, and subsequent ongoing communication, in June 2020 BHW's Executive approved commencing a partnership with ACLUP (DRC08).  

Early in 2021 Paulin presented the water needs of the community in Chikera to us (DRC08a) which we funded in late June and then early in 2022 he approached us in regard to providing regular to assist a number of other villages with water projects (DRC08b). 

Due to difficulty visiting DR Congo, in August 2022 BHW's NPF caught up with Paulin in Rwanda and it was during this meeting that Paulin told us about these orphans he was trying to support and his desire to assist them in some way.  It took another year of communicating and trying to come up with a viable plan before, in November 2023, the BHW Executive approved providing some funds to enable Paulin to establish his land, and also funds to train the orphans and their guardians in Foundations for Farming (DRC10). 

Beneficiaries

This project directly benefits Paulin and his family but there will be a flow on effect to the 20 orphans he cares for, and the numerous people and villages that are impacted by the work of ACLUP.  

His involvement in ministry means that he has little time now for employment. He has in the past been a lecturer at the local university but now he is fully employed helping others. BHW thinks that the best way to help him is to assist him to utilise the 4 hectares of land that he has to gain some income with which to support his family. Inevitably, others will benefit as well. 

What We Like About The Partnership

Paulin is a key partner and has proved his ability to deliver good outcomes. 

He and his family are committed to helping as many as they are able to in a most difficult place to live. 

Paulin and family were hit badly some years ago when the house they owned was demolished in a landslide. They still live in it but it’s not a great situation. This may help him reestablish himself. 

He doesn't ask for money for himself, he is always thinking of others. 

Paulin is a practical man and loves gardening. He has been trained in Foundations for Farming by BHW in Zimbabwe and is actively training others. 

Key People

Leadership Profile

Paulin Murhimanya Bashombana was born in 1978 in the Village of Chikera in Bukavu. His dad came from a very poor family and had no wealth except that he was a primary school teacher. His mother was a cleaning lady who looked after the four children. They were very poor and lacked food, clothing, everything. They survived thanks to the interventions of benefactors. Throughout his life, Paulin served the Lord in churches in his community and hoped that one day his life would change, and he would be able to serve those whose lives have been shaped by their poverty.

In the 6th grade of primary school, he was fortunate enough to be cared for by missionaries from the Free Methodist Church. Thanks to their Child Care program he was able to study and gained a State Diploma in General Pedagogy. Due to a lack of money, he was unable to go to university and it took 6 years before he was able to travel to Burundi and begin university with the assistance of the church. He joined the Université Espoir d'Afrique (Hope Africa University) affiliated with the Free Methodist Church and did a 4-year bachelor's degree in administrative and economic sciences, and then 2 years of master's degree in business administration. During this time, he learned a lot about the Christian values as the foundation of a human life and from then on, he decided to keep the principles of these Christian values to guide my life. 

Paulin is married with five children, two daughters and three boys. 

Vision And Annual Strategy

Vision 

To enable Paulin to generate an income to support his family and to develop a farm that will be a model that will be followed by the community once they see what can be grown following the Foundations for Farming methods. 

Strategy

This project will set up the production, transport and sale of vegetables. They plan to grow onions, tomatoes, amaranth, carrots, and potatoes.

Eventually, alongside agriculture, they would like to include the breeding of goats to produce animal manure for the gardens. These goats would also eventually produce meat which would be sold. They estimate that at least 30 goats could be raised on the farm. These two types of production (animal and agricultural) would serve as the pillar of this project and together, will provide the community with resilience based on local production and therefore local consumption.