Report from BHW DR Congo Partnership Facilitator

Key People: George & Jacqueline Atido

This report was done following a video call with George to discuss what is happening in the Congo and the various partnership programmes as we have been unable to travel there this year due to the Ebola outbreak.

Ebola has hit the DRC again with many cases and deaths causing border closures and various health requirements for gatherings and churches. Bunia has been pretty much at the epicentre of the outbreak, with George stating this has been a lot worse than the Covid-19 outbreak.

Shalom University, which George is the Chancellor of, is still open, having just closed for the holiday break. In their area the government had not closed any schools which has made it very difficult for organisations to safely operate with the Ebola virus rampant. They are expected to have the necessary protection, water, no physical contact with students, and the right sanitization equipment. People’s temperature has to be taken before they are allowed to enter the schools.

Jacqueline’s own family has been hit very hard by the Ebola outbreak, losing her uncle and several other family members. Bunia airport remains closed and the DRC/Uganda border is also closed. Jacqueline and the children are doing well, although the Ebola epicentre is actually in her county. In some villages they are burying up to 20 people per day. She has been taken on by Shalom University to help in a mentoring role as more than 50% of the students are female.

Hospitals have been overwhelmed with cases and deaths, people are working in medical facilities with shields, but there are no vaccines and no medications to help. However, some people are managing to recover. BHW sent US$1,500 to help with the health sanitization requirements for the churches in the area.

Recent Events

Rehema Ministry Schools (DRC03)

BHW currently sends US$20,000 per year to help with school requirements. There are 4 pools of students with both primary and secondary school students.

Ngezi: This is near the local prison, and 20 children are being helped with school requirements. There are many more children who could be helped, with lots of refugees and displaced people. George’s sister Deborah oversees this pool. She lives and worships in Ngezi and used to teach at Ngezi school but is now in charge of a different school called Bukoko. 

Cite: 15 children are being helped in several schools. One of George’s colleagues from the university is helping with this pool. This one has been most affected by people leaving. 

Rwampara: This is the newest area and deals with a lot of displaced communities who are in the middle of the conflict with ADF, which is a branch of ISIS. There is a real threat to people outside of the Bunia town centre in rural villages. They have a camp with tents, but the people prefer to build mud houses if possible. 

There are 60 children being helped with family assistance and state exam fees in this area.

Shalom: This is at the university, focused on helping some of the children of the university students who are struggling to support them into school. Most of these families have come from outside of Bunia where both Ebola and rebel activity is rampant. Many of the theology students have been severely affected by both the rebel situation and now Ebola. In some cases, the churches they have come from have been abandoned or severely depleted. In some, Ebola has killed the people supporting them. The students cannot pay their fees or even afford to live. Nor can they afford to return. They currently help about 30 children but there are many more children that could be supported. 

To pass secondary school exams, the students must sit exams in the school in which they were registered with the government. This means they have to leave home and go into distant, often dangerous places if they are to sit their exams or have any chance of passing. George has been assisting with transport costs. Some students, not from the programme but from the same schools, have been killed trying to get home to sit exams. 

George has been pleasantly surprised that more than 90% of the children passed their exams despite the fear and upheaval in their communities. In general, the children are resilient and doing OK, but underlying the whole community is a great deal of fear and trauma. 

There has also been a discretionary fund added of US$1,500 per year to allow for various cases of extreme hardship to be addressed. They are very careful with this fund to be in the background, giving to local people they know who see the need, not saying it is from them or they will be inundated with requests. 

Prison Ministry (DRC03b)

The prison ministry focuses on women who are sent to prison with their children. US$8,000 is sent and this has been helping up to 60 women.

For some time, they have not been able to regularly visit the prisons as they do not want Ebola to be spread in the prison. The funds are still being used to supply some small items for living; soap, washing powder, clothing, baby supplies and small food supplements. 

With some of Jacqueline's team, people from the university have developed some resources for the women as they are feeling extra isolated because of Ebola, the fear and the lack of people being able to visit from outside the campus. 

Ideas for the Future

Right now, they are in survival mode, trying to help as many as possible with what they have. 

George is about to complete his second term as chancellor of the university. He is only supposed to be in the role for two terms, but there is no one remotely on the horizon to take over the role from him. He does not know what the board will do, but he is expecting to have to stay on. 

Comments

I think we need to hang in there for the time being until the situation with Ebola settles down somewhat and until we can meet George face to face to discuss in more detail what the future might look like. Hopefully we’ll be able to see him in the middle of 2027, that is what is being planned.