This weekend, we invite you to join us for a time of prayer. One item we will lift up is the ongoing insecurity and violence in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces. Since the beginning of the year, frequent attacks in rural areas have killed over 200 people. A new report released also indicates that DR Congo has highest levels of hunger in world – a result of conflict and the impact of pandemics on food security. Please join our community in Congo as we come together in prayer for peace and stability in the region. Please contact shelly.johnston@congoinitiative.org for the Zoom link.
Students and staff have recently returned to UCBC’s main campus and they are pouring their hearts and hands into making it a beautiful place. Students and staff work alongside one another each Wednesday, demonstrating a commitment to this special place and the community around them. It’s their university; their place of transformation. #congo #ucbc #beni #transformation #futureleaders
From of us at Congo Initiative, Happy Easter! May your hearts be filled with hope and renewal. He is risen!
We are excited to share an insightful panel discussion about the Ebola outbreak and the Bethesda Counseling Center. Bethesda's director Noé Kasali and Bethesda beneficiaries participated in a symposium facilitated by Glasscock Center and Scowcraft Institute of International Affairs Texas A&M University. The Symposium, The Long-term Impacts of Pandemics: Ongoing Disruptions to Societies, Families, and the Economy, explores the complex dynamics and realities faced by communities in eastern Congo during and after epidemics like Ebola. The symposium provides a platform to hear from people who were, and continue to deal, with Ebola outbreak - including Bethesda beneficiaries. Different narratives surrounded the Ebola outbreak, response, and experience of those most affected by the disease, but this panel provides an opportunity to draw your own lessons and conclusions.
Panel 1 | "Social impacts of Ebola: DR Congo"
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In June 2020, the second-largest Ebola outbreak was declared over. But many of those who survived the disease face trauma and stigmatization. They also returned home to empty houses... their belongings burned as part of the protocol to fight the spread of the disease. Many lost important documents such as birth certificates. Partnering with @unicefrdcongo, Bethesda Counseling Center provided trauma counseling and vocational training to help survivors (women and children), helping them cope and adjust back to social life. Recently, mothers received new birth certificates for their children during a celebration ceremony at Bethesda. Our attention now turns to a new Ebola outbreak in an area south of Beni. 12 cases have been confirmed and the response team is facilitating a vaccination campaign. Our thoughts and prayers are with the healthcare workers and all those impacted. May this outbreak be contained quickly. #Congo #Ebola #bethesda #hope #counseling #trauma
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