Claiming Voice, Leading Change
In eastern Congo, women are at the heart of their communities—sustaining families, leading with resilience and working toward a more hopeful future despite ongoing conflict and instability. Many carry significant responsibilities, often as primary providers and caregivers, while navigating barriers to economic opportunity, education, and safety. Yet across these challenges, women continue to organize, lead, and invest in their communities. Their strength, vision, and determination are not only sustaining daily life—they are shaping a path forward for long-term peace and transformation.
We have the privilege of walking alongside women who are not waiting for change; they are creating it. Every day, we see women stepping into leadership, investing in their education, and building futures that reflect their dignity, resilience, and potential. As Dr. Rebecca Wasingya, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management at UCBC, affirms, “women across Africa are not only capable, they are essential leaders in shaping thriving societies.” Her own journey reflects what is possible when women are equipped and supported to lead.
This spirit was powerfully reflected during the March 8 celebrations of International Women’s Day, as women across Congo Initiative and UCBC departments and community engagement initiatives gathered to celebrate, envision the future, and uplift one another. In a context where challenges are real, hope in eastern Congo is not passive—it is active, collective and transformative. Together, these women affirmed their shared commitment to building a more just and peaceful Congo for themselves, their families, and their communities. Through initiatives such as the Nyota Leadership Program, Positive Masculinity Workshops, Women Voices, and Women of Hope, Congo Initiative is not simply supporting women; it is investing in leaders who are claiming their voices, exercising their leadership, and driving meaningful, lasting change across eastern Congo.
PHOTO GALLERY – INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
UPDATES
In Memory
We are deeply saddened to learn that a former UCBC staff member, Subira Bonhomme, was among seven people who lost their lives in a tragic attack on the headquarters of Upemba National Park last week in the DR Congo.
Subira served as UCBC’s Agribusiness Coordinator in 2016-2017. During his time with the university, he was deeply committed to sustainable approaches that protect the environment while helping people and communities flourish through agroforestry and responsible land stewardship.
He is survived by his wife and two children. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Subira’s family, as well as to the families of the other six individuals who lost their lives in this tragic attack. Our prayers are with all who mourn this profound loss and the entire parks conservation community.
Photo by The Guardian. See more on this story here.
An Ecumenical Gathering of Women
On March 4, 2026, the Bilingual Christian University of Congo (UCBC), through its Church Renewal and Global Mission program, convened a powerful gathering of women leaders in Beni as part of its ongoing Church and Community Transformation (CCT) initiative. Hosted at Malepe Church, the session brought together women from diverse denominations, creating a space for shared learning, mutual encouragement, and a collective vision for their communities.
Together, these women explored practical, locally rooted solutions to the challenges they face, strengthening their capacity to lead with creativity, courage, and purpose. What stood out most was the spirit of collaboration and solidarity. In a context often shaped by division and hardship, this gathering reflected something different: women coming together across lines of difference to build trust, share wisdom, and support one another’s leadership. CI-UCBC continues to make strides in fostering inclusive spaces for women, investing in their growth not only as participants but as leaders shaping the future of their churches and communities.
Peace and Reconciliation Conference – Great Lakes Initiative
The Great Lakes Initiative (GLI) is a network of Christian organizations working to advance peace and reconciliation across the seven countries of East Africa’s Great Lakes Region. For more than a decade, GLI has created space for Christian leaders to reflect, renew, and be equipped for this vital work. This month, the CI–UCBC School of Theology partnered with GLI-DRC to host a weeklong training seminar, bringing together 35 participants—including pastors, priests, chaplains, students, professors, and peacebuilding practitioners—from six different denominations. Centered on the theme “Christian Theology of Reconciliation: Toward a Biblical, Practical, and Contextual Approach in the DRC,” the institute invited participants to engage deeply with GLI’s Word Made Flesh methodology and to be equipped and mobilized as leaders in God’s mission of reconciliation in Congo.
Meet a Grad: Abigael Masika Muhongya
“Women are capable of focusing and working hard in fields that people say are for men. Before I came to UCBC, I faced many challenges. One big challenge was finding money for my academic fees. Another challenge was the question people always asked me, ‘Why are you studying engineering? You studied economics in secondary school, and you are a woman.’ But one thing I learned during my four years at UCBC is that when you put God at the center of everything you do, things can work out in miraculous ways. Without God’s help, I know I would not have been able to finish my studies. UCBC is an excellent university. I have personally experienced the sense of family they describe when they say, ‘UCBC is my family.’”
CONGO IN THE NEWS
- How mines in war-torn DRC lie at the heart of Trump’s fortune-hunting in Africa (The Independent)
- More than 200 killed in landslide at DRC coltan mine (Al Jazeera)
- ‘Abandoned by the world’: Congolese rights activist calls for justice, peace and equal respect (Africa News)
- US sanctions Rwandan army and top officials for supporting M23 in DRC (Al Jazeera)
- Belgian court orders trial of ex-diplomat for Congo independence icon Patrice Lumumba’s killing (AP News)
- How to dream big in war-torn Goma (DW Focus)
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