When Linda Kasali Musavuli first moved to Beni, she did not plan to study at UCBC. After attending secondary school in the big city …… Read More →
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Alumni Spotlight: Clarisse Ngoyi
Alumni Spotlight: Clarisse Ngoyi
When the Academic Dean for Teaching, Innocent Bora, read the academic results at the 2016 UCBC graduation, the crowd erupted …… Read More →
Partner Stories: Esther
Partner Stories: Esther
“The anticipation that comes with knowing these new leaders are going out there to influence others around them in whatever field…”… Read More →

WAKISHA LAUNCHES EMERGING ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM
WAKISHA LAUNCHES EMERGING ENTREPRENEURS PROGRAM
When you hear the term “startup” you may think of tech hubs like San Francisco, or perhaps the new investment opportunities in startups listed by Forbes and other business platforms. However, in eastern Congo, young entrepreneurs are not only competing to launch their own businesses, but also to create positive change and development in their communities. […]

THE CELEBRATION PHOTO GALLERY
THE CELEBRATION PHOTO GALLERY
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PHOTO GALLERY: 10 YEARS
PHOTO GALLERY: 10 YEARS
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Why we are celebrating 10 years of hope & transformation

“UCBC is shining everywhere”
“UCBC is shining everywhere”
Watch UCBC alumna, Hulda Vagheni, reflect on 10 years of UCBC and shares why the university was so important for her and for Congo. … Read More →

The UCBC Integrated Research Institute Works to Revitalize Congo’s Coffee Sector
The UCBC Integrated Research Institute Works to Revitalize Congo’s Coffee Sector
Coffee is DR Congo’s number one agricultural export in terms of both revenue and volume.[1] Endowed with a favorable climate, rich soil, and abundant rainfall, DRC has the environmental conditions to produce some of the best coffees in the world. Despite its promise, DRC’s coffee sector has yet to fulfill its potential. But, that could […]

Promoting a Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Society on World Press Freedom Day
Promoting a Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Society on World Press Freedom Day
Every year on May 3, the world celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom on World Press Freedom Day. And, for the past 5 years, UCBC’s has organized a conference and annual festival of communication and information. But, for the first time UCBC recognized the excellence of about thirty local journalists, student press organizations and […]

WATCH: Bethesda Counseling Center
WATCH: Bethesda Counseling Center
[ci-button link=”https://congoinitiative.salsalabs.org/bethesda_counseling_center/index.html”]Bethesda Counseling Center[/ci-button]
Kisumba Kamungele, President of DRC Cocoa & Coffee Exporters’ Association

CREATING SPACE FOR RECONCILIATION
CREATING SPACE FOR RECONCILIATION
On April 5th, during Congo Initiative’s International Justice Conference, Ugandan law professor Dr. Daniel Rhuweza was presenting justice challenges he faces in his country. Half-way through his presentation, he suddenly paused, stepped away from the podium, and dropped to his knees, head bowed. Overcome with emotion, he began to ask the audience of Congolese lawyers […]
Watch Dr. David Kasali’s plenary address at the 2017 HNGR Symposium

Meet UCBC’s New Agribusiness Coordinator, Subira Bonhomme
Meet UCBC’s New Agribusiness Coordinator, Subira Bonhomme
Before joining the UCBC team as Agribusiness Coordinator, Subira Bonhomme new UCBC well. He recalls visiting UCBC a number of times and was drawn to the institution’s commitment to bilingual and holistic training that provided a global perspective on the environmental sciences, a field he planned to pursue passionately. Bonhomme grew up in the Lubero […]

New Look, Same Purpose
New Look, Same Purpose
As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we are thrilled to reveal our new look! One year ago we began a journey of seeking to better understand who we are and how to communicate with our diverse supporters in clear and compelling ways. The process involved conversations with employees and board members, our Congolese community, and our […]

UCBC plays critical role in supporting land reform in Congo
UCBC plays critical role in supporting land reform in Congo
On February 4, 2017, UN-Habitat/Global Land Tools Network (GLTN) in partnership with l’Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) and the North Kivu government, officially launched a project to support the land administration in the implementation of land reform programs in Beni and other areas of eastern Congo. The project aims to support land dispute resolution by […]

Join Dr. David Kasali at the 2017 HNGR Symposium
Join Dr. David Kasali at the 2017 HNGR Symposium
Wheaton College’s 2017 Symposium in Human Needs and Global Resources brings together diverse scholars and leaders to celebrate the transformative work that God is doing through young people around the world. We are pleased to share that Dr. David Kasali, Rector of the Christian Bilingual Christian University of Congo (UCBC) and Co-Founder of Congo Initiative, will deliver the […]

Changing the image of youth in Congo
Changing the image of youth in Congo
Gathering in UCBC’s new Hope Chapel Tent, 700 youth met to discuss, share, and reimagine their identities as young Congolese. A two-day conference put on by the Center for Church Renewal and Global Mission (CCRGM) focused on encouraging youth as the hope for Congolese social change now and in the future. Congolese youth are often […]

Becoming Instruments of Healing and Restoration
Becoming Instruments of Healing and Restoration
The new Bethesda Counseling Center recently held a two-day seminar for local church leaders. Focusing on the theme, “We are God’s instruments for healing and restoration,” the goals were to encourage and offer spiritual and psychological support to church leaders serving in communities facing trauma, and to open dialogue on creating safe spaces to listen to, […]

VIDEO: WHY I BELIEVE CONGO NEEDS UCBC
VIDEO: WHY I BELIEVE CONGO NEEDS UCBC
Please join Jack and hundreds of others participating in the hope and transformation bursting forth in eastern Congo. Every gift to the UCBC Fund is an investment in the future leaders of Congo! [ci-button link=”https://congoinitiative.salsalabs.org/ucbcfund”]GIVE TODAY![/ci-button]

UCBC DEDICATES HOPE CHAPEL
UCBC DEDICATES HOPE CHAPEL
On Wednesday, November 30th, UCBC organized and dedicated Hope Chapel, the newest edition to the campus. This outdoor tent will hold up to 800 people and serve the community as a gathering and chapel space until the completion of the University Chapel and Community Center. Apart from UCBC students and staff members, local organizations, churches, business […]

We are the Democratic Republic of Congo
We are the Democratic Republic of Congo
We are young women and men, students studying at the Bilingual Christian University of Congo (UCBC), located in Beni, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. In this year, 2016, we continue to live in a war zone, despite the peace agreements of 2002 that marked the official end of our country’s Great War, and […]

#GIVINGTUESDAY 11.29.16
#GIVINGTUESDAY 11.29.16
Congo Initiative is participating for the first time, in #GivingTuesday, on November 29, 2016. #GivingTuesday is a movement that celebrates generosity and kicks off the season of giving in the U.S. and elsewhere. Starting Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, at 12:00 a.m. and continuing until 11:59 p.m. EST, you can join the giving movement and make […]

Linda Musavuli
Linda Musavuli
When Linda Kasali Musavuli first moved to Beni, she did not plan to study at UCBC. After attending secondary school in the big city and capital, Kinshasa, she could not imagine leaving the larger universities of the city for a young university in the town of Beni. In fact, she wanted to study some day […]

THE GIFT OF BOOKS
THE GIFT OF BOOKS
Written above the lobby of the Université Chrétienne Bilingue Du Congo’s (UCBC) library is the famous quote by Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” A powerful reminder of education’s important role promoting peace and the common good. Education comes in various forms, but books have always […]

Designing spaces of transformation
Designing spaces of transformation
When Matthieu Lembelembe graduated high school in Bukavu, DRC, he planned to pursue medical studies. But, seeing the situation in his country and the consequences of decades of war, he became determined to contribute to the rebuilding of his country in the very literal sense. Now a graduate of architecture, Lemblembe is now overseeing the […]

UCBC opens Bethesda Counseling Center
UCBC opens Bethesda Counseling Center
In answer to needs seen throughout the region of Beni, in North Kivu, people representing various sectors of the town of Beni came to witness the launching of Bethesda Counseling Center. Approximately 125 people were present on Friday, October 7, 2016, to witness the start of UCBC’s Bethesda Counseling Center in Beni. Not only were […]

UCBC campus is changing!
UCBC campus is changing!
Construction work on our visionary University Chapel and Community Center continues and we just completed four new classrooms, each with a potential capacity of 90 students. … Read More →

Clarisse Ngoyi
Clarisse Ngoyi
When the Academic Dean for Teaching, Innocent Bora, read the academic results at the 2016 UCBC graduation, the crowd erupted in cheers when Clarisse Ngoyi’s name was read. Ngoyi graduated with distinction and at the top graduate in her class…. Read More →

In Pictures: 2016 UCBC Graduation
In Pictures: 2016 UCBC Graduation
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Video by Eastern Congo Initiative highlights UCBC

UCBC encourages candidates as they prepare for Examen d’Etat – National Diploma
UCBC encourages candidates as they prepare for Examen d’Etat – National Diploma
Many of us are familiar with the anxieties that come with passing a major exam, particularly one that determines eligibility to attend an institution of higher education. In the United States, college entry exams like SAT and ACT play this role. In Congo, thousands of secondary school students take a similar exam called the Examen […]

Vivian Bwirabuli
Vivian Bwirabuli
It’s lunch time at the Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo, and the Secretary of the Rector, Vivian Bwirabuli, takes a break to enjoy a beautiful, breezy day at the campus in her hometown of Beni…. Read More →

Promoting Creation Care at UCBC
Promoting Creation Care at UCBC
In a study released by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), researchers indicate Congo’s rich natural resources could make the nation ” a powerhouse for African development.” However, there is a caveat, “provided multiple pressures on its natural resources are urgently addressed.” Since its beginnings, the UCBC community has been aware of this reality, developing programs […]

Revitalizing coffee in Congo
Revitalizing coffee in Congo
In Beni, a once prominent hub for coffee production, UCBC alumni and students are also aware of the resurgence of Congo’s coffee industry and its importance for stability in the region. … Read More →

Remembering Papa Manassé
Remembering Papa Manassé
On April 27, 2016, Congo Initiative, UCBC, and the local church, La Communauté Baptiste au Centre de l’Afrique (CEBCA), lost a pillar in the community, Mbusa Kamabu Thaluliba Manassé…. Read More →

In Mangina, change is real!
In Mangina, change is real!
“Change for me is no longer a dream,” says Kavugho Mulenze, a confident, 52 year-old mother of 7 living in Mangodomu, a small village in the town of Mangina, located 30 Km west of Beni. Kavugho narrates energetically how she grew from a simple farmer, constantly worried about the survival of her family, into an […]

Women rise up during International Women’s Day celebration
Women rise up during International Women’s Day celebration
Women’s Voices plays a crucial role in bringing discussions on gender equality and discrimination into conversation on UCBC’s campus and beyond…. Read More →

2015 Annual Report
2015 Annual Report
Download 2015 Annual Report

Butoto Mahinduzi
Butoto Mahinduzi
“I realized that my accomplishments in economics was just a gift I needed to use to help others. I felt called to teach, encourage, and help others manage their money in order to come out of poverty.” Butoto Mahinduzi traveled to Beni in 2010 to the surprise of his father, who manages a small restaurant, […]

Solar power revolutionizes UCBC library, benefits the wider community
Solar power revolutionizes UCBC library, benefits the wider community
Solar power has transformed the way we work, study, and worship at the UCBC campus. One of the areas most impacted is the library. Before solar energy, UCBC’s diesel generator was only capable of powering 4 or 5 computers, while the other 33 in the library lab sat unused. The power supply was also inconsistent […]

Nehemiah Babikana
Nehemiah Babikana
“The UCBC programs are feeding and nourishing us, and this is only possible through Congo Initiative supporters. Each individual student feels the impact of CI supporters, and it waters the seeds within us.” Nehemiah Kabucungu Babikana was not necessarily inclined to take on leadership roles before coming to UCBC. However, throughout his four years as […]

Kavira Angélique Malikidogo
Kavira Angélique Malikidogo
“I feel compassion to care for all the community at UCBC and feel very blessed to participate in the service-learning program.” Kavira Angélique Malikidogo, a leader and mother to many, is often called by her fellow UCBC students, “Mama Malikidogo.” This is in part because she is in fact a mother of 5 children, but also […]

Suzanne Busara
Suzanne Busara
“In Congo, it is important to have people who studied and know how to use technology. We are like the first generation of doctors, except in the field of technology.” Suzanne has lived across Congo, from Kinshasa in the west, to Goma, Butembo and now Beni in the east. She grew up with parents serving […]

Lygisha Malonga Mbambu
Lygisha Malonga Mbambu
“I was very glad to graduate because it was something I couldn’t imagine reaching at the beginning!” Last year, Lygisha Malonga Mbambu became the first woman in her family to graduate from a university. As the graduation festivities happened all around her, she remembered the difficulty of beginning at UCBC after spending four years out […]

Benzema Anguandia
Benzema Anguandia
“The best thing about UCBC is the vision, the change it seeks to bring someone, and the hope for a better tomorrow.” When asked how he felt on graduation day last year, UCBC alum Benzema (Ben) Anguandia responded, “I felt great. The feeling was indescribable because it felt good to close this chapter of my life […]

Augustin Nobamuzi
Augustin Nobamuzi
Augustin Nobambuzi had a difficult childhood. Raised in a poor family and living with the constant fear of ethnic violence, Augustin was no stranger to school cancellations due to war, the constant concern of where money for education would come from, and how to keep the family safe…. Read More →

Prioritizing Creation Care in Congo
Prioritizing Creation Care in Congo
If you have had the chance to visit Congo, or even see photos, you might agree with Dr. Margaret Mwenda, who said in her 2015 UCBC graduation commencement address, “When God created the world, He must have started with Congo!” Everything in Congo is so lush and green… Read More →

Dr. Margaret Mwenda’s Commencement Address
Dr. Margaret Mwenda’s Commencement Address
Today, as you graduate and step out of UCBC to serve and transform your respective communities and the Democratic Republic of Congo at large, I want to remind you that you have been “Called to Hope and Action in the Context of Challenges.” The question I pose to you today is… Read More →

Creation Care: Campus Conversations
Creation Care: Campus Conversations
Already a light in its corner of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo Initiative is positioned to set an example of ethical stewardship through caring for the created world. DRC boasts rich and biologically diverse forests, extensive waterways, and vast mineral deposits. However… Read More →

Dr. David Kasali Awarded 2014 Scholar Leader Of The Year
Dr. David Kasali Awarded 2014 Scholar Leader Of The Year
Congo Initiative Founder and President of the Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC / Christian Bilingual University of Congo) Dr. David M. Kasali has been awarded Scholar Leader of the Year for 2014 by ScholarLeaders International. … Read More →

Women’s Voices
Women’s Voices
If you educate a man, you educate an individual. If you educate a woman, you educate a nation. (Dr. Kwegyir Aggrey) It’s official! Women’s Voices is a formal entity at UCBC, complete with a motto–“Confidence, Influence, Identity in Christ,” stated objectives, and officers…. Read More →