Congo Initiative
Congo Initiative equips the rising generation through transformative education for a flourishing Congo.
Please take a moment to read these stories of transformation and see why the work of Congo Initiative matters.
After graduating from secondary school and succeeding in the state exams, Anuarite Mathe Kahambu, set her sights on the next…… Read More →
Emma Smith Cain first heard about Congo Initiative when she lived in Eastern Congo and worked for an NGO distributing food and household goods to internally displaced people. She was drawn to UCBC because, even with the unrest in the region, the staff and students were committed to staying. “I was impacted by how the staff […]
For the first time in six years, UCBC hosted the International Justice Conference with UCBC law students and members of the International Association of Christian Jurists (AIJC). The gathering, which took place in March, was the sixth iteration of the conference and the joy at being together once again was evident. CI-USA board member, Christen […]
In January 2023, Benediction Mulihavya Kahasa celebrated with her peers the launch of the academic year. Kahasa comes from Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. She learned about UCBC through her brother who attends the university and spoke highly of the institution’s values and commitment to excellence. She wanted to study in an environment […]
Undoubtedly, the best part of working at UCBC is rubbing shoulders with the creative young changemakers who study there. I want to introduce you to one of these excellent young adults, David Bujiriri, or as he is called by his friends, Buj (pronounced “oo” as in boot). Buj is a junior computer engineering major from […]
On Wednesday January 25th, a bomb exploded in the Macampagne market in Beni injuring 17 people. Just a week earlier on January 15th, a bomb detonated during Sunday service at a Pentecostal church in Kasindi killing 15 people and injuring dozens of others. The village of Makugwe was also attacked. 23 people were killed and […]
Have you ever seen a child take its first steps? Those wobbly, wide-eyed, arms-in-the-air steps that propel them from babyhood into the rest of their life? Imagine being a young parent in Beni, cautiously watching your first child take their first steps on the swept-clean dirt floor of your cement-brick home. The wonder, terror, excitement […]
Congolese women and children bear the brunt of the crippling effects of hundreds of years of colonialism, war, and exploitation. Socio-cultural norms that favor patriarchy exacerbate poverty, domestic abuse, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Violence against women has sadly increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, limited awareness and adherence to women’s […]
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Originally from Uganda, Rhéa Lutala (‘20) was nervous when her family first arrived in Beni in 2016. The schools she attended used English as the primary language of instruction. But she was excited when she heard about Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) and decided to enroll in the communications department with a focus in […]
When Bethesda Counseling Center Director, Noé Kasali, was driving home one day, he saw three kids selling baskets on the side of the road. Noé stopped to purchase a basket for his home. As he spoke with the kids, he asked them where they were from. They responded, “We are displaced from the Oriental Province.” […]
Ginette recently graduated from UCBC’s Agribusiness program. She now works with MAVUNO, a nonprofit that is pioneering a model of grassroots agribusiness development in Congo. As a consultant, Ginetteworks with farmers and trains them in agribusiness practices. Ginette dreams of establishing her own business that will specialize in training Congolese farmers—a shining testament to the […]
“I came to understand that when God decides to bless you, no one can block what He has decided.” These words from Kavira Matofali Mélanie serve as a reminder of God’s sovereignty and grace. Kavira is a student in the Electronic Engineering department of Applied Sciences at UCBC. As one of multiple children, Kavira knew […]
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 […]
In January and February, we held a four-part seminar series to reflect and learn together with a host of CI friends who shared their wealth of experience in strengthening the church in Africa and beyond. Through this four-part seminar, we hope participants were equipped to meaningfully connect with their communities, to the African Church, and […]
Recently, I was taking a walk with my wife and our children when we heard men yelling from the top of a truck “corona, corona, corona!” My wife being an American, is perceived as a carrier of COVID-19. This one-time incident that I faced with my family is a daily occurrence in the lives of […]
At the beginning of the Ebola outbreak in August 2018, national and international experts were deployed in Beni to tackle the virus. Many of these people quickly started developing the narrative that people in Beni didn’t want to cooperate with the Ebola response. Bethesda carried out a survey around people’s perception of the Ebola outbreak […]
At the beginning of the Ebola outbreak in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, accepting and coping with a whole range of social and cultural changes was devastating. People could not shake hands, hug, or touch one another. However, the hardest part of the Ebola outbreak for many people was the experience of “safe and dignified […]
Developing sustainable businesses in eastern Congo is no small feat. A fragile infrastructure, ongoing insecurity, deadly outbreaks such as Ebola, and now the global pandemic makes business and even daily life in Congo hard. That is why UCBC alum, Butoto Mahinduzi, is not surprised when he is asked “Why did you come back to Congo?” […]
Like the rest of the world, we are learning together about what gender equality means and how we all play a part in achieving it. For many women in Congo, just getting to study at a university seems like an impossible dream. But what we have learned at UCBC is that just providing education isn’t enough to support women’s equal access to jobs, influence, and achievement of their dreams. They also need to know that their community will support them enough to take risks required for growth. Both men and women are necessary to make this happen…. Read More →
International Women’s Day on March 8th provides an important opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements while calling for greater equality around the world. This year’s theme, each for equal proclaims that an equal world is an enabled world. At Congo Initiative, we are committed to breaking down the barriers to gender equality in Congo. We stand […]
In August 2018, the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak struck eastern Congo and the Beni Territory. Since then, over 2200 people have died from the deadly disease. The outbreak, along with periods of insecurity and violence, has left many women, children, and men traumatized as they experience the loss of loved ones and witness the toll these threats take on their families and communities. But through your support and the Bethesda Counseling Center, they are finding ways to move forward. Bethesda journeys with those deeply affected by the Ebola outbreak as they take steps towards healing and restoration…. Read More →
After graduating from secondary school and succeeding in the state exams, Anuarite Mathe Kahambu, set her sights on the next…… Read More →
In 2003, Congolese Christian leaders gathered as gunfire and mortar rounds echoed through the air on the outskirts of Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo. Together they lamented the historical and current violence and trauma suffered by Congolese communities. They asked how Christians–people of faith and committed to justice, hope, and peace–should respond to the suffering […]
Esther Lubemba (’19) shares her excitement on graduation day.
“The population is so traumatized that everything for them is viewed through the lens of distrust of authority, physical insecurity, and the inability of the world to protect them. These viruses manage to exploit social vulnerabilities and fault lines. That’s what we’re seeing in this Ebola outbreak starkly.” Peter Salama, head of the World Health […]
On August 1, 2018, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared a new outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in the northeast part of the country. (Congo Initiative is based in Beni, North Kivu, just a few miles from the initial epicenter of the outbreak.) […]
Dear Graduates, I congratulate you, the 2017-18 UCBC graduating class, for four years of hard work and remarkable achievement. During your time at UCBC, you have heard me say, “Only the best is good for the Lord.” Together, we have sought to be and do our best. Today, your graduation is the culmination of God’s […]
As we know, people around the world are joining together in the continued fight for women’s rights, equal pay, security, and justice. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, UCBC’s Women’s Voices has entered that fight, encouraging students and the wider community to challenge the pervasiveness of sexual violence against women and the norm of undervaluing […]
What did four years at l’Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) mean for Juliette Kavugho Mali (’14)? The youngest of three girls…… Read More →
From celebrating over 500 alumni and the 10-year anniversary of our main institution–l’Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC)–to influencing land reform policy, to providing counseling for those deeply wounded by trauma and violence, our transformative community continues to be a beacon of hope amidst challenging times…. Read More →
Adelphine Angemito graduated in 2013. She now serves as a human resources coordinator for Congo Initiative in Beni.
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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 →
When the Academic Dean for Teaching, Innocent Bora, read the academic results at the 2016 UCBC graduation, the crowd erupted …… Read More →
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 →
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 […]
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]
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 […]
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 →
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 →
“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, […]
“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 […]
“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 […]
“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 […]
“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 […]
“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 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 →
