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… Read More
TESTIMONIALS
Please take a moment to read these stories of transformation and see why the work of Congo Initiative matters.
Expanding Women’s Influence Requires More Than An Education
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
An Equal Congo is an Enabled Congo
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… Read More
A Step Toward Healing & Restoration
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
A Deep Common Journey
THE NEXT 500 IMPACT REPORT
CELEBRATING 15 YEARS!
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… Read More
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
“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,… Read More
UPDATE ON INSECURITY & THE EBOLA VIRUS IN EASTERN CONGO
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… Read More
A MESSAGE FROM DR. DAVID KASALI TO 2018 UCBC GRADUATES
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… Read More