Kaswera (or Kassie, as she’s known) trained as a nurse in Congo. While in Nairobi, Kenya, she got her diploma in Christian Ministries and Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Theology and received her Master of Religious Studies at Trinity in 1993. Upon her and David’s return to East Africa, Kassie served as a faculty member teaching in the Christian Ministries program at NEGST. She enrolled in the PhD in Educational Studies program at Trinity International University in 1998 and graduated in 2006.

Kassie leads the Holistic Family Development programs in Beni which includes La Charité Primary School and Vocational Training and Counseling for Women.

Since the very beginning of UCBC, Dr. Bunduki has served passionately as Academic Dean and more recently, Vice-Rector of UCBC. He earned his Ph.D. in Education from the University of South Africa (UNISA). Affirmed by colleagues, board leadership, and the wider community, Dr. Bunduki was appointed as the second rector of UCBC in December 2018. He demonstrates the expertise, skills, and leadership required to lead UCBC into this new season. While Dr. Kasali cast the vision for this unique university in eastern Congo, Dr. Bunduki played a crucial role in implementing its programs and structure. We are confident that UCBC will grow, prosper, and deepen its roots under Dr. Bunduki’s leadership, maintaining the vision embodied in the university’s motto: “Being transformed to transform.”

Théophile joined Congo Initiative (CI) in 2013. Théophile first served at UCBC as the Economics Faculty Secretary. Later on, in 2014, he served as the Economics Faculty Coordinator. Théophile participated in Congo Initiative’s Advanced Studies Program, receiving a Master’s degree in Finance from Daystar University in Nairobi, Keya. He returned to Beni in August 2019 to serve as the Chief Financial Officer for CI. He assists the VP of Financial Management to ensure that CI has robust and excellent financial management systems and compliance with relevant laws and regulations of the DRC government.  Théophile also teaches a few courses in the Economic’s Faculty at UCBC.

Daniel Masumbuko heard about CI-UCBC from its founder Dr. Kasali after they fled from Ituri because of ethnic war in 2001, and immediately saw the value of the vision and the impact it would have in transforming the nation. Since then and guided by faith, he has worked with CI-UCBC. He also serves as elder in the Brethren Church in Beni and served as Finance Director for many years at the Evangelical Medical Clinic of Nyankunde.

At CI-UCBC, Daniel serves as the Finance Director and Chaplain, and the Director of the Center for Church Renewal and Global Mission. In this last program, he and his colleagues  run reconciliation and trauma healing seminars in post conflict zones such as Ituri and Uganda. They are covering the Oriental Province and the Kivus in the DRC and also serve in Uganda and Rwanda with their sister organizations. Many lives and relationships have been restored as result of their work. At UCBC, he serves as a member of the Management Committee and contributes to the daily management of the institution. He holds an MA in Finance and International Trade from Herriot Watt University in the United Kingdom, and currently studies in the DMin program at Africa International University in Nairobi, Kenya.

Daniel is married to Claudine Masika Ndjadi since October 2, 1983. They have six children, two boys and four girls. Their oldest two daughters are married and have children of their own.

*In 2012, Daniel was honored as one of the Tanenbaum Peacemakers in Action finalists for 2012. The Tanenbaum Peacemakers in Action award recognizes the work of faith-based, local leaders who give of themselves to pursue peace and facilitate reconciliation in their communities.

Rev. Dennis Kalipi Mutondwe is a pastor in Eastern Congo. After dropping out of school as a young person, Rev. Kalipi felt called to return to school and pursue a degree in Theology at Katwa Biblical Institute. He later attended ULPGL-Butembo University to further his theological education. Rev. Kalipi has served as the senior pastor at Eglise Polyglossa Mgl-Butembo for over twenty years. In his role, he has a passion for reaching the unreached and equipping church, civil, and young business leaders. Additionally, seeing the needs associated with the on-going conflicts in Congo, Rev. Kalipii founded Wahusika Wa Amani in 2005. Wahusika Wa Amani, which means peace-maker, are campaigns around Eastern Congo that bring people together to discuss and meditate on how to promote peace in DRC.

Rose Kirere has a particular passion for health studies and community development work. After completing her training at the Nyankunde Nursing School, she went to the Nyankunde Nursing College, where she got my BA in Community Health and then went to France where she got a ‘Licence’ Degree in Local Development and a Master’s Degree in Cooperation Project. Her background has widely prepared her to appreciate how development and community transformation works. It was a joy for her when she first came in touch with UCBC leadership back in 2008, and they offered the opportunity to teach a class in Biblical Principles of Development.

Today, she is among the General Assembly members of the organization. She believes in the tremendous work of training prospective leaders who are ethically and intellectually prepared to change their challenges into opportunities. Rose is married to Professor Kirere and they are blessed with seven children, two boys and five girls. Of those children, four are adopted.

In 2016, Matt moved to Beni to supervise the structural retrofit and remediation work of the UCBC Community Center. Over the course of his 5 years working with Congo Initiative he became captivated by its vision of training Congolese future leaders for the transformation of Congo. He is honored to be able to play a role as a member of the General Assembly to ensure that this vision continues to grow.

Matt received a Bachelor Degree in Environmental Design from Uganda Martyrs University in 2015 and is currently pursuing his Master of Architecture Degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he lives with his wife Jessica.

Laura has worked in the nonprofit realm since graduating from Gordon College in 2007. She is particularly passionate about student development as well as grant research and writing. Her previous roles included serving as an Assistant Resident Director at Gordon College and a Volunteer and Service-Learning Coordinator at a community hospital. Laura first learned about Congo Initiative from board member, John David Bower and became more and more captivated with CI and its mission to educate and empower the next generation of Christ-centered transformational leaders for the flourishing of the DRC. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve as a Grants Assistant for CI and to learn from her sisters and brothers across the globe.

Laura lives north of Boston with her husband and their two little boys. She also enjoys serving on the leadership team of her local MOPS International group. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Youth Ministries and is currently working towards a Masters in Nonprofit Management at Northeastern University.

Bill Shewan serves Congo Initiative as our Senior Ambassador. In this position, Bill plays two vital roles for the organization. First, he is an advisor to the CI board and executive leadership. Second, Bill cultivates relationships with donors and seeks to develop networks of support for the organization.In his ministry with CI, Bill is able to draw upon his extensive experience as a nonprofit executive. Bill worked for Youth for Christ for 44 years. Early in his career he served as Associate National Training Director for YFC/USA for three years, then nine years as YFC Executive Director in Marion, IN, and two years as Associate Director for Ft. Wayne, IN YFC. Bill then served for 18 years as a coach and mentor to various YFC Boards and Executive Directors in his capacity as National Field Director for the Great Lakes Region of YFC/USA (40 local offices in 5 states). For 10 of those years he organized and hosted national training for incoming Executive Directors from around the country. In 2011, Bill launched YFC’s Legacy and Gift Planning Ministry in local YFC chapters across the nation. Most recently, Bill served as national ambassador for YFC/USA, building relationships with ministry partners, mostly in the Midwest.

Bill holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Valparaiso University) and a Master of Arts in Religious Education (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). He is an ordained minister and lives in Indianapolis, IN. Bill and his wife, Michelle, have two adult children, including Jessica, who is serving as Administrator and International Staff Coordinator for CI’s Center for Development and Partnership in Beni, DRC.

Emily Rhodes joined the CI-USA team as Administrative Coordinator in November 2021. She has worked for more than 15 years in nonprofit organizations, both in the U.S. and South Africa, covering a range of functions from office management to client service to program development.

She is excited to be part of the Congo Initiative team because of how the work and mission of CI resonate with her values. She appreciates how the voices of the people most impacted are centered as the organization is led by Congolese people for Congolese people. While CI is based on a foundation of education, it goes beyond that to promote transformational and systemic change through holistic leadership development. She also values its Christ-centered approach as the true source of flourishing for all people.

Emily holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Tufts University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Justice and Advocacy from Fuller Theological Seminary. Originally from the Chicago area, she has lived in New Orleans for 13 years and is a member of St. Roch Community Church.

Timo joined the CI USA board in 2019 but his connection to Congo began in 2008 when he lived in Goma in eastern Congo for 9 months.  He wore a lot of hats but primarily worked with HEAL Africa and Global Strategies for HIV prevention to enable the local production of a Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for severely malnourished children treated at the hospital.  Timo currently lives in central Connecticut with his wife and 2 daughters.  He has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Columbia University and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.  For most of the past 20 years, he has worked in the commercial property insurance industry and has experience training and coaching leaders, creating operational efficiencies, developing new capabilities and services, and being mindful of how budgets, strategies, and purpose come together to fulfill an organizations mission.  Timo is honored and excited to be part of the CI USA board.

Caroline’s love of Congo began during her undergraduate years when she took a course on Modern Sub-Saharan Africa taught by a retired diplomat. After that course she spent a summer as an English teacher in DRC. Her B.A. in French and Political Science from Texas Tech University and her M.A. in International Affairs from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University encouraged her to pursue a career in international development. During her time at Texas A&M, she worked with the Center on Conflict and Development, an international development research lab, where she discovered her passion for international agricultural development and deepened her passion for seeing peace and development in DRC.  After finishing her graduate studies, she served as a Murdock Fellow at World Vision, where she advised marketing teams on food security content and worked with corporate donors. Caroline also worked for the Post-Harvest Loss Innovation Lab at Kansas State University, where she supported the research of technologies and approaches that reduce post-harvest loss in developing countries. Her experience includes program management, grant writing, and donor relations with public, private, and individual donors. She is particularly interested in the intersection of higher education and international development and enjoys facilitating partnerships between university systems and NGOs. Caroline enjoys using her skills and experience as a board member for CI-USA.

David Eagle is a faculty member at Duke University in the Global Health Institute and the Department of Sociology. He also serves as research Director for the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School. His passion for shaping and forming healthy and effective leaders for the church builds from his six years serving as a pastor in Victoria, Canada.

He first visited the Eastern DRC in 2016 and wholeheartedly supports Congo Initiative’s vision to develop Congolese leadership. As a board member, he wants to enhance collaborative partnerships between Africans and North Americans. The challenges facing our world require us to live into the reality that we are in this together.

David finished his Ph.D. in sociology at Duke in 2015 and holds a Master of Divinity from Fresno Pacific Seminary and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta. He has a love for woodworking, cooking and baking. He lives in Durham, NC with his wife, Alison, a climate scientist, their three kids, two cats and six chickens.

Susan Heller Evenson was first introduced to DR Congo through the world of specialty coffee. As a green coffee trader at Seattle-based Atlas Coffee Importers, she frequently travels to the African Great Lakes region to strengthen relationships with Atlas’ coffee-producing partners. She’s actively involved in strengthening the coffee value chain in DRC and has also developed curriculum as a Content Creator with the Specialty Coffee Association.

After receiving her BA in Comparative Religion and Comparative History of Ideas from the University of Washington in 2005, Susan spent time in Switzerland studying Comparative Literature at the University of Geneva. She’s happy to continue her penchant for comparing things by regularly cupping/tasting coffee.

Susan first learned about the Congo Initiative in 2018 and has been an enthusiastic supporter of their transformative work in North Kivu. She is honored to join Congo Initiative’s board.

When not at Atlas, Susan can generally be found reading, rock climbing, crafting, running (in the rain, after her two kids, or occasionally both), or trying to get above the rain clouds and into the mountains.

Mary Henton had the privilege of being a CI board member from 2008 – 2011, during which time she spent several months in Beni. It was during that time that she experienced the power of a compelling vision despite overwhelming odds. She joined the staff of Congo Initiative as a Strategy and Development Facilitator in 2011. From 2015 – 2018 she served as Director of Faculty Development and Bilingual Affairs at UCBC.

Mary brings 30 years of education and leadership experience to her current position as a leadership coach and learning and development consultant. She holds a BA in education from Gordon College and an MEd in learning and development from Harvard University.

Mary is blessed with three adult children, their partners, and a granddaughter.

Francine Nabintu is a Bilingual (Fluent: English and French) Gender Technical Advisor with significant academic and work experience focusing on Program Management and Global Health. Originally from Congo, Francine started her career in peacebuilding (with a focus on gender) in the Great Lakes region in East Africa, and since coming to the US she has continued her focus on violence prevention and support to youth peacebuilders. Francine has joined the Gbowee Peace Foundation-USA as the Program Manager. The Foundation supports grassroots organizations that increase girls’ access to education in West Africa. Mrs. Nabintu holds a Bachelors in Communications/Journalism from UCBC and a Masters in International Development Practice from Emory University.

Christen Price is a human rights lawyer who engages in legal advocacy to end impunity for all forms of sexual exploitation.  In that capacity, she works to influence courts and legislatures toward protecting human dignity and equality for survivors, through legislative advocacy and litigation, particularly with respect to sex trafficking, prostitution, child sexual abuse, and pornography. Christen received her JD from Georgetown University Law Center, and a BA in philosophy from Cedarville University. Christen first encountered UCBC in 2010, when she visited Beni as part of a legal internship based in Northern Uganda.  She reconnected with Congo Initiative after hearing Paul Robinson, who taught and mentored some of her fellow parishioners, give an update at her church in 2017.  Christen is honored and excited to join Congo Initiative’s board.

Judith joined Congo Initiative – UK in November 2019 as Fundraising and Communications Coordinator.

She has an extensive background in project management, events management and administration both internationally and in the UK. Judith holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and French from Queen’s University of Belfast and a postgraduate Diploma in European Business Administration.

Judith has a deep passion to see social transformation and enabling people and organisations to better achieve this. Based in Spain for over 10 years, and with extensive travel, Judith managed the International Office of the NGO World Horizons, where she supported the organisation both in international coordination and communications, as well as regular field visits supporting leadership across multiple countries.

Prior to joining Congo Initiative UK, Judith worked in London, UK, for 10 years in the charity sector in project development and management, senior administration and event management roles. This work focused on improving outcomes for young people experiencing disadvantage locally and nationally through education and mentoring. Judith has recently returned to live in Northern Ireland and is excited to be using her skills and experience to help develop CI-UK as it supports the work in Congo.

Dr. Olufemi Akinlabi was raised in Lagos, Nigeria. His dad was Muslim while his mother was Christian. Though he attended mission primary and secondary schools, he was raised Muslim. He grew up seeing his mother attend church (African Church Mission). He qualified as a medical doctor in Nigeria in 1990. After periods of compulsory post-qualification postings and years of working in Nigeria, he left for Lesotho in 1999. While there, he was employed in a Christian Mission hospital, Maluti Adventist Hospital in Mapoteng. It was in Mapoteng that he met Jesus Christ and gave his life to the Living God.

He came to Ireland in 2003 to join his family and also continue work in his field of study. His family lives in Cavan and are members of the local church, Cavan Baptist Church. He has served in the Church as a Deacon and as Church Secretary, and was recently elected into Eldership. Olufemi is married to Olufunke since 1993 and their marriage has been blessed with two girls who are in college in Dublin and a boy in secondary school.

Eric Clarke is currently the Christian Blind Mission Country Manager for Northern Ireland. His first professional qualification was in Environmental Health, becoming a Member of the Institute of Environmental Health and Member of the Royal Society of Health.

Following God’s call to use his musical gift, he joined the staff of the Movement for World Evangelisation as soloist. Following ten years in this work, he studied Financial Services and worked in the profession for 15 years, developing his own financial consultancy practice.

He joined the Council of Belfast Bible College, which he chaired for three years. He also joined the Board of Christian Ministries, an umbrella organisation overseeing the ministry of three former colleagues–John Blanchard, Peter Anderson, and Derek Cleave. He has been the Chair for twenty years. From 2001-2012, he was on the Board of Prison Fellowship (NI) and acted as Hon. Treasurer.

In 2008, he became a Trustee of the Christian Fellowship Trust, a small but significant organisation in helping as ‘start-up’ supporters of new initiatives for the Kingdom of God. Following retirement from Financial Services, he joined Christian Blind Mission in 2008 and will be retiring in March 2016. God has doubly blessed him with a second wife, Helen. My first wife, Sally, passed away 27 yrs ago. They celebrated 25 years of marriage in May 2015. She has been a wonderful support and encouragement to all his ministry.