The Orphanage
A commitment of $50 a month
helps us continue this vital work.
Congo Aid is privileged to work in partnership with the remarkable DRC Non-Government Organisation, The Committee for Children in Distress (CCD). Dorcas Mbambu and her husband, Archdeacon Emmanuel Kiharami run the orphanage in Butembo, North Kivu, DRC where there are 85 children in challenging conditions. However, since 2011 when Congo Aid committed to being the main sponsor of the work, many improvements have occurred. Congo Aid supports the monthly basic requirements of food, clothes and medicine for the children.
What difference does Congo Aid make to the children of the orphanage?
With the financial support from Congo Aid providing the basic needs of food, clothing and medications Dorcas and Kiharami, in partnership with Congo Aid, are able to plan for the future. Since 2011, in addition to the general support Cong Aid has sponsored additional projects:
• The completion of the 3rd house for the orphans
• Mattresses and blankets for all the children
• The completion of the new house for the orphans
• The completion of a new toilet
• School fees for the children in secondary school
• School uniforms
“We really wonder as to how we should express our gratitude for the wonderful things you are doing. The recent fund you sent, has done much at the orphanage since the number of orphans as increased, That fund has really help us to respond to urgent needs. And at the present, all of them are getting well. Those (from the war) who have just recently arrived, are now feeling at home. And we praise God for that...We always need your assistance in prayers and other things, for the work we are doing is very challenging and heavy to bear. It needs a lot of commitment, patience and intensive spiritual, financial, physical etc., interventions from God's fearing persons like you.”
— Dorcus, September 2017
rebuild the house
A commitment of a one off payment will helps us continue this vital work to rebuild this house.
Following the devastating fire almost 24 months ago where one of the three houses for the children burnt down, the situation remains tragic. The house remains uninhabitable due to the lack of funds. The temporary toilets that were built straight after the fire are now collapsing. With the endless unrest in the area from militia groups there is now 78 children on the site of the orphanage, even with one of the houses being unable to be used. This is causing huge stresses and difficulties in safely managing the number of children needing care.
The cost of repairing the house and rebuilding permanent toilets and bathroom facilities is around $25,000USD.
Congo Aid is hoping to raise this amount in the REBUILD THE HOUSE PROJECT. The emergency funds that many generously gave at the time of the fire was spent replacing all items destroyed in the fire such as food, cookware, (see photo below) beds and bedding, clothing, school uniforms and equipment, personal items and the building of temporary toilets and immediate repairs to make the house ready for the permanent repairs.
With your help we can now assist in the permanent repairs of the house and toilets to make the daily life for these children safer and happier.
“We can not thank Congo Aid enough for the support you have sent to help get food, clothing, bedding and cooking pots after they were all lost in the fire.”
— Bishop Isesomo, August 2023
Get them off the Ground
A commitment of a one off payment will help us continue this vital work to build the tables and benches for the children to enjoy their meals.
Following the devastating fire at the residential care facility where one of the three houses for the children burnt down, all the tables and benches that were stored next to this house were destroyed.
The children have been sitting on the ground to eat their meals in the dirt and, if raining, in the wet. Building the tables and benches will have an immediate impact on improving the health of the children.
The cost of building the table and benches is $2,800USD.
Teachers to
Teachers
A commitment of $50 a month
will pay a teacher’s salary
Connect with teachers who need our support through Congo Aid and its Teacher to Teacher Project
The teachers at Mutiwanzuki School know the value of education. Their students are the poorest of a very poor society. Of the just over 500 students, half are orphans and the rest from very poor families. Without the school, these children would not receive an education. Teachers work each day, in very basic, difficult conditions and often, ONLY because they know this is the HOPE for their students and their country.
Three essentials of a school are venue, teachers and students. At Mutiwanzuki there are 17 staff including 2 ancillary staff. The teachers at Mutiwanzuki know the value of education. CAI wish to support them in two different ways:
1. Salaries
2. Logistics (resources etc.)
First and foremost we wish to honour the staff with the provision of a regular salary of $50 per month. We are providing this through the Teacher to Teacher sponsorship program. This program asks teachers, groups of teachers or staffrooms in developed worlds to provide $600 per year as a regular commitment. Without this, the Congolese teachers are required to look for other means of supporting their families after full days of work- something we here would not contemplate.
Most of the teachers have limited electricity and no running water at home.
Needing to feed their own families they have to raise money daily to buy food which means they need to work many hours outside their teaching, growing food, selling wood
Peter Bragg relates a story of a teacher (not from Mutiwanzuki) that they met on the road who, following a full school day would walk 7km to a forest, cut firewood, return further to the markets and sell the wood. With the proceeds she would buy food for her family, return home and cook it over a wood fire. And this was a daily task.
It is a harsh reality that these teachers have continued even when they have not been paid.
“We thank God very much for all orphans have passed exams and in September (2012) they will start other classes. They are all happy.
In addition, it is usual in all provinces throughout the country that all pupils at Primary Schools should attempt a provincial examination at the end of class 6 . We praise God so much for pupils from MUTIWANZUKI have been among those who performed successfully in our Province (North Kivu). ……. All 44 pupils in class 6 have reached the end and all of them passed the Provincial exams very well. Because of that success MUTIWANZUKI has got good reputation in the standard of education.”
— Dorcus, September 2012
The Farm PROJECTS
Any contribution would make a difference to this community
In 2013 Congo Aid is thrilled to be sponsoring the Farm Project. This represents a vital step in the development of the orphanage as it will provide a degree of independent sustainability. With their own plot and the ability to grow food the orphanage will be less vulnerable to fluctuating prices. Prices have been rising over the past 9 months due to the increased number of refugees from the terrible war situation.
The land would be used for:
• growing food
• keeping some animals
• planting trees for firewood.
We need to buy:
• land
• supply fencing material,
• buy livestock
• buy grain
• build a small secure shed.
It will offer the children a chance to be trained in agriculture practices, experience farm management and animal husbandry. If you would like to donate to The Farm Project please label your donation Farm.
LEt’s get supplied
Any contribution would make a difference to this community
Once we can pay the teachers we would like to support them with resources and more adequate buildings.
Also, we have been able to make the main parts of the repair of the two class rooms. Even whether we have not yet completed them fully, pupils have already started using them.”
The teachers work in extremely challenging circumstances.
No electricity
No water on site
Inadequate pit toilets –literally a hole in the mud
Mud floors,( in tropical climate)
No weather-proof building
Very few and highly inadequate resources, sometimes not even enough chalk
Between 40-60 students in each class
Teaching students who may:
be hungry
have witnessed the death of their parents-often through horrendous violence
have been raped
be very sick
have lost many members of their family
The teachers work hard, every day, teaching literacy, numeracy, geography, history , science and life skills. All the teachers are qualified and highly dedicated, passionate about delivering the best quality learning environment for their students.
“the problem we are facing is the school materials since we have started a New School Year ( 2012-2013). We need to buy school materials for the headmaster, and teachers (i.e. office supplies like books, pens , chalks etc.) as well as for orphans.
— Dorcus
