A World of Difference - Congo Initiative

This Congo Initiative update can be found in full, by clicking here!

A World of Difference

On a cool, overcast and breezy morning on July 28, students, faculty, staff, distinguished guests, family members and people from the wider community gathered to celebrate UCBC's second Commencement. Graduates were robed in their garments with stoles draped around their necks--down one side was printed "U.C.B.C." and down the other was the name of their academic discipline. The Commencement address was given by Daystar University's Vice-Chancellor Dr. Timothy Wachira. Special awards were presented by UCBC President ("Rector") Dr. David Kasali. The UCBC Welcome  Center was dedicated to the late Lyn Lusi, a courageous woman who dedicated her entire adult life to Congo, founded HEAL Africa with her husband, and served on the Board of CI-UCBC in Congo. 

So what's one more graduation? Honestly, we have them every year. Many of us have gone through them ourselves and sat through those of family and friends. Aside from the distinctly Congolese flair, in many ways this graduation looked a lot like other graduations. So what's the big deal?

The big deal is that the young men and women graduating from UCBC one month ago are not simply cogs in the machine. They did not graduate merely by satisfactory completion of assignments and rote memorization, which is the standard for Congolese universities. These graduates have not simply completed their studies, but they have been formed. They have been transformed. And now they will go out to transform. It will not happen overnight. It will not be easy. It will take years. Decades. Generations. But a new thing has begun and is flourishing at UCBC--the intentional, deliberate formation of leaders who are choosing peace, justice and hope for Congo--who take seriously the call to serve others. 

The big deal is that each graduate from UCBC represents another rupture in the cycle of poverty. Poverty that is not only physical, but mental. Circumstances may not change, but mindsets do. Value systems are formed that give new meaning to being fully human. Life, in all of its beauty and terror, is suddenly very different when seen through the lens of hope rather than despair. This is why a UCBC graduation makes all the difference in the world.  

UCBC Graduation 2012

Enjoy a few of our photos from this year's graduation ceremony!

Ready to leave home and go to the graduation ceremony

Students ready for the ceremony to begin!

On the way down to the ceremony - students were so happy!!

Family waiting for the graduates to arrive

Music with Mama Hulda as a prelude

Noé on the keyboard

The graduates getting closer to the stage!

Guitarists

Serious (or anxious?)graduates

Applied Science students waiting to receive their diplomas. 

The Rector and leaders handing out the diplomas

Graduates celebrating (during the ceremony) with friends and family

Lots of flowers, photos, and laughter!

Noé and Bethany - during the ceremony

A proud new graduate!

Young family members enjoying the celebration with a cold Coke!

Some of the new grads with President, Dr. David Kasali

A young son looking hungrily for the food - where is it?!

At the reception with  Noé's Mama

A great photo opp outside the Lyn Lusi Welcome Center at UCBC

Congratulations to all of the UCBC Graduates!! We are so proud of you! :) 

Campus Frenzy

It is two days before Graduation and the campus is in a frenzy. 

Most students have finished up exams. But a few have one this morning.

The library has been successfully and totally moved from the computer lab. We now have a library with book shelves holding hundreds of books, tables to study at and even a few couches and comfy chairs to read in. It’s a proper library.

Irene and Jerlas after presenting her final project (very well)!

Candidates for graduation have presented their final papers, publicly defended them, and are now awaiting results to find out if they will graduate on Saturday. (see photo on the right)

Visitors have been steadily arriving since Monday. Even more will come tomorrow.

The stage is getting set up, as are the tents for spectators to sit under during the graduation ceremony. Chairs and parking and decorations are all being prepared. The campus is changing before our eyes!

He occasionally uses a brush to "cut in," but the painter
does not protect the space around him, like the floors! 
Our cleaning crew will have a bit more work today :)

Final grades are being submitted (or calculated!) by the teaching staff – hopefully providing all of the grades and details for the 2^nd semester.

The diploma _____ (covers? books? folders? what are they called?) are here, with UCBC’s logo on the front – they look wonderful.

The grass – all of the grass – is being cut today. Thankfully not by hand, or with the weed whacker (there must be a real name for that!), but with a small push mower. It is gas-powered, so even though it will take most of the day to finish the lawn, at least it won’t take 3 days and 10 people!

Painting outside of the Welcome Center

The walls in the Academic Building are getting a fresh coat of paint... Dad, you might not be so impressed with the technique - but hopefully it will look great when the work is finished! The outside of the Welcome Center is also getting a make-over. (see photos on the right)

The CI-UCBC Board meeting started yesterday and goes until tomorrow. It is great re-connecting with members of the board and getting to know some of them a bit better.

Noé presented about the Work Program yesterday in the Board Meeting. He talked about the progress of the Program and some of the challenges that he’s faced… And he put together a wonderful presentation showing the changes on the UCBC campus, over the past four years. It’s remarkable to see.

UCBC is getting ready for graduation! 

Hopefully we’ll be able to upload the presentation so you can see the photos, soon!

Until then, it’s back to work :)

Lyn Lusi

We are mourning Lyn Lusi... And asking ourselves, "what next, Lord? How will we manage without Lyn?" We will miss her. We still don't know the answer to those questions, but believe and hope that Congo, the women, children and men that she served, will not suffer any more, as a result of the death of their champion, as that is what Lyn really was - to so many people.

The funeral will be in Butembo, tomorrow morning. Please, pray for her husband Jo, daughter Nadine, son Paluku and his wife and child - as they mourn the loss of a remarkable woman, wife and mother.

In memoriam, Lyn Lusi - Texas in Africa

It is a sad night in Goma, and it will be sad there for some time to come. I'm trying to think where they will hold the funeral, and how they will accommodate the thousands who will turn up to honor Mama Lyn with songs and dancing and talk of the deep, deep love that motivated her to care for so many. Lyn Lusi is irreplaceable. And, oh, she will be missed.









HEAL Africa mourns the loss of Co-founder Lyn Lusi

Lyn Lusi was the heart of HEAL Africa. Everybody called her “Mama”. She was like a mother for to  the 400 employees of HEAL Africa and to the thousands and thousands of women, children and men whom HEAL Africa was and is providing care for. Lyn passed away in Goma, DR Congo on the evening of March 17^th. “We are missing her so badly, but we know she is now on a better place. We will never ever forget what she did for us and for our country”, says a patient at the HEAL Africa’s hospital in the eastern Congolese town Goma where HEAL Africa is based.

She came to the Congo (formerly Zaire) from England in 1971 as a teacher with the Baptist Missionary Society. In 1974, she fell in love and married a Congolese physician, Dr. Kasereka M. “Jo” Lusi. They founded together with American friends an organization which trained young doctors in Congo and worked in it for the next 19 years. After earning her master’s degree in Human Resource Development and Training, Lyn and Dr. Jo founded HEAL Africa, bringing her formidable administrative, program and people skills to the survivors of violence and rape in the DRC.  In 2002, when a volcano destroyed the original hospital, the couple rebuilt HEAL Africa’s medical facility one wing at a time. The work which  Lyn started has helped many, many people to survive and rebuild their lives. HEAL Africa will keep on going, continuing her work and her legacy.

Lyn Lusi was 62 years old. She passed away from terminal cancer. She leaves behind her loving husband Jo, son Paluku and his wife and son, daughter Nadine, her sisters and thousands of friends and colleagues who loved her. She will find her resting place and last home in Butembo, North Kivu in DR Congo where the Lusi family is from. One of her last words before her death were: “Tell them not to cry”. Her love and her full heart will carry on – forever.

International Women's Day 2012

Happy International Women's Day! 

For a history of International Women's Day, click on this link.

And my thoughts on the day, from 2009, can be read by clicking on this link!

with love,
Bethany

ECI delegation's visit to UCBC in January

Hi Friends,

In January we welcomeda team from Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) at UCBC. ECI is an advocacy initiative working with organizations in Eastern DR Congo.

Please go to my colleague Chelsie's blog to read all about it! 

Eastern Congo Initiative and Ben Affleck Visit UCBC

Delegation from Eastern Congo Initiative visits UCBC

On Monday, January 23, 2012, Congo Initiative (CI) and Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) had the pleasure of hosting friends and partners from Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI). ECI is the first advocacy initiative focused exclusively on working with community-based organizations (CBOs) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Telling a different story - CI

Telling a Different Story - from Congo Initiative

Kipepeo Reflections: Telling a Different Story  Do you want to make a tangible difference in the lives of Congo's future leaders? Join Kipepeo Partners today and help us meet our goal of 50 partners by March 1. We only need 10 more sign-ups! Find out more about Kipepeo Partners. One of our Partners shares her story below: ***************************************** A couple years ago, I spoke with a law student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As we shared our life stories, I tried to recall everything I had read about the D.R. Congo on the internet or in books. But my mind blanked. The next morning, as coffee brewed, I decided to re-educate myself on the D.R. Congo's history, people, and beautiful terrains. My first questions were close to home. "If I were a Congolese woman, what would my life be like? What are their standards of beauty, roles in the home, and recent accomplishments?" As I typed "Congolese women" into my browser, I assumed the search would yield websites on Congolese literature, political developments, and colorful printed fabrics.  Instead, page after page was all about rape. War crimes. FDLR rebels (a remnant of Hutu forces) systematically destroying the reproductive capabilities of women. Besides a few charity efforts, few websites actually celebrated Congolese women; one article celebrated a doctor for his reconstructive surgeries of them. Gaping in disbelief, I then did a Google search for "American women." Immediately, links to songs, literature, "famous firsts" of American women, and women-only fitness centers popped up. Most links celebrated their beauty and strength.  The difference between my two searches could not have been more drastic.  The results grieved me for days. It was as if my whole world came to a stand-still. Friends asked why I would tear up at coffee, or on the way to the metro. Each time I answered them and shared why, I was surprised that others -- like me -- were completely unaware of the situation. Almost a week later, in sheer frustration, I confronted God. "Why are you letting me grieve? Why am I mourning? Obviously you've put this on my heart for a reason, but my tears are unproductive. Please give me an answer. Show me why D.R. Congo is on my heart." When I found out about the Congo Initiative, my prayers were answered. There was something I could do to help!  As soon as I found out about the work of Congo Initiative, I started giving to their programs monthly, and praying for them. While I have never been to the D.R. Congo, it means so much to me that Congo Initiative is working to build up strong and courageous women and men who will lead the D.R. Congo's future generations. I am inspired that Congo Initiative is promoting justice and nation-building on their campus...a campus where women are being respected, valued, and equipped for leadership! And, I am grateful that Congo Initiative is caring for disadvantaged women, and teaching them important skills. I wish I had even more to give. Being a Kipepeo Partner is the least I can do to help. Davita Maharaj Masters candidate in International Human Rights Law Oxford University ***************************************************  We are proud of the fact that roughly 45% of the current student body at UCBC is female. This is radical for a country in which the national average is around 10%. This embodies a different story about the women of D.R. Congo--a story marked by the hope and potential of their unique place as future leaders. Join Davita and others today by making a monthly pledge of support. Your gift will go toward covering the critical tuition costs that so many of our deserving students are unable to meet. Choose an amount that fits your budget. You will be making a real impact in the education and formation of a new generation of leaders. We only need 10 people to join to help us meet our March 1 goal of 50 Kipepeo Partners. Thank you in advance for partnering with us! Become a Kipepeo Partner Today

For more information about Congo Initiative or UCBC, please go to the websites, below.

www.congoinitiative.org
www.ucbc.org

Waiting for election results.

At 9am in Kampala, Uganda... We're waiting to hear the announcement of the results in the DRC.
The CENI website (http://www.cei-rdc.cd/) is not loading... Maybe it's down with too many visitors?

Some friends in Congo yesterday told us that text messaging services had been suspended within the country. People can send international text messages, but not inside of the country. I believe they can receive messages from international numbers as well.

Additionally, some cities had curfews yesterday and maybe even on Sunday night.

There are lots of soldiers in North Kivu... People are anxiously waiting for the results to be announced, supposedly that will happen today.

So for now, we are waiting.

A few more articles that I've found which you may want to read, especially this op-ed piece on the Guardian by Jason Stearns, which is quoted in part below. Click the link (or here) to read the full article.
"The verdict of Congo's voters must not be sacrificed for 'stability'"
Foreign powers who choose to look the other way as polls are rigged will hardly make the country more stable

Tens of millions of Congolese went to the polls last Monday. It was an emotional day: women with infants strapped to their back waited for hours in the sun, while elsewhere old men hobbled through knee-deep water to cast their ballots. And yet, as the country heads towards a post-election crisis, western diplomats seem ready to see the voters' verdict sacrificed for a misguided notion of stability. 

These elections, the second since the end of a bloody civil war, have been mired in controversy for the past year. In January, President Joseph Kabila's party orchestrated a change in the constitution, getting rid of a runoff round of polls for the presidency. This effectively pitted opposition candidates against each other, improving Kabila's chances. The election law was also changed, allowing the ruling coalition to appoint the head of the election commission. Nonetheless, the incumbent has faced stiff competition, especially from firebrand opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who has been able to attract crowds of over 100,000 people. There has been no reliable polling, but preliminary results from voting stations suggest that the race is tight, meaning even minor rigging could be a game-changer.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has suffered from violence for the past 15 years, often due to unaccountable leadership. Looking the other way as polls are rigged will hardly make the country more stable. 

And other recent articles to read: 

Congolese crisis - The Nation 

DRC: Ceni publishes the fourth partial results of the presidential election - Radio Okapi - In French (but you can translate the page using translate.google.com). This says that Kabila is winning in both North and South Kivus by a large margin... Seems unlikely. 

DR Congo's Kabila leads top rival day before final result - AFP 

Clashes erupt in Congo ahead of vote results - Reuters 

How wars and poverty have saved DR Congo's forests - BBC - But this is election time, not time to talk about the rain forest!  

Congo election: Joseph Kabila leads in early results - The Guardian  

DR Congo 'to use army in event of poll chaos' - Al Jazeera News, video on YouTube 

I'll post again when we know the results, if they will even be published or announced today. 
Continuing to pray,
Bethany 

Update on elections in the DR Congo

I had some more encouraging, but also sobering, words from another trusted friend in the DRC. He told me:

"On the election day, people were excited to vote but now people have mixed feelings as they wait for the results: fear for the unknown and joy for having fulfilled their right. Especially with rumors people seem more anxious and fearful. But as for us, we are trusting in the Lord who has the history of Congo in His hands, not politicians or super powers. Let us wait and see God's plan for our country today and for the years to come!"

A few more articles, reports and blogs to read for information on the elections, results and state of the DR Congo as we wait to hear more from the elections officials:

• Huffington Post - Congo's Historic Election - by Cindy McCain, a member of the board of directors of Eastern Congo Initiative (click here to go to their website)
• NY Times - Notes From a Young American in Congo: The Election - by Amy Ernst, living in Butembo, North Kivu
• Al Jazeera - It's now or never for DR Congo - opinion piece by Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja
  "Contrary to what ill-informed international media keep repeating, the general elections of 2011 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are the third, not second, democratic elections held in this country since independence in 1960"
• Africa Faith and Justice Network
• Jason Stearns' blog Congo Siasa 
• The Carter Center published a report on their initial observations of the Elections in the DRC - Preliminary Post Election Statement
• The DRC Votes: What Next? - opinion piece by Laura Seay
  "Who will win the Congolese presidential election? It's anybody's guess. There were no exit polls and no reliable, scientific polling with an adequate sample size carried out prior to the vote. It is likely to come down to a contest between incumbent President Joseph Kabila and Etienne Tshisekedi."

*Photos taken by me, in or around Beni and Butembo, DR Congo, 2010 and 2011

Congo voted, and now...

Hello from Kampala!

It's a cool morning (nearly noon, actually) and it's good to catch up a bit on what's going on in the DR Congo.

It's hard to be here right now... Part of me wants to give up the hot shower, almost constant electricity and access to restaurants... But I can't. We're still waiting to hear the results of the election (on the 6th), and the response of the people after that.

So for now, I'm just going to have to enjoy our grocery store, and other things Chelsie and I don't often experience in Congo! :)

Our friends in Beni and other areas of the country told us that things went well. Except for some *significant* problems in large cities, things passed well on Monday... And Tuesday... And I read today that there was even voting continuing in Kinshasa yesterday.

Classes were canceled at UCBC on Monday, for the election. But they resumed again on Tuesday and things are back to normal there once again.

As one dear friend in Beni told me this morning - "Our prayer is that the Lord will choose the person that He sees prepared to lead the destiny of the nation." Amen. Let's hope so.

Here are a few articles, to check out for updates on the elections in the Congo, the vote, etc.
IOL - Chaos in DR Congo poll
AFP - Observers call for patience in DR Congo vote
NY Times - Notes from a Young American in Congo
Congo Planet - Observers Hail Successful DR Congo Elections
The Guardian - DR Congo opposition candidate calls for election to be annulled
The Atlantic - In Congo Elections, More Than Just Democracy at Stake

And websites / blogs with more information as well:
http://texasinafrica.blogspot.com/
http://congosiasa.blogspot.com/
CENI - Congo's Electoral Commission

Continue to remember the Congo and to pray for the people.

Which one to choose...?

Hi Friends! 

Will you please read the appeal below and consider supporting UCBC, once again? We are trying to make UCBC's radio station, Radio Tele Bilingue, a powerful and consistent presence in the community. In order to do that we need a dependable generator that can be used even after school hours. We have already received a significant donation to purchase it and need to raise $7,000 more. Read below for more details!!!

For a few photos of the radio station, go to my blog post here.

Thank you for considering this! 

with love,

Bethany

Movie and popcorn or democracy and education?

Dear Friends of Congo Initiative, Movie and popcorn or democracy and education? Hmmm....an interesting choice, isn't it? But it's in your power to make it! You've already demonstrated that you are interested in the work of Congo Initiative (CI) and the Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC). Thank you for your support!   Please extend that support and help us expand CI's impact.  Literacy. Health. Democratic Elections. These are powerful forces for change in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) right now. And you can help! UCBC student broadcasting For the price of 2 movie tickets and popcorn ($25) you can help Radio Tele Bilingue (RTB), CI's just-launched radio station, double its broadcast time from 4 hours/day to 8 hours OR MORE! To do that, however, RTB requires a dedicated generator to power the station. The total cost: $12,000.* A generous donor has given a $5000 gift towards the purchase, shipping, and installation of the generator. If 300 people each give $25, we'll raise the addtional $7000 that will enable CI and UCBC to power RTB-a station with a potential listenership of 400,000-700,000 people! A one-time donation of $25 is the price of going to the movies this month. Entertainment or education? The choice is yours!  Please, donate today and be part of the power for change! *The generator is a high-quality, dependable machine with a superb track-record, and an expected life-span of service of 30 years or more. Our staff and students will be able to maintain and service the equipment to assure dependability and service. Even after UCBC campus installs a fully-integrated power source that includes renewable energy sources, the generator will continue to serve as back-up power, necessary for assured operations.   RTB is on the air thanks to the generous support of a committed group of donors and the Eastern Congo Initiative.

Radio Tele Bilingue

UCBC's radio station is up and going!

Tumba and John work on the sound board

I was even forced (seriously!) to record a little bit! Getting coached by Kaza and John
Thanks Tikva for the photo ;) 

Future students visiting the radio station :)
Hi Grace! 

Here is the article from Congo Initiative about the radio station - check it out!
http://www.congoinitiative.org/view.cfm?page_id=200

We are so excited to be broadcasting and starting to share with the surrounding community in a larger degree. Keep us and the team working with the station as well as the programs we're creating in your prayers - so that we can reach people with broadcasts and information that can truly be useful and transformational. 

Graduation Photos

With Chels and Meri at home

Othy, Hulda, Mama Decky, Lily, Fila, Dr. Kaswera, Samy, Zawadi

Drs. Kasali

Nono, Samy, Hulda, Joel

Mukanirwa and Mama Decky

Rebecca

Kakule, Othy, Kaswera

Francine, Mama Hulda, Sifa, Nono, Mama Decky, Kisuba, Samy

David Bamlango, Paul Robinson, Zawadi

Francis

Jean

Celebrating together with UCBC students and staff