Lessons in Courage (and French): Sept & Oct at the Congo Peace School

“When wishing someone good luck in French, you may have heard the phrase ‘bon courage !’ Other times, you’ve heard ‘bonne chance !’ While both of these phrases indeed mean “good luck,” there are some important differences between them that you should know before sending someone off with your best wishes in French. The main difference between these two phrases is the amount of influence the person has over what awaits them. In other words, it comes down to whether they have some power over the situation, or whether they are reliant on luck itself.

…You’ll use bon courage when wishing someone luck as they embark on a task that will be hard work, but that they are fully capable of doing. It indicates that you believe this person can accomplish the task in question, but that their success is dependent on their effort.”
(lingoculture.com)

As the Congo Peace School welcomed back its students for a new year in September, the teachers and staff had prepared to teach principle one of nonviolence: Nonviolence Is a Way of Life for Courageous People.

• It is not a method for cowards; it does resist.

• It is active nonviolent resistance to evil.

• It is aggressive spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

The teachers asked the students to envision a future goal or event that feels out of reach for them, and then discussed with each other the courage and hard work it will take to achieve that goal.

For Iragi, a 17 year old in the 5th grade of secondary school (a high school junior in the U.S. system,) her first thought was about her country. Congo is in the midst of war once again. Iragi shared that, “during the first month of school, we discussed courage as the key force for being nonviolence upstanders. I was asked to think of something I never thought I could ever achieve in my life, but instead of giving up, to keep working on it. One thing for me is to work for change in my country. Sometimes you think it’s impossible, but I just learned that with courage, anything is possible! This school year, I am determined to do and embrace everything with courage.”

Bulonza, who is 11 years old and in the 6th grade of elementary school, shared that “with courage we can achieve anything. Our teachers explained that without courage we cannot expect change in life, and that our country needs courageous youth to change the situation. I am happy learning about courage because I have to be courageous in my life to achieve my goals.”

Kabwana, Bulonza’s classmate who is also 11 years old, shared that “being courageous is the most important thing to do in life. I’ve decided to be courageous, to never be afraid to try things even when they are difficult.”

Bahati is 15, and in the 2nd grade of secondary school: “We were taught that it takes courage to continue to work towards a goal until it happens. I understand clearly how courage can move mountains. It’s wonderful to have the nonviolence season campaign subjects on our school wall.”

Over the summer, the school hired an artist to paint welcoming messages and illustrate the principles and tenets of nonviolence on one of the walls of the school.

The summer was a busy time at the school, not only with the teachers preparing for the new year, but students visiting to use the computer lab, to read books in the library, and to play on the newly built basketball court. 

Iragi shared, “As summer ended, I was excited mostly about learning more skills in computer science and practicing on computers with my classmates. I’ve realized the computer is for more than typing, you can do anything with your computer and with the internet, you can connect with the rest of the world and work from anywhere. Amazing. Our school is unique to be a space where we learn these things. I also wanted school to open again because during school period, we learn a lot from our interactions with our schoolmates and teachers.  This first month of school has been so great because we are getting to know some of our new teachers, I mostly like knowing the different roles of a social assistant at community level in community reconstruction initiatives. I like a class on Social Action Methods and how social assistants can play key roles in leading social actions.”

Ciza Sadaka: 20 years old, 5th grade of secondary school “The summer break was a time of hard work on the farm in my family. I live with my stepmother, and I have no choice about work [when I’m not in school] most of the time I have to work hard. I was working with her to cultivate and prepare the soil to grow beans as soon as rainy season began, which unfortunately was delayed one month because of climate change.  The one or two days I was not going to work on the farm, I took the opportunity to the Congo Peace School, to play, learn, and eat a meal and those were the moments I was happy. I was excited to return to school to spend time with my classmates and discuss things with them, play soccer and basketball with them, meet our new teachers, learn new materials, eat good food at the school cafeteria, and go to the library and read new books.

Kabwana: “The first months of school have been very interesting for me, especially learning mathematics and getting new books in the library and being encouraged to read them. Being in the computer lab and sitting down in front of a computer has been most exciting for me, especially since we are the only school [in the area] where that is possible.  The Copa De Dillon* in October makes me feel very happy as it brings so many people together. 

Female players at the Copa de Dillon

Male players at the Copa de Dillon

*Copa De Dillon is the annual soccer tournament the Congo Peace School hosts in honor of Dillon Henry, the namesake of the foundation and our founding partner in the CPS.

Bahati “During the summer break, my mom kept me very busy as we had to go to do some farm work together, almost every day. When I had any free time, I walked to the school to read and play basketball. As summer ended, I was mostly looking forward to seeing my classmates again and of course eating at the school, as well as being able to learn more about computer skills. These first months of school have been great for me, reunited with my friends. Being able to go back to the library any time I want makes me feel so happy, and having new books sent to our library!

“My favorite class thus far is geography, especially when our teacher talks about climate change and global warming. I realize it’s true because the rainy season has just started in October whereas most of the time September is known as the beginning of the rainy season. I really like the Copa De Dillon, the soccer tournament brings so much joy as all the different schools’ students and people in the community come together.

These students face so many challenges that many of us cannot imagine, from armed conflict to lack of food or safety at home. They are showing up for themselves and each other with great courage and hope that their actions will make a difference.

You are showing up for them with courage, and we are grateful. With your help, we are all investing in their present – a safe and encouraging space for them to learn, play, and explore what it means to be agents of peace.  

Thank you for your partnership in courage and hope for a more peace-filled future. Please help us grow our family of supporters by sharing these stories! If you are planning a year end gift, please read more about the impact of your giving and how to donate here.

First Distribution to Internally Displaced Peoples Camps (IDP / CPS Campaign) PHOTOS

We are thrilled to share the success of our recent relief distribution in Rusayo in North Kivu, DR Congo, which directly benefitted 200 displaced households. Working together, with the first $5,000.00 USD raised, ACTION KIVU and AIDPROFEN provided much-needed food and hygiene supplies to families affected by the ongoing conflict in the DR Congo.

📦 What We Distributed:

• 100 bags of maize flour

• 14 bags of beans

• 5 bags of sugar

• 17 boxes of hygiene pads

• 200 buckets and more

Our focus was on ensuring that the most vulnerable—including elderly individuals, single women, and unaccompanied children—received the support they needed. The distribution not only addressed immediate needs but also aimed to improve hygiene conditions at the site.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for your dedication and support. Your contribution is changing lives! CLICK HERE to donate for our next distribution.

Congolese photojournalist Moses Sawasawa (@mosessawasawa on Instagram) accompanied the AIDPROFEN team to document the distribution:

Photo by Moses Sawasawa

Photo by Moses Sawasawa

Photo by Moses Sawasawa

Photo by Moses Sawasawa

Photo by Moses Sawasawa

Photo by Moses Sawasawa

AIDPROFEN team checks in the people they identified as most in need of the supplies. Photo by Moses Sawasawa

Passy Mubalama (left) with her AIDPROFEN team sorting the supplies. Photo by Moses Sawasawa

Photo by Moses Sawasawa

"I thought university was only for children of the rich..." Congo Peace School alumni now in college share their stories

“The Congo Peace School not only prepared us in how to take a university course and how to succeed, but also taught us how to live with friends in harmony, in society and anywhere in the community. The principles of nonviolence are a compass.”

— Arsene, CPS Class of 2023, University Student

Can you smell that? It’s the scent of freshly sharpened pencils and that eau de rubber eraser toilette – we are officially in back-to-school season! In DRC, the students at the Congo Peace School are being measured by the Sewing Workshop alumni for their school uniforms, the teachers are planning their lessons, and the campus is getting last looks and touch-ups for opening day.

As we wait for school to start, we wanted to check in with the six CPS students who were in our first graduating class in 2023, six of whom are now in college, thanks to the scholarships provided by our CPS Founding Partner, The Dillon Henry Foundation’s Harriet Zaretsky! We’re excited to share how the unique curriculum and holistic education model of the Congo Peace School prepares the students for higher learning and careers.

We especially wanted to know how being a part of the Congo Peace School community had affected their first year in university. These students are from families who could not afford the basic school fees of secondary school, let alone be able to send the kids to college, so this opportunity was not even a hope or dream for them before they began attending CPS, thanks to your support.

Bertin, who is the school’s accountant, also acts as a mentor for the students now living in community in Bukavu, 16 kilometers from their homes and the Peace School located in the villages of Mumosho. Bertin checks in regularly on the students, making sure they have what they need to succeed, whether that’s to print a paper or food for the week. As roommates, the students share the household tasks, with a calendar for cooking and cleaning duties.

Part of the ethos of the Congo Peace School is instilling in underserved students the understanding that they MATTER. That just because they were born into extreme poverty does not mean they are not equals with others who were born into wealth. Several of the students noted how they had assumed university was only for children of wealthy families, and upon engaging in the community and classes, have realized that they belong. We are thrilled to share parts of their stories with you, here.

We have highlighted Rosalie’s journey several times over the years. In July 2018, Rosalie and her brother came to the school while it was still under construction before opening that September. They had recently lost both their parents to AIDS, and were naturally devastated, and in shock and grief. Amani immediately enrolled them in the first year of the Congo Peace School, promising them everything that it entails, daily meals, uniforms, and access to the nurse and the school counselor, trained in psycho-social techniques.

When Action Kivu’s Rebecca Snavely returned to the school only two months later, shortly after we opened in September, 2018, she didn’t recognize Rosalie. She smiled, she posed for her portrait with confidence, and told me that she dreamed of using her education to be president of Congo one day.

Today, almost done with her first year of university, Rosalie is 19 and continues to shine with that confidence.

Rosalie is studying psychology at UOB (Official University of Bukavu), and tells us she chose the major “because it inspires me, and I’ve always liked working with children who have difficulties, neglected children, street children, children living with disabilities, orphaned children, as well as people with trauma problems and other people with different life problems. I chose this field to realize my dream.

“I highly value psychology as it’s an integral part in all areas of life, everywhere there are people, there are problems that psychology can address. A psychologist will help children who have problems with depression for example, stress, trauma, mental problems and all the traumatic experiences that can be caused by natural disasters such as floods, erosion or by war.”

Rosalie shares that the Congo Peace School prepared her with the similar courses as to what she is taking in her first year of university, as well as the computer literacy she learned in the CPS solar-powered lab, allowing her to be a step ahead of many of her classmates who were not trained on a computer.

Arsene is another student about whom we have been sharing stories over the years. When he was 9 years old, he was part of our previous Education Assistance program sending children who couldn’t afford school fees to local schools. At that age, Arsene told us he dreamed of being a priest, to help others. His father had been killed when Arsene was very young, and Amani’s organization ABFEC had become a family of choice for him.

In 2018, when the Congo Peace opened, Arsene was one of the first to be enrolled. We asked him about the foundation of the curriculum, what the concept of nonviolence meant to him. He replied, "I've only ever heard of violence, not nonviolence. Our teachers tell us about what is happening in the world, and it is all related to violence." We asked Arsene what expectations he has for this new school, based on the principles of peace and nonviolence. "We never know," he said. "I hear this school will be a blessing. Maybe I will graduate and become president."

Now 20, Arsene is focusing his desire to help people into his studies of public health. “I know senior scientists who are doing public health management and they really inspire me. I can be a field agent, have my own office or practice to think and research on public health issues, I can work in the Central Offices of Health Zones, work in NGOs that open in the field of health, recently I also worked to improve and deepen my training in IT.”

“This field is important to me because I will be very happy to see myself be an early responder and provide first aid whenever there are endemic diseases as well as pandemic diseases,” says Arsene. “I will be there for disease prevention, first aid, to raise awareness, promote activities in the communities so that the people are not victims.

“I appreciate university life a lot because I am acquiring new knowledge that fits with the field that I am studying, I’m discovering other new realities of practical life and I see my dream coming true, my dream of being useful to myself, my family, my community, my country and the world.”

When I return to Mumosho, I go to CPS to greet my teachers, I look for books to read at the library. The basketball court is a new thing after our departure, I came back and saw this court which amazed me a lot. We were invited by Congo Peace School for an exchange with the finalists who are in 6th grade before going to take the exams to get their state diplomas, we had a very enriching exchange on how to prepare for the exams, how to behave during the exams and we hope that this exchange will produce good results.

Busime is 20 years old, and in law school at UOB. She shares that she “will be a jurist/lawyer to defend human rights in general and especially women's rights, because in our society I see that men are favored while women are marginalized, neglected, and do not have much support, their rights are violated. I am interested in becoming a lawyer especially to raise awareness and educate women and communities on women's rights, and contribute to the promotion of these rights.

“The law is of capital importance, because there is no society without rights, law and justice are there to govern the behavior of individuals, their actions, but also when people know that there is justice, rights are respected, there are violations that cannot be committed because people know that they are controlled, this helps to reduce or avoid certain conflicts or problems in society. For example when someone knows that rape is punishable by law and that it is a crime, he will not do it for fear that he will be judged by the law and therefore rights must be respected.

“Before being at university,” Busime says, “I thought that academics could only come from rich families, but when I look at where I come from and that I am at university today, I thank enormously those who pay for me so that I am also at university. I work hard every day to succeed and realize my dream of becoming a lawyer.

“CPS prepared us well for university,” she shares. “After having been introduced to the habit of reading books, (the Congo Peace School library has over 3,000 books), during the presentations, those of us who graduated from CPS defend ourselves clearly and better than some of our college peers.”

Soda is 20, and in the college of Letters, Science and Society, in the Communications Department at UOB. He says he chose this major “because there is no society without communication and more so, reliable communication. [I’m studying] the science that prepares me to become a trained and professional communicator. My dream is to become a commentator of live matches, and after a semester at the university, I am more and more interested in my field, because I understand that apart from the commentary of matches, there are other areas where good communication is important. This field gives the possibility of specializing in computer science, as well as in sociology.

“CPS prepared me well. My first internship in 5th grade secondary (11th grade in the U.S. system) in the humanities at CPS was spent at a community radio station, Colombe FM in Nyangezi, and my first internship at the University was also an ISDR radio station.

“CPS is our mother house, it has become my home, it is where I spend the night when I go to Mumosho because I have no other family. Last weekend I went there and played football, and the basketball court is a new thing in the area.”

*Soda was orphaned, and when his host family kicked him out of their household because they could not afford to feed him, he was terrified and alone and ran away. The Congo Peace School principal tracked him down in another area, and brought him back to live in the housing the CPS has, eat all his meals there, and graduate to become a successful university student with hope and goals for his future career.

Adela, who is 19 is in the department of Public Health at UOB. She says she chose to major in public health as a critical need for society, as “it helps and allows us to prevent diseases, in order to reduce mortality, and prolong the life of humans.”

“When I was still in high school I thought that university would be easy, but when I got to university I understood that this was not the case and there I made the decision to adapt to the courses and teaching system. I quickly understood that I had to work hard to achieve my dreams, my goals of becoming an expert in public health and contributing to solving the multiple health problems that our country is experiencing. I am already looking forward to finishing my studies and going to practice what I studied.”

When I go to Mumosho, it is usually on the weekend, and I always want to return to CPS to briefly greet my teachers and our little brothers and sisters who are still in secondary school. I also go to read the books at the library.”

Samuel is 19 and studying administrative sciences and management at UOB. He believes in the power of overcoming corruption with good, transparent administration and leadership practices.

“I will be different from others in the management of institutions, I am from the field, I know all the methods and techniques to manage, people who have not done administrative sciences do not have the necessary management tools. I really have the passion to make reforms in the management of the administration of public life in my country,” Samuel says.

“The Congo Peace School prepared me well, I can honestly say that all the skills and abilities that I have and I am currently proving at the Official University of Bukavu that make people say that there is something special in me, that I have a glimmer of hope for myself and for my community and my country, it is thanks to the supervision and training of Congo Peace School.

“Even seeing the way I communicate during presentations, sometimes the assistants interrupt me to ask me about my original secondary school, where did I study, they ask? I am quite good at computers, and the computer skills that I use at UOB, I got from Congo Peace School.”

“The difference compared to what I expected is that at first I was intimidated, I thought that that university was only for the children of the rich. I am here today thanks to the spirit of solidarity of the supporters of ABFEC. As soon as we became students at the university, we realized we are the same, there is no difference.  ”

— Soda, CPS Class of 2023, University Student

Your support of Action Kivu provides the resources for us to invest in ABFEC, Amani Matabaro's locally led NGO in Congo, and his vision come to life: the Congo Peace School. The outcome is transformational - both in the individual lives of the students (nearly 600 every school year), as well as in the community’s understanding of social justice and equity. Thank you for your support! Please keep us in your planning for your year-end gift, or consider a monthly donation.

How you can continue to help: Please share these stories with others to help us grow our network of supporters to allow us to continue to invest in this world-changing movement to end the cycle of violence and extreme poverty through education and job-training rooted in equality and peace.

To Understand the Power of Justice: Students reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.'s Principle Six (Nonviolence)

If you have a news alert set for Congo (DRC), you are likely only seeing the most distressing stories and photos – of war, of rape as a weapon of war, families fleeing their homes, and recently, a fire at an IDP camp (internally displaced persons) destroying the few items folks were able to carry when they left their homes in the midst of gunfire and bombs. These are critical stories for us to focus on in order to change them, to become aware of our connection to them, and to use our power and privilege to act and cry out for peace and justice.

Through your support of the Congo Peace School [CPS], we are grateful to add a dose of hope to your media mix, as we are able to show you what is also happening in eastern Congo – stories of lives changed, of girls and boys understanding the equality they share. Stories of revolutionary hope for a future filled with peace.

Each month, the students and staff at the Congo Peace School focus on one of the six principles of Kingian nonviolence. Last month’s principle, and the students’ understanding of it, is a critical component to how they will translate knowledge to action in the path to bring about peace.

PRINCIPLE SIX: Nonviolence Believes That the Universe Is on the Side of Justice.

The school principal and our interim director asked several of the students about their lives, and how they interpret this principle, in theory, and in practice.

Nshobole Zagabe is 19 and in her final year at the Congo Peace School. She’ll take the DRC national exam this summer to graduate with her major in Social Techniques, what we in the U.S. call social work. Nshobole shared that since she lives with her mom, dad, and cousin, most of the housework falls on her shoulders, and she doesn’t get as much time to read, study, and play basketball as she’d like to. (She’s the captain of the inaugural CPS girls’ basketball team.)

“I am always impressed by how we spend time at the Peace School, reading new books, using the computers, spending time at the school farm, the way our teachers look at us with love and respect - all these things do not exist in other schools.

“As a 6th grade secondary student (high school senior) at the Peace School, I feel very proud as I am getting ready to graduate from secondary school and embrace a new life. My dream and wish is to go to university. I would be the first girl in my family to go to university, I want to study clinical psychology or law and would like to be exposed to high quality university or college education in Canada or the U.S.

“For me and in my own words,” Nshobole said, “principle 6 means the world leans on the side of the truth, what’s correct, which means truth and peace are the pillars of justice. We can never expect to live peacefully without the practice of justice. This principle is important for me because it awakens me to understand how the practice of justice is the only way everyone can feel protected, otherwise impunity and the culture of violence will continue.

“As for me, this principle is difficult to put into practice in everyday life because even governments are failing to invest in justice. If there was justice in the world, there would be no wars here. Injustice threatens everyone’s safety, especially in Congo.

“I feel disappointed and sometimes I don’t believe in this principle, but I remember we were taught it takes time to make sustainable change happen. This gives me hope, I will work hard to teach my community about the power and importance of justice. I trust the beginning of justice will begin at the Congo Peace School by the students going out and spread the word in the community.

In the summer of 2018, we shared part of Shadrack’s story with you. He was 13 and just about to start his first year at the Congo Peace School as a 7th grader.

From 2018: To Shadrack, the word peace means stability. "Congo needs that," he told us in July, as he thought about what a school based on the principles of peace and nonviolence will mean for him, his country, and the world. Shadrack lives with his grandparents, after his father, a soldier, died when Shadrack was just six years old, and his mother recently passed away from HIV/AIDS. "I've heard the term nonviolence," he said, "but I don't really know what it means." "My only dream is to be admitted to this school," said Shadrack. "Oh!" Amani paused in translating for Shadrack. "He says, 'I want to be like Amani, to do the work you are doing, to help others.'"

In 2023 we spoke to Shadrack as he finished his junior year:

And in 2024? Shadrack is a graduating senior, and shared: “As for me, Kingian Nonviolence Principle 6 means that peace and justice are twins, they go together and should give us the necessary social stability and security in DRC, there should not be inequalities. The absence of justice in DRC is visible in wars, violence, rape being used as a weapon of war.

“This principle is important for me because if only it could be applied, I could live peacefully in justice and peace and we would live, study, and work peacefully.

“It’s difficult to put this principle into practice in our daily lives because there is no equitable distribution of the wealth the country has, other countries come to invade Congo and pillage the country, there is corruption.

“I believe in this principle and trust it deeply. Peace and justice are possible if the leaders apply the principle of equitable distribution of the wealth the country has. Unfortunately what happens is different and there is rampant selfishness. Poor people continue to suffer and suffer from war which causes death every day.

“This principle would change my personal actions and my way of living because it ends up encouraging social cohesion, fights against corruption and that’s where sustainable peace begins when individuals abide by the principle of justice.”

Nouria Abigael is 9 years old and a 4th grader at the Peace School. She lives with her parents and two younger sisters, one who is in the CPS pre-school, supported by our partner Nest Global.

Nouria said, “My understanding of Principle Six, The Universe is on the side of Justice: We are taught that justice elevates a nation, it means we need to invest in peace, in what is just for everyone, it means everywhere we go, here at school and at home we must invest and cultivate peace among us students, not provoking one another here at school, avoid violence everywhere. We must invest in peace.

“Congo has mostly been at war with neighboring countries used by bigger powers taking the wealth of Congo, justice is needed. When I look at what’s happening in our country, many other countries do not let Congo enjoy the wealth the country has, but me, Nouria Abigael, I have to be among the people who raise awareness of my fellow Congolese to cultivate peace, remember that the universe is on the side of justice because peace and justice must begin from home and at school. I believe peace and justice must begin from us younger children as we have a long time to live and impact the world.

“I strongly believe this principle would change my personal actions and my way of everyday life because wherever I would go, I would not be afraid, nobody could attack or rape me.”

 Esther Kanyenyeri, 11 years old, is also in the 4th grade. She is cared for by her grandmother, who tries to provide for her, her brothers, and their cousin by selling plastic plates. Esther is grateful for how the Peace School cares for her, including the recent addition of seamstresses at the school two days a month to repair worn or torn uniforms.

She shared: “Principle 6 of nonviolence for me means justice brings peace and the lack of justice is violence. People and especially leaders must invest in justice for people to live in peace. Principle 6 is important for me because it’s all about peace and justice and it’s part of all we need.

“It’s difficult to put it into practice and it’s all about leaders, they fail to be inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.”

“Reflecting on this principle is a good way to understand the power of justice, and that is when change begins. We have to practice love, then justice and peace will prevail in the world.” - Nshobole Zagabe, Class of 2024

Thank you for your support of the Congo Peace School. Because of your partnership, the most at-risk children for being enslaved in mining work or being recruited as child soldiers are safely in school, playing games, eating nutritious meals, reading in a library of over 3000 books, practicing new computer skills and farming techniques, and learning to embrace their inherent ability to be agents of peace.

The Meaning of Spring at the Congo Peace School

Spring – the word and the season of the year associated with it – brings to mind the concepts of renewal and growth, rebirth, and motion: to spring into action. A spring is a place where water emerges, bubbling up from the ground, possibly the source of a stream or river.

This spring at the Congo Peace School [CPS] was burbling over with activity – from the continued learning and putting into practices the principles of positive peace and nonviolence to celebrating Women’s History Month and what that means in the current context of women’s and girls’ equality. In that swirling eddy, the girls broke in a brand-new basketball court on campus with an inaugural practice for the girls’ team led by a local coach.

Aerial view of the Congo Peace School with new basketball court

All of this is taking place under the heavy cloud of war. Eastern Congo, long a place of armed violence, has erupted into greater war over the last year, fueled by the region’s abundance of the minerals the world needs for our laptops, phones, EVs, planes, and move to renewable energy. These blood minerals are mined in dangerous, inhumane conditions by the Congolese, mines often using child laborers or people paid extremely low sums for the tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold, and cobalt that fuel all our futures. The school is in South Kivu and in an area thankfully with no mines, so relatively peaceful, but the trauma of being surrounded by war takes it toll daily in the lives of the students and staff, and the Peace School campus and community values are a safe haven for all.

What we see springing up within the community of the Congo Peace School comes from roots reaching deep into the long history of nonviolence and human rights activism. When we talk about the root causes of violence – violence from armed groups and state-sponsored armies, we also talk about the violence in our language and actions. We ask, how can we disrupt that tangled and dangerous root system to instead plant and tend to a different way of life, living in peace with our thoughts, with each other, and with our planet?

NONVIOLENCE: This spring, the students studied Dr. Martin Luther King’s fifth principle of nonviolence:  

Nonviolence Chooses Love Instead of Hate

 Together, the Congo Peace School teachers and students examine this concept in more detail, that nonviolent resistance not only seeks to avoid the use of physical or external violence, it also concerns our inner being. It consists of refusing hatred and living according to principles based on love. We must break the vicious circle of hatred and violence and rediscover human fraternity. The person who harms me first harms themselves.

While our Founding Director Amani Matabaro is in Boston for his fellowship at Harvard, our interim Peace School Director Israel and the school principal Deo spoke to several of the students about how they internalized this fifth principle and can see it playing out in their daily lives.

Bernadette said, “If I look at my personal life in relation to this principle, I was resentful towards my father who had abandoned me at a young age, saying that he is not my father. But because of this principle, I have forgiven him and firmly believe that God will continue to provide my mother with the means for me to continue to attend the Congo Peace School. Because of the forgiveness granted to people I feel psychologically at ease. Can Do, the first book that I read at the school library, inspired me that if I always forgive I will have integrity and hope for the future.”

When asked if she sees this principle changing her daily life, Bernadette shared, “Yes, I have it because when I used to see my father passing by with his friends, I couldn't greet him because of the hatred I had towards him. But today I greet him so well that he doesn't recognize me as his daughter.

At school, she says, “I’m starting to laugh with my fellow students, I feel at ease since I’ve had this principle, like a mystery of forgiveness and love.”

Divine thinks you should avoid hating people and avoid verbal violence. “I know that extremists have caused us harm but because of this 5th principle I cannot take revenge. I know that FORGIVENESS is a cure for the psychological scar that my family and I have received.”

Divine says that this principle changed his way of life. He could not speak in class but now he is a courteous, honest and gifted student in the class - he no longer has any problems because he feels accepted by his fellow students and actively participates in school activities.

WOMEN’S HISTORY & EQUALITY: In March, the Peace School celebrated Women’s History Month with a day of activities inviting the students and community from surrounding areas to engage in conversations and theatre pieces performed by Congo Peace School students that centered on the rights of women presented to raise awareness and educate the community on the needed shift from the traditional customs and beliefs that deny women's rights at the community level. A conference was held in the school’s auditorium on the increasing needs of girls’ and women's participation in peace for an equal Congo. Many of the girls and women wore black, mourning the escalating violence and deaths of the ongoing war there. The speaker of the day was Odile Bapolisi, a women’s right activist and a lawyer working in nearby Bukavu, and Ansima, a recent college graduate with a law degree and Amani Matabaro’s daughter, spoke about the day’s events with a local radio station, broadcasting the message of equality and women’s rights around the region.

Photo by Blaise Mwema

Aminata, the younger sister of Rosalie who was in our first graduating class last year, spoke at the conference. Aminata was very young when both her parents died from AIDS. Today she is an inspiration to other girls to speak in public about equality.

BASKETBALL COURT: BC Congo Peace School was born this spring! Thanks to the generosity of our CPS founding partner The Dillon Henry Foundation and its leader Harriet Zaretsky and her community of supporters, we were able to install an outdoor basketball court, one of the only courts in the region. Basketball was requested specifically by the girls of the student body, and they were thrilled to don their uniforms and play for the first time with basketballs.

(Photo by Blaise Mwema)

(Photo by Blaise Mwema)

(Photo by Blaise Mwema)

Spring is also a time where we often see new life exploring the world, wobbly fawns testing their legs, ducklings following their mother, and like all of us learning any new thing, the girls engaged in the sometimes goofy-looking play of newness on the court.

There is so much hope being rooted into the region thanks to the core values being taught and embodied at the Peace School: from the seeds planted we are witnessing a growing network of roots of living in peace, equality, and nonviolence. We thank you for making this possible with your financial support.

Please share this post with others to spread the hope and our mission to create more peace through education rooted in nonviolence and equality.

Action Kivu's Amani Matabaro: Co-Author on Paper About Intimate Partner Violence in Conflict-Affected Settings

Founding Director Amani Matabaro is a co-author on this critical paper researching the “drivers of men’s use of intimate partner violence in conflict-affected settings: learnings from the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

Currently a fellow at Harvard University, Amani’s peace work in Congo has always implemented what this research shows to be key: engaging men in dialogue about equality, women’s rights, family planning, nonviolence and trauma. Our highlights in the screenshot of the paper: “three have shown a statistically significant reduction in any type of IPVAW when compared to a control group: community-based dialogue groups, gender dialogue groups added to group savings, and trauma-informed psychotherapy.”

Read the full paper here. We’ve screenshot some of it below - highlights ours.

Revolutionary Education! How the Peace School / Congo Nest Preschool is Creating Fundamental Change

“You say you want a revolution… we all want to change the world.” – Paul McCartney and John Lennon

Does it sound hyperbolic to talk about peace education as revolutionary? We don’t think so, especially not when it comes to creating a safe and happy place for children to learn and practice nonviolence in the context of eastern Congo and its decades of armed violence and the world’s exploitation of DRC’s people.

Revolutionary: constituting or bringing about a major or fundamental change.

(Merriam-Webster)

As our partners who support this community of agents of peace, you are part of this revolution! We are seeing major and fundamental changes in the students attending the Congo Peace School, and an exciting part of that is our unique preschool program founded and supported by Nest Global (formerly PILAGlobal in our outreach and posts).

In a region embedded in centuries of colonization, those roots of oppression have resulted in overcrowded classrooms in which children learn by recitation and are punished for asking questions. In stark contrast, our pedagogy that is rooted in curiosity  and equality between teachers and students, male and female, make the Congo Peace School and the Nest Preschool truly revolutionary. Now that we’re in year six of the Peace School and year five of the preschool, we have the experiences and observations from teachers and students about the impact attending such a preschool makes for the Peace School students as they integrate into classes with students who did not have the opportunity to attend preschool.

From the Nest Global site: In partnership with Action Kivu and the Dillon Henry Foundation, Nest Global created Nest Congo, a preschool at the Congo Peace School serving 84 children ages 4 to 6 daily. Nest Congo provides foundational early education and a nutritious daily meal to local children who would otherwise not have access to education.

Nest Congo is comprised of three classrooms, each filled with engaged children and teachers, enticing materials, plants, books and light. Cozy corners and nooks invite children to gather and think, create and learn together. The inquiry-based program is driven by students’ natural curiosity – the banana trees, cassava plants, and paw paw trees that make up the school’s surrounding environment spark endless exploration, theories and discovery.

At Nest Congo, nurturing teachers prioritize play, storytelling, and artistic expression, helping each child to develop their own voice and positive sense of self. By creating an environment where children have choice, voice and agency, the Nest Congo empowers its students to become change-makers in their lives and in their community.

The students, teachers and staff just returned from their winter holiday to share these hope-giving reports of fundamental change in the lives of children in Congo. We also asked the former preschool students to share a memory from preschool, and what they like about their current grade.

CIKURU BIGABWA PHILÉMON - 2nd grade teacher: “The difference between the two categories of my students is like day and night. Those who came from the Congo Nest preschool program are positively free students who always want to speak their minds, they always want to share their opinions, they are not shy and speak fluently, they have an advanced stock of vocabulary, they think critically before answering. Those who did not get the chance to go to preschool are very shy, they think their answers must always be correct, their integration and adaptation to the learning norms are difficult as opposed to those who went through preschool. And when you look at the performance and learning outcomes, those from the preschool are more advanced. The number of words that those who went through the preschool program read per minute is higher than those who did not. … The self confidence among students who went through the preschool program is higher.” 

Agisha

AGISHA SADIKI - 9 years old and in 5th grade: “When I was at the Congo Nest Preschool, I remember the math activities and especially learning how to count from 0 to 10 for the first time in my life. The day I will never forget at preschool is when our school had visitors and they gave me a present, a toy car because I answered one of their questions very well. Now that I am in elementary school, I like history and our teacher teaches it very well. I live with my dad, mom, my two sisters and a younger brother.” 

FITINA MASHEKA SALOME - 4th grade teacher: “I have 20 students who went through the preschool program out of a total of 40. Having several years’ experience as both a teacher and a mother, I know that fear is enemy number one of appropriate learning processes. Students who went through the Congo Nest preschool program quickly heal from fear and learn very quickly.” 

Nouria

NOURIA BUHERHWA 8 years old, in 4th grade: “From all the subjects [we learned] in the preschool program, I always remember one lesson about the main parts of the human body.  My unforgettable experience during preschool was the day I recited a poem in the auditorium in front of all the parents and other community members, during publication of the [test] results at the end of the school year. Currently, I really like drama class. I like our teacher because she does not blame you if you don't know the answer to a question, she always asks you what you think.  At home I live with my dad, mom, and younger sisters.”

BAHATI USHOSHERE - 5th grade teacher: “Every day I come in the classroom, I can easily tell the difference between those students who attended the Congo Peace School Nest preschool and those who did not. Those who did are very open to discussions, they ask questions. They will not let you move on if something remains unclear to them, their level of curiosity is very high, they are very used to group activities. During reading for better comprehension, those students who went through the preschool program do not struggle as much to learn, they actually read to learn, as opposed to those who did not go through the preschool program who struggle a lot: instead of reading to learn, they learn to read.”

Bulonza

BULONZA BARHALIBIRHU, 11 years old and in 4th grade: “My most unforgettable moment from preschool was the first day I came and one of our teachers gave me a hug in the morning. I also liked working in different places/zones in the preschool classes, I miss that so much and wonder if that's not possible in elementary and secondary school. At the moment, I like drama class.”

PASCALINE AGANZE BANYWESIZE - 3rd grade teacher: “Students who were part of the Congo Nest Preschool express themselves more freely without inferiority complexes. Their school outcomes and scores are always higher. They are very active and interact constantly, they are very good at problem solving, they ask open questions to their teachers, their level of imagination is higher... all these together show how the preschool program is so important and a very strong foundation being laid for a bright future of our children.”

Ampire

AMPIRE TRIOPHE, 8 years old, in 3rd grade: “The language lessons were amazing in preschool. I made good friends at preschool and I am happy to have been in that program. As a 3rd grade student, I like math and computer classes. I live with my grandparents.” 

CIRIMWAMI MABIKANE LYDIE - Preschool and Elementary School Principal: After speaking to both teachers and students, it is very clear that there is a big difference between the two groups of students. Critical thinking, public leadership, and performance in cross-cutting learning zones such math, science, reading, and taking initiative... are indications that show the marked difference between students who went through the Congo Peace School Nest preschool program and those who did not. 

Ciza

CIZA NTAKOKURHORHWA: 9 years old, in 3rd grade: “Learning about the family structure, immediate family and extended family, is a great memory from the Congo Nest Preschool. At the moment, I’m so happy being an elementary school student and I like the writing classes. I hate to fail exams, and I am always determined to work hard to get an education. I live with my aunt and uncle.”

We are so grateful to be in partnership with you on this journey of hope for our future through the power of healing and peace for children, and ourselves.

Preschool class at the Congo Peace School, photo credit: Tomaso Lisca

Congo Peace School Students' Hopes, Lives, and Interpretations of MLK's Principle Four

This past month at the Congo Peace School, the students and staff focused on Martin Luther King Jr.'s fourth principle of nonviolence. As our Founding Director Amani Matabaro shared the students’ responses, he noted that Principle Four of Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of nonviolence is more difficult than the others for the students to discuss any real-life applications they’ve made with it in their lives. It’s difficult for adults, Amani noted. Number four may spark the most discussion of the six principles in King’s ideology.

Principle Four: Nonviolence Holds That Unearned, Voluntary Suffering for a Just Cause Can Educate and Transform People and Societies.

• Nonviolence is a willingness to accept suffering without retaliation; to accept blows without striking back.

• Nonviolence is a willingness to accept violence if necessary but never inflict it.

• Nonviolence holds that unearned suffering for a cause is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.

Thinking of King’s time in history and this principle invokes imagery of Black Americans sitting peacefully at a counter while white people torment and torture them, casting a clear light on the inhumanity and sickness of violence and white supremacy in the context of systemic racism in the U.S.

In Congo, in the midst of armed conflict and sexual violence as a weapon of war, we asked several students at the Congo Peace School what Principle Four means to them.

Bahati Masumbuko lives with her grandmother (many of the students have been orphaned due to the conflict, dangerous mining conditions, or the AIDS epidemic). She shared that, “no one can achieve a larger goal without sacrifice. There is no need to respond to violence with violence, if someone insults you, no need to respond with another insult but keep moving to achieve your goal.”  Bahati hopes to become a lawyer to fight different types of injustice in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo).

Charle Murhula shared that “nonviolence is never easy, you need to be courageous and take risks and avoid retaliation any way you can.” When further asked, what happens when you DON’T retaliate in response to violence, Charle said, “When you do not retaliate, you open a dialogue which can lead to mutual forgiveness.”

Charle hopes to become a nurse to take care of the many people, especially children who are sick every day but have nobody to take good care of them. Charle hopes one day Congo becomes a country where children have access to quality medical care.

Asifiwe Bahati said, “If the other party in front of you does not understand what you want to achieve, explain more to them, and if still they do not understand and react violently, there is no need to fight back. Keep moving and nonviolence will allow you to win them over to your cause and they will join you. But if you fight back, you will lose direction and you will not achieve the goal.”

Asifiwe lives with her uncle, and hopes to become a teacher one day to contribute to giving education to children. She hopes Congo can become a country where teachers get good payment from the government.

Ampire Anicet shared that “at our school and at home, when someone behaves violently against you, there is no need to retaliate because it can become a distraction, a deviation and you will not reach the goal.'' Ampire lives with his parents. His mom is a teacher in a different elementary school, purportedly funded by the government, but she is rarely paid her salary.

Ampire wants to become a lawyer to stand up against injustice and human right violations. He dreams one day Congo will become a country where human rights are respected.

Mugisho Mwembo shared that he learned “retaliation exacerbates hatred among people and no one wins, no one achieves their goal.” Mugisho lives with his aunt, he wants to become a computer engineer so he can teach computer skills to as many Congolese children as possible. Mugisho hopes one day Congolese people can profit from the wealth of their country.

In other news for this year, we’re thrilled to announce that our Founding Director, Amani Matabaro, has been granted a fellowship at Harvard! He and his wife Amini and their youngest son have moved to Cambridge for a short stint in the U.S. and are settling in for a cold winter life with the help of many of you, our Action Kivu family!

Over the last six years of operation, Amani has helped create a community of empowered leaders at the Congo Peace School who continue in his absence to teach and inhabit the principles of peace and nonviolence as they provide a quality education rooted in healing-informed practices. Amani is also still involved weekly with the school through WhatsApp and email, so our updates will continue as normal.

More about the fellowship from Amani:

“It was such an honor when I was informed about being awarded the fellowship by the Harvard Kennedy School of Government through the CARR Center for Human Rights Policy. I’ve been assigned a faculty supervisor with whom I need to discuss the structure of my research topic during my tenure here at the Harvard Kennedy School. While I am here, I will have opportunities to engage with other human rights centers at the university and particularly the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI).

"The center embraces a dual mission: to educate students and the next generation of leaders from around the world in human rights policies and practices and to convene and provide policy-relevant knowledge to international organizations, governments, policymakers, and businesses.

“While I am here, I am expected to produce a paper, report or a comparable written product for publication by the center. I am also required to participate in the center's convenings and engage with other fellows and faculty at the center.  I have proposed that I focus on: Safeguarding of Children's Right to Education in Conflict Settings, Lessons from the DRC, but I still need to have discussions with my faculty supervisor to come up with a final structure of this topic.There is no peace if human rights are not respected. The knowledge and experience I will get from here will be used to improve the quality of the work we have been doing over the years at the Congo Peace School, our community initiatives, and in the greater region of eastern Congo.”

Thank you for you commitment to peace and equality through your support of the communities of Congo! Please join us in celebrating the practice and embodiment of peace with a year-end gift to invest in the children and communities of Congo!
Click here to donate online or to find our address for your gift via check.

UN Report on Children in Congo & MLK’s Nonviolence Principle Three - Oct 2023 at the Congo Peace School

"There are few worse places, if any, to be a child."

While we love to share the amazing impact your giving makes in the lives of the children and adults we partner with in eastern Congo, we also know it is important to share the horrific context in which these children we serve are not only surviving, but thriving.

As noted in the September 2023 press briefing from the UN’s children’s agency UNICEF on Congo (DRC) and specifically the eastern part of the country where we are located, “the war-torn country had the world's highest number of UN-verified violations against children in armed conflict.”

The violence "has reached unprecedented levels," said Grant Leaity, UNICEF's representative in the country. "There are few worse places, if any, to be a child."

“The east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing one of the world’s most complex and forgotten crises. Around 2.8 million children are bearing the brunt of violent conflict, being recruited by armed groups, losing their families and homes, and being exposed to ever-growing levels of sexual- and gender-based violence.” (ReliefWeb infographic here)

It’s a harrowing and difficult report to read, a content warning for sexual assault and violence against young children.

In this space where so many use violence to control innocent civilians, our Founding Director Amani Matabaro’s vision for active peace is revolutionary. Each week at the Congo Peace School, the students and staff focus on a principle of peace and nonviolence as taught by Martin Luther King, Jr.

This last week the focus was the development and interpretation of Principle Three of Kingian Nonviolence: Nonviolence Seeks to Defeat Injustice, or Evil, Not People.

Training the teachers, Amani helped them put the concept into vocabulary that is easier for the students to understand – to attack the forces of evil, not the persons doing evil, so the students and staff could focus on how to practice the principle in the context of eastern DRC.

Amani spoke to some of the Peace School students to ask how they understood the principle, and how they are putting it into practice in their own lives.

Amani’s respect for the students and treating them as equals has created so much joy in their interactions.

Anouarite Zirhumana joined the Peace School when it opened in 2018. An orphan, she had no one to send her to school, a common story of out-of-school children in Congo (in DRC public school *should* be free, but the teachers are typically not paid, so families must pay monthly school fees in addition to the cost of uniforms and books). Determined to learn, she had joined the Adult Literacy Program provided through Action Kivu’s funding, and when she learned about the Congo Peace School, she bravely asked Amani if she could attend. Six years later, in the 6th grade, she shares what Principle Three means to her in practice:

“If someone makes a part of the school dirty, we do not beat, bully or attack that person, we quickly clean that place and ask the person not to do it anymore.”

Justin Mushamuka: First grade secondary school (7th grade in U.S. system):

“Understanding Principle Three, it is clear that people can defeat injustice, and let justice prevail in our families, communities, and societies. For example, if there are people who do not respect equality between women and men, we do not need to attack them, but simply put equality in action. The representative of the entire Congo Peace School student body is a girl, it should not always be a boy.”

Ajuwa Masumbukao: Second grade in secondary school (8th grade in U.S. system)

“My favorite example of the use and practice of Principle Three in recent history is what former President Mandela did in South Africa fighting apartheid, not the people doing it and the result is that reconciliation was possible to build the South African nation.”

Kabika Bacirheba: Second grade in secondary school (8th grade in U.S. system) 

“Principle Three means that people need to attack the root causes of the problems and not individuals doing the problems, otherwise injustice will continue on and on.” 

Kabika’s statement truly sums up what happens if we don’t embrace Principle Three – if we only attack those people committing evil, the roots of the problems remain, and the cycle of violence continues. The people doing evil acts are part of a system of evil and injustice. How can we attack the root causes? In DRC, they are myriad, but many stem from a history of colonization and corruption and the theft of DRC’s minerals, mined by Congo’s people, women, men, and children who are often enslaved or paid a dollar a day, people who don’t reap any of the wealth that leaves their nation, and then powers the world’s electronics. Deep food insecurity and resulting malnutrition is exacerbated by militias fighting to control mineral-rich areas. Children die before they have a chance to change their world from preventable diseases such as cholera.

As it is not located in a mining area, The Congo Peace School is in a place of relative peace, but the students and staff and community are surrounded by the violence of militias and war, the threat of being recruited as a child soldier, and the extreme poverty that leads to malnutrition, child marriages, and gender-based violence.

From the UNICEF summary of remarks: “In the first three months of 2023, in North Kivu alone, more than 38,000 cases of sexual- and gender-based violence were reported. That’s a 37 per cent increase compared to the same time period in 2022. Said another way: in just one year, there have been 10,000 additional reports of sexual- and gender-based violence. Those are the ones reported. And in North Kivu alone.”

“As well as unprecedented levels of violence, the lives of children in eastern Congo are threatened by epidemics and malnutrition. Around 1.2 million children under five in the east are facing the risk of acute malnutrition.

UNICEF’s Leaity warned about the risk of "acceptance of something which is unacceptable."

"As the world looks away, we are failing the children of DRC," he said.

As partners in the Congo Peace School and Action Kivu’s other community-based projects, you are some of those who are not looking away. Together we are attacking the root causes of injustice through investing in education rooted in peace and nonviolence, providing practical resources for a different way to live in harmony with the planet and with one another. The students eat well and learn not only about nutrition, but how to grow healthy food with regenerative farming. An educated population will better understand their rights in elections, like the presidential one this December.

We’re also thrilled to share the news that Books for Congo just sent over 3,000 books for the Congo Peace School library – sourced in French and many from African authors – according to the list the school gave the organization for the needs of the library, from literature to the sciences to mathematics to social studies and languages from pre-K to adult level. The school’s wide selection of books opens the world to the children, staff, and their families.

Amani sees a direct impact of this unique access to books in the success of the students in their national exams as compared to other schools in the region. We look forward to sharing this access with the community and other schools in the region as the school begins a community access plan for the library, previously unseen in the area.

Take more action and share this post! We are actively fundraising to meet the school's budget this year and next and continue to fund our adult education, community health, and regenerative farming projects - help us grow our community of partners by sharing about this revolutionary and transformational work.

If you're not a monthly or annual donor, please consider a gift to support the children of Congo today.

Thank you for caring for the children of DRC and stang alongside them in imagining a different and peaceful future. 

100% Success! Congo Peace School National Exam Results

We have exciting news that couldn’t wait until the next monthly update: 100% of the Congo Peace School seniors passed the national exam! And it is the ONLY school in the area (six other secondary schools) with a 100% success rate.

We measure success in many ways at the Peace School [CPS] – monitoring through conversations that students are ingesting the principles of peace and nonviolence and living them out day to day in relationship with each other, their teachers, and their families. This nationalized scholastic achievement proves the importance of the Congo Peace School’s different approach to education from the typical pedagogy in the country. Instead of classrooms packed with 70 to 80 students per teacher, we limit class size to around 40, and employ assistant teachers to provide more one-on-one attention. Instead of rote learning and repetition of what the teacher says, our teachers are trained to foster curiosity and questioning, everyone learning equality – between male and female students and students and teachers. Other schools use corporal punishment, but the CPS teachers are taught healing-informed techniques, looking for signs a student might be experiencing mental health issues or illness or problems at home, and our school counselors are available for psychological support and interventions.

We had celebrated graduation with these students on July 1, 2023, honoring that they completed the CPS curriculum, but had to wait until now to learn the results of the national exam that informs the seniors they are officially high school graduates. (The Democratic Republic of Congo publishes these results typically in mid-late August, but had various setbacks at the national level. The late-summer results explains the reason universities and colleges in DRC begin enrollment and start classes in November each year.)

Our Founding Director Amani Matabaro reports the students arrived at the Congo Peace School to learn the results and danced in celebration. It’s a huge morale boost for the whole community, who feel this school is a part of them, many of them investing their time, labor, and the small amounts of money they can to build it and help with upkeep and community clean-up.

These students were selected to start when the doors of the Congo Peace School first opened in 2018 as they were most in need: either orphaned or from families experiencing extreme poverty, most had missed school, had been kicked out for not paying school fees, and were experiencing food insecurity. Five years of education rooted in healing, peace and nonviolence, and equality, they are the top students in the region, celebrating their success with all of you, who have made this school possible. Thank you for partnering with them!

Celebrating the national exam results at the Congo Peace School

Amani with the graduates in July 2023