Congo Peace School Student Stories 2018

Shadrack Quote July 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.13 year old Shadrack will enter his first class at the Congo Peace School as a secondary student in grade 1. He's excited to learn who his French teacher will be, and continue to study his favorite subject a this new school. "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.'"

Amani is Action Kivu's Founding Director and the visionary leader behind all we do in Congo, inspiring the community that peace is possible, and it starts within each of us.  https://www.patreon.com/congopeaceschool

Arsene _ CPS student entering grade 2 secondary - 1

When asked what the term "nonviolence" means to him, Arsene 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." I 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."

From our U.S. ED, who is in Congo reporting on our ongoing programs and the Congo Peace School:

Thank you to the newest members of the Action Kivu Congo Peace School Patreon family. Your monthly commitment helps ensure the ongoing education grounded in peace and nonviolence for students like Arsene, who will enter grade 2 of secondary school at the Peace School this September.

Thank you to all our Patreon donors, Guardian Donors, our partner Dillon Henry Foundation, and PLFDreams for making this vision of peace possible, investing in future peace leaders. It starts here.The need is great, if we reach $650 / month on the Patreon page we can pay 2 of our secondary school teachers a living wage. Jim us for as little as $3 per month!

patreon.com/congopeaceschool

"But I have no uniform."

Our U.S. ED reports from Congo: ​Visiting Action Kivu's Literacy Program, I noticed that one student appeared much younger than the others. Asking the age range​ of the group,​ ​I ​learned that Anouarite, pictured here, is 10 years old. After a few students shared their thoughts on equality and community, and Amani and I started to say our goodbyes, Anouarite stood up and addressed​ our Founding Director and leader​ Amani, telling him she is an orphan who has no one to pay for her education, so she joined the Literacy Program, determined to learn how to read and write. Barely four feet tall, she stood strong​ and confident​ and asked if she could attend the Congo Peace School when it opens in September. Amani said yes on the spot, as part of his criteria to select students is to find those most vulnerable, who have no one to look out for their education, as well as to find strong leadership potential, students willing to assert themselves.​ ​As we celebrated her drive and determination to get an education, she interrupted: "But I have no uniform." Amani assured her that the uniform and supplies are part of the school, and she will be well cared for. ​Action Kivu's Sewing Workshop students and alumni will be paid to make the school uniforms for the 160 students will will launch the school this September in grades 1 & 2 primary, and grades 1 & 2 secondary, part of the synergy that is implemented across much of Action Kivu's work on the ground in Congo.

Anouarite CPS first grade quote logo July 2018

Celebrate Anouarite's courage and determination with a monthly commitment to her education and students like her! A pledge of $3 / month ($36 / year) will purchase 3 uniforms for students at the Congo Peace School. Learn more and sign up at our Patreon Page - www.patreon.com/congopeaceschool

Yvette Cishi - Sewing Workshop Class of 2018

Yvette Cishi class of 2018 sewing workshop

18 years old, Yvette Cishi doesn't mind her long walk to attend Action Kivu's Sewing Workshop. She is one of the 43 girls and women in the Class of 2018 - eager to learn all she can and graduate with a sewing kit complete with a pedal-powered Singer machine to start her own business! This is what you, our Action Kivu family, make possible for the women and girls we work alongside in Congo. Join the movement today!

Brigitte's Vision for Girls in Congo and Around the World

Brigitte Baganda Love shirt with logo

Brigitte’s face lights up when she talks about her future: “At school, my classmates are already calling me lawyer for standing up for their rights. I often like to defend my colleagues who are innocent and sometimes punished for no reason.”

With financial support to pursue law school, 18-year-old Brigitte plans to take that spirit of justice out of the classroom, and into the rest of Congo, and the world. “I want to attend the school of law so that I become able to defend the rights of women and children around the world, in Africa in general and in DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) in particular. This has been my dream for several years, since I joined the Teen Mothers and Educational Assistance programs four years ago. I came with a heart full of disappointment and sadness. I felt worthless, but today I am worthy and want to become a lawyer.”

Four years ago, Brigitte was abandoned by her family, in accordance with a cultural norm that blames the survivors of rape for their crime. Forced to quit school with a baby to care for, she had little hope for her future. After Action Kivu’s partner ABFEC welcomed her and her child into the Teen Mother’s program, providing a home and vocational training, she quickly found her footing.We don’t stop at education and equality training for just our participants, but work to educate the whole community on the rights of women and kids, and reconciliation with families who grasp that understanding.

Brigitte’s family was one who learned that rape is not the victim’s fault, and with support and forgiveness, reunited with Brigitte and her baby. By that time, Brigitte had already requested to return to school, and stayed in Mumosho, while her mother, now Brigitte’s biggest supporter, raises the little girl, so Brigitte was able to focus on her studies, and finish secondary school in June of 2017.

“My mom is so happy, proud of me for continuing my studies because my family believes that it may lead to a bright future, which I know will happen. I want to continue my education to create a better future where I become able to take care of myself, my child, my community, and my country by giving back,” Brigitte says.“I am inspired to become a lawyer to defend the rights of children who are not respected and who are being violated every day.”Brigitte’s memories inform her drive to work for equality and justice, from how she found hope to come out of a dark place, to a joyful memory from elementary school.“

The story of the past that I remember is the day that I lost hope to live, the only thing I wanted at that time was to end my life, after being pregnant, abandoned by everyone, even my beloved ones. I had to stop going to school, I was feeling it should not have happened, and questioned why it happened to me. My favorite memory of a great experience was being in school, in elementary school I got 99%, and my headmaster paid for my school fees for 6 months. I was very happy and respected.“

Returning to school changed my life, because I have a new hope for a better life in the future, and my parents are proud of me now and proud of the program which changed my life. I am not ignored by people in our community, they look at me differently now, they have respect for me. My life is no longer miserable like before, I see a bright future based on a new hope. Before my life was very hard, destroyed and miserable. I spent my time at home disappointed, doing nothing alone with my child. But now life is becoming easy,” Brigitte says. After graduating secondary school in June, she’s still learning: “Even now I’m in training, and helping nurse Janine with education about HIV/AIDS,” she says.“10 years from now, I will have a job as a lawyer and be independent, defending people because I will have that power thanks to my studies.“

I say thank you so much to all the supporters of the programs.  I would like to say that I wish to study law, travel around the world and exchange experience with other experienced lawyers in other countries and help Congo build a strong country reinforced with law.”

We believe Brigitte’s vision for her bright future, and are looking for people to partner with her in it. $7,000 USD pays for one year of her university education, including books, room, and board.“

What I want to tell other girls – in Congo and around the world – is to never lose hope, and to work hard. They should not lose self-confidence, which was what happened to me. And that being a girl or woman does not mean someone is inferior to men, no, not at all.”

Visit https://www.actionkivu.org/donate to make a donation today!

Meet Nadine, AKA Professor Math [Congo]

Nadine might answer to her Swahili name, Munguakokonkwa, but she also goes by Professor Math. Nicknamed by her classmates for her love of mathematics and prowess when it comes to explaining it to others, she reports, “They like me, by the way, because I always explain mathematics to them whenever there is something they do not understand.”Her mother, grateful for an easy birth, named Nadine “Munguakokonkwa,” which means “thank you God.” Perhaps her name shaped her outlook on life, because 21 years later, Nadine overflows with gratitude. Growing up in extreme poverty in a corner of Congo where she and her mother would work on other people’s farms for a dollar per day to feed themselves and her younger brothers, often kicked out of school for lack of funds, Nadine ticks off a list of all that she is grateful for. “For instance,” she says, “God helped me graduate from secondary school this year, even though I had never dreamed I might finish school because of poverty and hardship in life.” She is grateful to Action Kivu’s work in Congo for providing the path for her to go back to school.With the opportunity to attend university, Nadine, aka Professor Math, plans to major in computer sciences and technology. “Computer science is important because it helps people to be aware of what is going on in the world,” Nadine explains, standing on the very ground from which many minerals are extracted that make up critical parts of the world’s technological devices, from smartphones to jet engines. Nadine knows that, and wants to enrich that knowledge with a college degree, so that she can educate others in Congo to know how important their country is to the world.Many of the things on Nadine’s gratitude list center around school. “My favorite memory is when I was in elementary school and I finished with a 91%. Our headmaster gave me so many gifts! Also I spent three months without have to pay school fees when I was just at the beginning of my elementary school. This is a memory, an experience that I will never forget.”“My life has not always an easy one,” Nadine shares. “I remember that there were times I needed to stop going to school because we lacked the money for school fees, and during those times I had to spend time farming with my mom. I should have already graduated from secondary school 3 years ago. Now I am 21 years old, I have been delayed, but it’s never too late, I have a goal to achieve.”“My life changed by being in school because I know how to write and read, I know the history of my country and other countries, it has changed my behaviors, it has given me value and standing, not only in my family but also in my community. Being in school helps me believe in myself. I just graduated from Secondary school, many boys failed and I succeeded, that is another reason why I strongly believe in myself and I can achieve more and more. I am ready to stand and go again.”Envisioning her goal of a university degree becoming a reality with the support of partners around the globe, Nadine sees a bright future. “I see myself so far in 10 years,” she says, beaming. “I’ll have my bachelor degree, allowing me to find good work, which will allow me to support vulnerable children, orphans, and widows.”Nadine wants to pay forward the opportunity she had to attend and graduate secondary school because of Action Kivu’s partner in Congo (ABFEC).  “Going through [this] program has transformed my life entirely, and I want one day to be in a position to give back.“I want to tell other girls in Congo and around the world that education is the only way to have a bright future. If we have the chance or possibility of studying we must do and take it seriously. And also we must work hard to change the world, and as African girls we can.”One year of university plus supplies, books, room & board for Nadine costs $7,000 USD. If you, your school, or your community is looking to make a difference in this way, contact our executive director Rebecca Snavely at actionkivu [at] gmail [dot] com to find ways to invest in education! 

Chanceline's Dream: Medical School

Chanceline_Cibalonza_ActionKivu

“I want to continue my education because it will help me be a responsible and strong woman. I want to attend the school of medicine or nursing at university — it's a big dream.” Chanceline wants to study medicine to care for people who lack means for medical care. “In our country,” she says, “so many people die and will continue dying because they lack the funds for care. That’s why I want to be a doctor and build a hospital to help solve this problem. The mortality rate among children under five is very high, and other people are being killed in every part of our country.”

20 years old, Chanceline Cibalonza lives in Mumosho, a collection of villages 25 kilometers outside the major city of Bukavu, Congo. With only one paved road and very little access to opportunities or education, Mumosho is economically depressed. Rich in culture, the people here live in extreme poverty, despite the natural resources mined from the area that supply the world with the means to make our smartphones, tablets, jet engines, and more. This is where Chanceline lives with both her parents and her siblings.

Her parents are extremely poor, and though Chanceline was expelled from school for lack of funds, she was able to finish secondary school thanks to ABFEC, Action Kivu’s partner in Congo, and our Education Assistance program that sends to school children whose families are unable to afford the fees. Chanceline and her whole family believe that if she has the opportunity to continue her education and get a college degree, this will change her life, and theirs, and eventually the community around them.

“My Swahili name, Cibalonza, means ‘what people want or what they are looking for.’ My parents wanted a baby girl, and when I was born, they saw that I was what they were looking for.”There was a time, however, that her parents turned their backs on their daughter. Because of a culture that holds that rape is the girl’s fault, they were led to believe that she was no longer the one they were looking for.“The story that I always remember and I will never forget is the day I was impregnated and abandoned by my family and friends,” Chanceline shares. “I was forced to give up on my studies even though I was ready to graduate.”

“My parents were very disappointed and told me they were ashamed of me and they abandoned me. I lost hope because I saw my life destroyed. I was mistreated, I was a pregnant woman who stayed awake from morning to evening without eating and I had to work for myself. I was still very young and I lost hope and my future became very dark.Chanceline’s family made amends with her, and welcomed her home. There, she gave birth to a baby girl, but was still afraid, worried about her future with no income, and no education. Every day she went to work on a farm, for approximately one dollar a day, and mourned that she had lost out on school.  “But God is great,” she says, “I heard about ABFEC (Action Kivu’s partner in Congo) and I went to talk to my family, who knew about the vocational training programs there, and the Teen Mother’s program (supported by a grant from Jewish World Watch). My mother took me to the Community Center, and I was welcomed, to live there with my child, and receive job training.”Chanceline chose the Sewing Workshop, to learn how to measure and make clothing for customers. One day during an empowerment group session, she listened to Amani, the founding director of all we do, tell the group of girls and women that they are strong, and they already have the power to decide what to do to change their lives.“That day I asked if I was still able to go back to school,” Chanceline says. “I was surprised by the answer Amani gave me.” He asked, ‘’What do you think about yourself? How do you feel about going back to school to pursue what you want to do?” He encouraged me, saying, “No matter what happened to you, be strong, no matter what, you can transform your pain into power.”“That was the beginning of a new life and I decided to go back to school. I gained power and I decided not to fail, and I just graduated from secondary school and I am on the journey to achieve my goal. I was supported for two years and in 2017, I finished my secondary studies. I am so happy and proud of myself. This is the story that I will never forget and I will always tell it to everyone.“What I see in my life, and in the world, that I want to be a part of, that inspires me and excites me is to become among those people who are helping people in difficulties like Action Kivu’s partners — I dream to become a big supporter and expand the ongoing programs to other parts of Congo.”Chanceline has witnessed more than most in her short life, and because of the support she received, she has hope for others. In addition to becoming a nurse or a doctor to serve the medical needs of the under-served in Congo, she sees the desperate need to educate children and women in literacy, and also to reduce the level of corruption in her county, one of the main reasons, she states, “why my country is not standing correctly.”The memory of the day she was raped may be strong in her mind, but her other strongest memory is when she received her high school diploma. Even before she had to quit school because of her pregnancy, she was often forced to drop out because her parents couldn’t afford her school fees.  “I was one of those poor children that my teacher kicked out from the classroom for lack of school fees. I felt ashamed and I left studies for a moment. My shame ended when I entered the education assistance program, and now I have my diploma.”“My life changed being in school because at school I learned so many things in short it has developed my skills and gave me knowledge. Today I am proud and feel respected because of my education.”Now that she has graduated secondary school and is waiting on funds to start university, she is proud to spend her days earning income, sewing. “My life has changed because I can take care of myself and my child with the money I gain from sewing clothes.”What does the future hold for Chanceline? “In 10 years I see myself very far because I will be done with my studies and have work which will help me to meet my needs and help others in difficult situations. I will be realizing my dreams.”With your partnership, Chanceline will not only realize her dreams of practicing medicine, but she will pave a path for others to follow.“What I can tell other girls in Congo and around the world is to never lose hope, listen to those who encourage you. And also I can tell them to study if they have that chance because with studies we can be presidents, doctors, teachers, and lawyers…” The list goes on.One year of university plus supplies, books, room & board costs $7,000 USD. Chanceline will have to live on or near campus, so her mother will care for Chanceline’s little girl during the school week, giving Chanceline time to pursue her degree, paving the road to a better, brighter, more just world for that little girl.

Meeting Mapendo: Microloans, Pigs, and Paying it Forward

Why is Mapendo smiling? With the $100 she received from the Power in Unity group, Action Kivu's savings & loan project, she bought a pig, and is able to sell the piglets for $20 each, allowing her to pay back her loan. The group operates with a "pay it forward" model, and part of the repayment invests in more women being able to join the group.Mapendo is an active part of our community, and her smile is unforgettable. We previously posted about her and her friend in farming here. 

Donate today to be a part of this social justice movement! Every dollar makes a difference.

Congo: The Sounds of Education, the Sounds of Equality [Video]

The sound of women's voices in Action Kivu's Literacy Program is the sound of equality! Hear their voices through video and story; scroll through a collection of stories from our literacy students here.Partner with us in this movement today. Every dollar makes a difference, and a monthly donation allows us to plan for our future!

A Song from the Action Kivu Sewing Workshop: Class of 2017

A song of thanks for our Action Kivu family!

Reflecting on a Year and the Meaning of Life

The purpose of life is to discover your gift.The meaning of life is to give your gift away.A 3-foot square image of this quote, attributed to Pablo Picasso, was propped up in a shop window on a busy street in Atwater Village. It was likely intended to lead one into the shop where, so inspired by the quote, you would also discover gifts to purchase for the holiday season, gifts to give away to your friends and family. The meaning of life, or at least the holiday season.The power of the quote stopped me in my tracks, and I found a shady spot on the sidewalk to copy down the words in my phone, tears welling up in my eyes as I thought about the purpose and meaning of life, and all that everyone gives for the work we support in Congo.I may have been moved to tears, but my training to research sources took me to the Quote Investigator, where I discovered that this particular one has been attributed both to Picasso as well as to the great bard, Shakespeare. However, there is no evidence to link it to either artist. Instead, the website discovered a longer version of the quote written by psychiatrist David Viscott in his 1993 book “Finding Your Strength in Difficult Times: A Book of Meditations." He wrote:The purpose of life is to discover your gift.The work of life is to develop it.The meaning of life is to give your gift away.Gifts wrapped, given, and opened, this quote stayed with me as I reflected on a year drawing to an end, and the anticipation of all a new year holds. When I think about the changes I've seen since co-founding Action Kivu in 2010, when Cate Haight and I began reaching out to all of you to support Amani Matabaro's work in Congo, I think of Francine, whom I met on my last visit to Mumosho, DRC this past February.I first encountered Francine at the Community Center, where she was practicing the art and craft of basket weaving, wanting to add another skill to her business that she started after she graduated the Sewing Workshop in 2016. Asking if I could see her sewing studio, she invited us to her family's house, where she had set up shop in a room of her own.The sewing machine Francine received when she graduated Action Kivu's Sewing Workshop has given her a new life. The pedal-powered machine is stationed by the door, where the sun provides the light for her work during the day. “I sew my own clothes, I sew for customers and earn the money to help pay school fees for my nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters.”Francine laughs easily and often, her wide smile breaking out just before offering her truth and insight: “Before, it was the man who gives you anything you need. Now, I can provide for myself. Now, when I get married, my husband will respect me,” Francine explains. “After many years, a husband might leave you,” she says. “But even if a man leaves me, I will continue my life. My children will feel that they still have a father, as I will act as a mother and a father, providing for them.”Your partnership with Action Kivu and the women and kids of Congo isn't just changing lives, it is changing the very culture of Congo. As these women embrace their equality and power, they will raise up a new generation to do the same.As we reflect on the amazing changes we witnessed in 2017, from our farm program giving the land and education for 85 women to learn the latest organic farming techniques from a university student and feed their families and community, to our Sewing Workshop graduating 42 skilled entrepreneurs this December, to our Literacy Program welcoming women denied an education from ages 15 to mid-60s, we celebrate an amazing year filled with challenges and successes.We look forward to 2018, a year in which the Congo Peace School will finish construction thanks to the seed money from The Dillon Henry Foundation and a generous donation from the Pour Les Femmes fund. In the coming year, we will continue to raise funding for the additional costs of furnishings, a computer lab, and operating costs to educate the future leaders of Congo in peace and nonviolence.The purpose of life is to discover your gift.The work of life is to develop it.The meaning of life is to give your gift away.A heartfelt thank you to YOU, our dear Action Kivu family, for giving away your gifts of generosity that make it possible for these women and kids to discover their gifts, develop them, and find meaning in giving them away as they go out and change our world.Rebecca SnavelyExecutive Director, Action KivuIt's not too late for a year-end donation online, or to set up a monthly donation that allows us to plan ahead as we deepen our impact in the lives of women and children in Congo, and all the people they influence. We are grateful for all you do to invest in this life and culture changing work!

Sewing Alum Claudine Defines Peace [Congo]

Claudine graduated from Action Kivu's Sewing Workshop, Class of 2015, taking with her a sewing machine and all the tools necessary to start her own business. When Claudine joined the Sewing Workshop, she was the mother of a child forced upon her. With the skills she learned, Claudine began a new journey: she started her own business, married a man who respects and loves her, and in addition to her first child, also has a baby boy, who is 7 months old. And she reports being happy.Claudine told our partner Amani: “Peace for me is when I am not constantly afraid of a new war, or being abused. Peace is when I am able to feed and send my children to school, otherwise there is no peace.”Invest in peace for women like Claudine! A donation to Action Kivu provides life-transforming training courses and creates space for women to embrace their equality and power. Consider making it monthly - a recurring donation helps us plan for the future!More about Action Kivu in Congo:Never Too Late to Learn: At 66, Cirezi Joined Action Kivu's Literacy Program [Video]Amani’s Vision: Together We Will Leave a Legacy of Integrity [Video]To Protect One Protects Many: Action Kivu’s HIV/AIDS Education & TestingA Goat’s Good Standing: Creating Community in Congo, one Goat at a TimeWhy Mapendo and Faida share a plot of farmlandSewing Workshop Alumnus Francine: Entrepreneur for EqualityClass of 2017 Sewing Workshop Student Bahati on Finding CourageStart with Love: Sewing Student Iragi on Raising Up Good LeadersAbout Congo