Hope for the Nations Burundi/DR Congo

Burundi/DR Congo

One of the most brutal and long lasting civil wars in the history of continental Africa continues to rage at the Burundi/Congo borderland. Caught up in historical fighting between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes are children and families in need of security, care, and hope.

Hope agents, Ray and Mary Anne Bale from Vernon B.C., have invested their lives to provide a hope and a future for children of this conflict.

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Projects

New Hope Center

New Hope Center was established in Bujumbura, Burundi in 2004 following a massacre in Eastern Congo that ravaged communities and scattered the people. Congolese children found themselves orphaned and stateless, fleeing to neighboring countries with no identification or passports. It was here at New Hope Center in Burundi that some of these children found their home.

Our home has several mamas who care for the children. Many have lost their own families, and so it is here that they too have found a new family with the children. We aim to send as many children as we can to university where they can further their education and be equipped with the skills to sustain themselves.

In May 2015, due to ongoing unrest and insecurity in Burundi, it was necessary to evacuate the children and staff to Rwanda, where they have remained. They are all doing well, continuing with their education, and have come to the reality that this will be their home. They have been well received in the community and have integrated into the English language system, with a number of them achieving first class honors.

Ecole Shalom

The mountains of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo form a natural boundary separating the Uvira region from the rest of the country. Refugees fleeing conflict zones gathered in Uvira with few supplies and no access to education. Because of on-going war in other parts of the country, the government has had difficulty meeting the challenges that people in this region face.

Ecole Shalom is a primary and secondary school with an enrolment of more than 850 students from grade 1-13. The primary school has had the distinction of gaining a 100% pass rate from primary to secondary level for 9 years running. Ongoing training is provided for resident teachers as well as teachers from surrounding schools in the district.

Emmanuel Center

In 2005, Emmanuel Center was established in the High Plateau region of Democratic Republic of the Congo in response to the desperate need to care for children orphaned by war.

Spanning 200 hectares of land, Emmanuel Center encompasses six homes, a church, carpentry center, literacy center, primary & secondary center, social center, solar energy, and an agricultural project, which aims to make Emmanuel Center completely self sufficient through the raising of cattle, goats and chickens, a tree farm, and a flour mill.

Najenga Training Center

Najenga is a Swahili invitation to “Come and build.” The Najenga Training Center is being developed on 3 hectares of fertile land in the Uvira Region, including agricultural projects, a church, early childhood education, and a multidisciplinary center to serve the surrounding community.