Shallowford Minute for Mission
Mouyo Shallowford – udi bimpe anyi?
Good morning Shallowford!
Jan and I cherish the relationships we’ve formed at Shallowford in the last nine years, and I’m especially honored that Congo Hope is a new mission partner of the church.
I grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo and became heavily involved in mission projects there beginning around 2003. Since then, I’ve made 12 trips and escorted some 90 people to visit the Congo Presbyterian Church; Jan has been four times.
With some 2.5 million Presbyterians, Congo has the 2nd-largest Presbyterian population in the world, trailing only Korea and twice as many as the U.S.
What do we do? My nonprofit works in conjunction with two others in Congo – supporting a wide variety of projects and youth leadership training.
Brad Bryant and his daughter, Katherine, have joined with the effort through Education Congo in working to generate support for two Protestant universities in Congo.
We don’t build stuff, paint buildings, install things — we do a lot of hugging, loving on people, and listening. We try to walk alongside them, ever so briefly, to understand the challenges of their world and ask how we can help.
That help takes many forms.
We’ve funded blood banks, medical equipment, deep wells, water catchment systems, solar power installations at hospitals and clinics, trained over 300 single mothers in sewing, scripture, literacy, and equipped them with sewing machines to start their small businesses. We’ve scholarshipped a dozen university students, including 7 or 8 doctors, funded the production of hundreds of washable feminine hygiene kits to help keep girls in school, and dozens of other projects.
The Shallowford mission support will be partially used to support scholarships to a university and a medical school to train a doctor. In 8 years, we will have one more physician saving lives in Congo!
Right now, and of interest to our current and former CDC folks, it is helping communities address Ebola. I’ve just received four proposals from our young alumni groups to build and distribute handwashing stations, conduct hygiene classes, and more in the Ebola-impacted area. The whopping total needed to complete all the proposed projects is only $ 5,000. Money combined with volunteer labor goes a long way.
If anyone would like to help specifically on the Ebola outreach, please chat with Brad or me.
Once again, on behalf of the people of Congo, thank you, Shallowford, for the nurturing and support!
