Over 1,300 grateful families

Thank you to those who have been praying for Goma since the city was taken by rebels in January and to those who have given financially to enable our emergency relief effort. With the generosity of friends, churches and organisations we have been able to meet the immediate needs of over 1300 households. With an average household size of 7, this is over 9000 individuals.

• Over 180 pastors, evangelists and diocesan staff and their families – particularly welcome by the pastors and evangelists who do not receive a salary from the diocese.

• Nearly 1000 households in our parishes in Goma, including 120 widows

• 166 teachers who have not received their government salary since December due to the banks being closed. We have also provided chalk, pens, exercise books and other essential admin items to the 14 schools in Goma who have also received nothing from the government since December (photo above)

Manna from Heaven

On lady turned up at church the next week with a gift of bananas and potatoes for the bishop and I’ve had so many other thank you messages and heard so many testimonies of profound gratitude.

“This gesture will remain inscribed in our hearts! It is a manna that falls from heaven at the favourable moment. May the Almighty bless the hands in the shadow, the origin of this wonderful assistance.”

“We are in the diocese of Goma and all of us have received a surprise even from afar, we see that we are loved by the Anglican Church of the whole world.”

“The act of assistance will remain engraved deep in our hearts. The believers of other churches testify that this has been rarely seen in the churches in Goma.”

“As teachers we didn’t know what we would do, but with this once-in-a-lifetime gift, we know that our families will be able to eat. I am so so thankful.”

“I bought food and sent some to those who have returned to the village since the new government forced all the displaced people to return home while they had nothing to eat or drink there.”

“Thank you so much for the financial gift. With some of it I’ve been able to set up a small market stall and started to sell merchandise.”

What next for the diocese?

After two months of the M23 being in control of the city of Goma, for us as a diocese to build for longer-term development, we have moved our focus to three priority areas.

• Trauma-counselling – particularly for clergy and children, with the vision to train all diocesan clergy in trauma-healing.

• Economic empowerment – particularly for women and for displaced people who are returning home to find they have lost houses, fields, livestock and businesses

• Reconstruction of schools damaged by the war. Since 2021 we have had three schools destroyed and at least 15 damaged by the war.

New Opportunities

We are also finding opportunities that were not there before. With the whole diocese now under the control of the M23 travel is much easier. And the Department for Evangelism has already taken advantage of this, and this week has travelled to Binza and Rutshuru archdeaconries in the north. Their mission is to find out the state of the churches, encourage the believers and do some evangelism training and campaigns. It has been two years since we’ve been able to travel to these parishes.

And, as residents of Goma will tell you from previous occupations of the city, this is the time to build! Already new buildings are springing up as residents take advantage of slightly lower levels of interest being shown by the new administration as well as a fall in the prices of some building materials. As a diocese we have started enlarging two churches in Goma and are planning to start the construction of a new health centre and at least one church on land that we bought in 2021 but haven’t been able to access. We are relocating the temporary churches we built in the IDP camps and are always on the lookout for other strategic plots of land where we can plant churches and build schools.

How can you pray?

• For the various peace talks and initiatives in Qatar, with the US and with the East and Southern African communities

• For safety and protection of civilians in the areas under M23 control

• For the pastoral, teaching and evangelistic ministries of the diocese in a time of turmoil

• For wisdom in building and the purchase of land