Earlier this year an international NGO had promised a new school at Ngangi, in the northern suburbs of Goma. This is the site of our new theological college, and we needed to demolish one of the schools on the site and build extra classrooms for another. The existing set-up had over 1,000 pupils in 6 classrooms – with half studying in the morning and half in the afternoon

In late July we heard that the NGO wasn’t going to be able to help us, so we had to act quickly. We got together the resources we could from the diocese to add to a partner’s generosity and worked out what was possible. First, we had to level the ground with a bulldozer, which regularly broke down, then order the planks, that were in increasingly short supply in the city. To build the 12 classrooms and 2 offices we employed a team of carpenters who built the schools in 5 weeks.

A local team managed to break the remaining rocks down as much as they could to provide a level floor, but one day we hope to be able to put a foundation round the base of the classrooms, concrete on the floor, and provide the children with a proper playground.

The parents raised $500 to fit out the classrooms, took another loan of $500 and thanks to the generosity of UK friends and churches and a contribution from the local education authority, we were able to provide all 12 new classrooms with desks and benches (above photo) and blackboards. And then UNICEF came to give school bags, and books to each of the children.

It is a joy to see the children all studying now in the mornings, in very much improved conditions. We look forward to hearing how they get on for the rest of the year.

October 2026