Against the backdrop of conflict, violence and insecurity in North and South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Comfort Congo have been elbow-deep in helping those worst affected by the crises which are ravaging the country. As the M23 rebel armies have advanced, violence has heightened, more families have fled, more women and girls have been attacked and raped and many more have died. The Central Hospital Rusayu has been ransacked and looted, teachers have not been paid, banks have been closed, meaning money is inaccessible to almost everyone, and crime has skyrocketed. Our supporters have responded by raising over £26,000 to support Comfort Congo in their response to the catastrophe. The first instalment of funds has reached Comfort Congo, and Bedadi has sent us an update on just how critical this deposit has been.Â
Bedadi says, “Dear Comfort International, trustees, volunteers and donors, thank you for your generous heart of love and mercifulness, and for your donations and support to Comfort Congo for emergency feeding and support during this hard time of war in North Kivu, D.R.Congo. Comfort Congo is very grateful for your continued support and there is no better word to explain this than “Mungu awabariki sana” (God bless you so much). The need is great and it is a privilege for Comfort Congo to partner with Comfort International to provide food, medicine, water and more for these people who have nowhere to go and nothing they can do but count on us as a Christian organisation among them. We have street children, teachers with all their families, child soldiers, single mothers, and raped women needing support.
Volunteers help distribute food and supplies
With the first £5000 you sent to Comfort Congo, which is equal to about $6172, we have bought oil, corn flour, soap, salt, beans, and sugar. The number of people who received from your donation including their families, was 603 people and they will have food security for 4 or more weeks. Among those who received food from this first instalment were teachers from Kyezye extension school, Walugaba, Salugaba, Saint Jean, people from Comfort Congo Coordinating schools, Street Kids Rescue members, Comfort Babies Congo members, Heshima and Children of Liberty. Others who will receive in part II include those who work at Central Hospital Rusayu, Mbula Institute, Nahori primary school, Kambize, Kisima, La Misericoria, Kyezye, Shalom primary and secondary school and Salemi Primary school. Comfort Congo were also able to purchase $500 worth of medicines for Central Hospital Rusayu.
Testimonies
“My name is Rubin and I am headmaster at Kyezye Extension Primary School. I am really glad because of what Comfort Congo has just done for us regarding this rescue action. During this hard situation, we have been starving, without hope of getting food, but God has responded to our prayers.
We received corn-flour, beans, vegetable oil, salt and soap. This has been a good support for me, because my children, my wife and I had spent three days without having food. We could only use water and sugar as food to avoid dying from starvation. Comfort International have thought kindly of the situation of the Congolese, and especially about us teachers who can no longer rely on having a salary; and even if we do receive a salary, the situation of the war is worsening our life, as there are no financial institutions or banks open in our city.Â
The food support that we have received has had a positive impact on my family and we praise the Lord for this rescue. Thank you Comfort International, thank you Comfort Congo.
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I am Agnes, one of the women in the Heshima Project. I am here to thank Comfort Congo and Comfort International for the compassion and the everlasting love you have on us to never stop coming to our help in any circumstance when we are in need. This action of giving us food today is a response to our prayer to God to use anyone of good will to come in help. When we could find no one on our right or our left who could give us food within this war period, as usual God answers us by using Comfort International to give us food .
We say again thank you so much for this good deed and we pray to God to bless you abundantly and bless your donors who are praying and sending us money to buy food.
My name is Merveille and with my child I am in the CBC (Comfort Babies Congo) project.
My thanks are addressed to Comfort Congo and Comfort International for this action of giving us food today as we were actually hungry with our kids and there is nobody who could intervene apart from only Comfort Congo and Comfort International who keep us in their hearts.
This food reached us in the right time, when we were passing nights without anyone to call on and nowhere to go for food, yet our children are asking for food.
We thank God because He used you to feed us within this period of extreme hunger and war.
God bless you and the donors who contributed by giving their money to buy us food.
