After visiting these projects in Rwanda, my heart and head were full and buzzing with the amazing ministries I had seen and heard testimony of in action. I couldn’t wait to hear more, but I also needed some head space to try and start processing everything I’d encountered in the last 48 hours. Thankfully, I had the car journey from Kigali to Gisenyi to do so. Dieudonne Mugongo, Director of Comfort Congo, and I were on the road for most of a day to try and reach the Rwanda/ DRC border before it shut at 3pm.
The road we took was beautiful – it was hard not to stop the car multiple times to take photos of the views we were driving past! We made it to the border crossing at 2.45pm, thankfully it was quiet. The DRC border staff could not have been more welcoming and friendly. From here, we had a quick pit stop at Pere Pallotin – my accommodation for my time in Goma.
After quickly dropping my belongings, I was taken to the Village of Hope, where a number of Comfort’s projects in DRC are based. Driving through Goma, I was struck by the beauty of the city, contrasted by the knowledge I had of the issues and the scale of the need in the area. The black of the volcanic rock and soil the city is built on was beautifully contrasted by the natural woods and beautiful whites, reds and blues that the houses were coloured in. Goma truly is a photographer’s dream, based on the aesthetic of the city alone.
Due to how late in the day it was, I knew I wouldn’t have much time at the Village of Hope. When I arrived, there was a group of young folk waiting to greet me, all members of the Children of Liberty (CoL – rescued ex-child soldiers). I was barely out of the car when they started singing. Oh my word. I have never experienced anything like it. I’m not a stranger to the presence of God, but never have I felt it so tangibly that I felt I could reach out and touch God’s presence. The power in the way that the Children of Liberty worship is incredible. Tears, mostly mine, flowed freely as they sang.
I eventually realised that I had been so in awe of the praise, that I hadn’t taken any photos or videos of the singing – I was too busy being caught in that wonderful moment. I asked if they would mind singing another praise song so that I could capture it – which they were delighted to do for me!
By this point, it was starting to get dark so I was taken back to my accommodation to gather myself again and prepare for the next day. I spent the whole of the next day meeting individuals at the Village of Hope and at one of the schools Comfort supports. At the Village of Hope, I met with members of the Children of Liberty where I heard their testimonies of the horrific circumstances and terrors they had experienced and survived.
Life in D.R. Congo can be very dangerous for children. Rebel groups may loot and destroy villages – killing the inhabitants and using the children as soldiers or sex slaves. Those who escape find their homes and families are destroyed.
Our partners, Comfort Congo, have established the Children of Liberty sponsorship project which helps these young people by providing physical, emotional and spiritual care. The young people are cared for and given hope and help to rebuild their lives in an encouraging community environment. Many go on to finish their schooling, attend college or university, get a job, start a business and become contributors to society.
Meeting with the Children of Liberty, although holding some of the hardest testimonies to hear from the entire trip, ended up being a time of familiarity for me. Before joining Comfort International, I worked for a charity called “Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland”. My role in the organisation was the same as Joseph or Bedadi’s role with the Children of Liberty. Identify victims of Human Trafficking and help them to escape the situation.
As I expected, I was blown away by the testimony of God working in their lives. The depth of their faith is incredible. To have been through such horrific experiences and situations and being rescued from them has given the Children of Liberty such an incredible passion for God. I well up just thinking about what they shared with me, what they had to do to survive and how they were pulled free from that life.
a little can change a life