March 2019 Impact Report

Celebrating 20 years of educational partnership with UPC 1998-2018, Education Congo is also exploring new relationships to address growing need!

A Strong Congo Through Education

Your investment in Congolese students is transforming their lives and their nation...

Over the past four years some 367 students have benefitted from Education Congo’s scholarship grants. Your gift enables aspiring young adults to choose a career path that will lead to transformation of themselves and their local communities. Thank you for supporting higher education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo!

Here are some profiles of medical students we have been highlighting in the past year, who are achieving their goals of transformation:

Mantele Mobinde is specializing in pediatrics to work with a particularly vulnerable segment of Congolese society - infants.

Biziki Miamungu wants to work in the area of preventative medicine in the public health sector. He noted that “One does not become a doctor to become rich but to serve others.”

Nsongo Ngole is focusing in psychiatry and pediatrics to address issues relating to the very high infant mortality rate in the DRC.

Djonga Onaska has a passion to become a psychiatrist so as to serve his country’s needs.

Each of these students, and many more, have chosen a vocational focus (see infographic above) that will enable them to become significant contributing members of society. Herein lies the hope of our long-standing partnership with UPC (Université Protestante au Congo) – an education that leads to opportunity and to transformation.

Education Congo Covers Critical Need for UPC Medical School Interns

Education Congo has contributed to a new vehicle to transport interns and training professors to rural hospitals. Rural internships are a crucial part of training for these students. The ability to put “boots on the ground” in rural hospitals not only helps the interns gain practical experience in caring for patients, it also supports these hospitals with new staff who have been provided with the latest medical knowledge and techniques.

The Evangelical Medical Institute of Kimpese, a full service teaching hospital with 400 beds, is 127 miles (205 km) from Kinshasa – about a 4-hour drive over fairly good roads. UPC places over 60 students there each year.

The Vanga Evangelical Hospital is a full service teaching hospital and nursing school with 480 beds. It is 300 miles (485 km) from Kinshasa, a 10-12 hour drive over very poor roads. UPC places about 37 students in Vanga each year.

The roads are very rough and quite hazardous for vehicles and in the rainy season there is no way of knowing if or when parts of the roads may be flooded or washed out. Conditions like these take a constant heavy toll on motor vehicles.

The previous medical school Toyota Land Cruiser was used for transporting interns as well as other needs of the medical school but suffered a serious accident.

UPC and the medical school asked if Education Congo could provide urgent funding to cover at least part of the cost of a new vehicle. Education Congo donors responded rapidly and generously to this request and raised $37,000 in funds in addition to the $18,000 UPC was able to provide, for a total cost of $55,000. A new Toyota Land Cruiser was purchased in Kinshasa and is now used, managed and insured by the university.

Without the good will of donors like you, this need would not have been met as quickly and effectively as it was. Thank you for your support!

Education Congo Partners in the DRC